Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1874-11-10
EXTRAORDINARY MURDER TRIAL.

ENrRAORDINARY MURDER TRIAL.
The Frankfort Journal brings very full re.
port of the conclusion of an extraordinary muir
der trial in Germany, 10 which the people of
ceutral New York will feel a lively degree OF
interest, as it is the seque! to a horrible TRACE
dy which transpired 10 Cayuga county, n T.,
last year. Coudeusiug the story of the pre-.
liminary events in this remarkable case, and
its strauge--aud, as maUy here will believe,
inadequate result, the following facts are pre-
sented:
ln 1871, Mr. Westcett, farmer living near
the town of locke, Cayuga county, New York,
took from the House OF Refuge at Buffalo, for
the purpose of rearing her, young Irish girl
named Eta Conkling. She was servant in
the family when he hired young German
On the morning of May 3, 1873, Mr.. Westcott
and his wife lett home, going several miles dis
taut to spend the day, and leaving at home the
vouag Irish girl and the German aborer. That
attcrnoon Jane Westcott, relative OF the fam
liz, visited the house aud found Eta ConkIing
dead, wing 10 pool Of gore in the hallway
before the kitchen, with the blade of huge
butcher-knite buried in her breast. She called
ia ucghbors, ami suspicion at once Tell upon
joseph Esgler as the murderer He was not
20 be found at the time, but was captured the
next day 10 the town of Dryden, twenty miles
distant from the scene Of the commission Of
his horrible crime. December t, 1873 he was
brought to trial at Auburn. Public opinion
was very strong against him, the murder seem
!ng to have been a wantou aud extraordinarily
brutal one On the 9Th Of December, he was
fJund guilty and sentenced to be hanged.
Thirteen days later the counsel for the prison.
er obstained stay of proceedings, and before
The Supreme Court, at Syracuse, moved for
new trial, which was denied. The case was
next brought before the Court Of Appeals, at
Albany, and that tribunal on March %, 1874,
raatirmed the decision of the lower Court, and
fixed the date for Egger's execution on June
), 1874.
Meanwhile, the news of these proceedings
reached Eggler's family n Germany, and
through the influence which they were enabled
TO bring to bear upon the Baden Minister of
Justice and Foreign Affairs, the Imperial Am-
bassador at Washington, and the Imperial Con-
>ul-GencraI iu New York, were instructed to
utercede for the condemned man. A petition
Tor his pardon was by them addressed to Gov
cruor Dix, who so far exercised his executive
clcmcucy as to place Eggler au the disposal Of
the Imperial German Ambassador, on condi-
ton that be should be scut for trial and punish
ment to the courts of Baden. On May IL Eg-
his trial there at the General Asszes has just
been concluded.
Upon his trial be asked the privilege, which
wa, accorded him, of making statement to
the Court, and then detailed the circumstances
of the commission of his crime; confession
Which bis COUNSEL when be was tried 10 this
country would not permit him to make. His
story was n substance as follows:
On the fatal Sd OF May, 1873, at about ten
O'Clock in the forenoon, he went 10 from the
field, where he had been spreading manure, 10
the house, to obtaiu lunch which Mrs. West
colt had been iu the habit of giving him after
his four hours of hard morning work. In the
pantry he encountered Eta ConkIiug, and
asked her for something to eat. She refused
to give him anything, saying she had nothing
for hun, and, without taking any notice Of his
hungry condition, went on about her work,
going out to the we'll for pail Of water, aud
returning with it to the kitchen. He reiterated
his request for something to eat and received
sccoud refusal, whereupon he vowed that he
would pot 20 out to the field again without
his lunch Eta seized poker lying upon the
hearth, saying she would put him out if he
did not 60 out of his own accord, as she wanted
him to take his dirty boots out of her kitchen.
He persisted u his refusal to 60, and warned
her not to strike him with the poker. She re-
ioined that she was not afraid of him, and
dealt him violent blow upon the shoulder.
He Suatched the poker from her and threw it
down upon the hearth; whereupon she seized
him by the hair and tried to drag him from
the kitchen.
\ desperate struggle eusued between them,
each tearing at the others hair and both ex-
changing savage blows with their fists. Dur
lug this conflict they got near the door OF the
tool chamber, close to which, upon bench,
lay three large knives. Eta, peIceiving the
knives endcavored to seize one of them.
He in striving to prevent her from doing so,
pushed her back, and in SO doing upset the
beuch throwing the knives upon the floor.
violent contest ucw ensued for the possession
Of one Of the deadly weapons. Eggler finally
succeeded in clutching kuite. A. this mo-
u.eut he received blow from Etas clenched
hand upon his nose, which set that organ bleed
iug and infuriated him. ln his rage he struck
the girl with the knife. She stopped, as he
supposed, to pick up another knife, and, IN the
UNCONSCIOUS fury aud desperation of the mo-
mcut, he again and again plunged his knte
INTO her body, not seeing where be struck, not
thinking whether he was numbering her or not.
As one mad thrust plunged the blade up to its
hiIl in her breast she sunk to the floor gasping,
u dead J.
In an Instant the horror of the deed which
he had done oyerpowered him. He sunk upon
his kneeS, calling her by name, trying TO raise
her, looking valDly for some sign of life. She
Was beyond hope, dead, mangled bideously,
CORY corpse Iu his despair he rushed up
stairs, Intending to kill himself, first dragging
her body little aside from the door, but not
waiting to endeavor to hide it. When upon
the verge OF scIt-destructon his love of life
overcamc his resolution, and he determined
upon an effort to escape. Then he rushed down
stairs again, and f:d from the house by
another door than that near which she lay
tie could not pass the horred sight of the &C
cu>iug corpse, aud driven BY horror even
greater Of the dead than Of the living who
might pursue him, f ID on and on until be was
Captured
The Court, and even the prosecuting attor,.
aey deemed his story plausible aud considered