Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1874-11-13
Murder Trial In Ger
many.


The Frankfort journal brings a very full
report Of the conclusion of an extraordin-
ary murder trial in Germany, which is the
sequel to a horrible tragedy which trans
pired in Cayuga County, n. Y, last year.
Con densing the story OF the preliminary
events in tbs remarkable case, and its
strange result, the following facts are pre-
sented:
In 1871 Mr.. Westcott a farmer living
near the town of Locke, Cayuga County, n.
Y, took from the House OF Refuge at Buff
fdlo, for the purpose of rearing her, young
Irish girl named Eta Conkling. She was
servant in his family when he hired
young German farm -laborer, named Jo-
seph kgglcr in April, 1873, Mr.. Westcott
and his wife left home, going several miles
distant 10 spend the day and leaving at
home the young Irish girl and the German
laborer. That afternoon Jane Westcott, a
relative of the family, visited the house
and found Eta Conkling dead, lying in a
pool of gore, in the hallway before the
kitchen, with the blade of huge butcher
knife buIied in her breast. She called in
ncighbors, aud suspicion at once fell upon
Joseph Eggler as the murderer. He WAS
not to he found at the time, but was cap
tured the next day in the town of Dryden,
twenty miles distant from the scene of the
commission of his horrible crime. De-
cember 4, 1873, he was brought to trial at
Auburn. Public opinion was very strong
against him, the ny rider seeming to have
bsen wanton and extraordinarily brutal
one. On the 9th of December he was
found guilty aud sentenced TO he hanged.
Thirteen days later the counsel for the
prisoner obtained a stay Of proceedings,
and before the Supreme Court at Syracuse
moved for a new trial, which was denied.
The case was next brought before the Court
Of Appeals, at Albany, and that tribunal,
on March 2S, 1874, re-afiirmed the decision
of the lower court, and fixed the dale for
Esgler's execution on June ), 1874.
Meanwhile, the news of these proceed
ings reached Eggltrs family in Germany,
and through the influence which they were
enabled to bring to bear upon the Baden
Minister Of Justice and Foreign Affairs,
| the imperial Ambassador at Washington,
aud the imperial Consul General in New
| York, were instructed to iniercede for the
condemned man. \ petition for his par
! don was, by them, addressed to Governor
| Dix, who SO far exercised his Executive
clenency, As to place Eggler at the dispos-
| al Of the imperial German Ambas .adOr, on
condition that he should be sent for trial
| and punishment to the count Is of Baden.
On May 10 Eggler was sent, under safe ts-
cort, TO Baden, and his trial there at the
Gen ASsizes has just been concluded.
Upon his trial he asked the privilege,
which WAS accorded him, OF making a
statement - the Court, and then detailed
the ciIcunIs apces VI the commission of his
crime, con'cssion which his counsel,
when he was tried in this country, would
not permit him to make. His story was in
substance, as follows:
On the fatal 81 of May, 1873, at about 10
o'clock in the forenoon, he went in from
the field, where he had been spreading ma
nure, to the house to obtain lunch, which
Mrs. Wes.cott had been in the habit OF Civ
ing him after bis four hours of hard morn
ing work. In the pantry be encountered
Eta Conkling and asked her for something
TO eat. She refused TO give him anything,
|
out taking any further notice of his hungry
condition, went on about her work, going
out TO the well for a pail of water and re-
turning with it to the kitcheh. He reiter-
ated his request for something to eat, anG
received second refusal, whereupon he
vowed he would not go out To the field
again without his lunch. Eta seized a po-
ker lying upon the hearth, saving she
would put him out ii he did not 90 of his
own accord, as she wanted him to take his
dirty boots out of her kitchen. He per-
sisted in his refusal to 60, and warned her
not TO strike him with the poker. She
reioined that she was not afraid OF him, and
dealt him violent blow upon the shoul-
der. He snatched the poker from her and
threw it down upon the hearth, whereup-
on she seized him by his hair and tried to
drag him from the kitchen. desperate
struggle ensued between them, each tear
ing at the others hair and both exchang-
ing savage blows with their firsts. Dur
ing this conflict they got near to the door
of the tool chamber-close to which, upon
a bench, lay three large knives. Eta, per
ceiving the knives, endeavored TO seize one
of them. He, in striving to prevent hel
doing so, pushed her back, and in so do
ing upset the bench. throwing the knive'
upon the fl Oor. A violent contest now en-
sued for the possession of one of the dead
} ly weapons. Eggler finally succeeded il
clutching a knife. At this moment he re-
ceived a blow from Etta's clenched hanC
, upon his nose, which set that organ bleed
ing and infuriated him. In his rage ht
, struck the girl with the knife. She stoop
ed as he supposed, to pick up another
knife, and, in the unconscious fury and
desperation of the moment, he again anC
) again plunged his knife into her body
2 | not seeing where he struck, not think inI
whether he was numbering her or not. A
, one mad thrust plunged the blade up TO it
, hilt in her breast she sunk to the floor
gAspng: I'm dead In an instant tn
r horror of the deed which he had done over
. powered him. He sunk upon his knees
calling her by name, trying to raise her
looking vainly for some sign of life. Sh,
1 was beyond hope, dead, manglsd hideous
; ly, CORY corpse. In his despair he rush
ed up stairs, intending to kill himself, frs
D dragging her body a little aside from tn
I door, but not waiting TO endeavor to hid
; it. When upon the verge of self-destruc
5 ton his love of life overcame his resolu
A ton, and he determined upon an effort l.
4 escape. Then he rushed down stairs again
4, and fled from the house by another doc
Q than that near which she lay. He coul
not pass the horrid sight of the accusin
corpse, and driven by horror even great
h er of the dead than of the living who nigh