Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1875-04-08
A REMARKABLE PROPH-
ECY EULFHLED.

In recording the execution of a muir
derer named Beighley, at Greensburg,
Westmoreland county, Pennsylvania,
on the 10Th January, the New York
Herald says singular, yet it is true,
that though they have been at least a
quarter of n hundred of murders conn.,
United in Westmoreland county since
1880, vet not one of the perpetrators
has suffered the extreme penalty. In
this connection it may not prove amiss
to mention a prophecy, singular in It's
character and remarkable in its fulfill
ment, made on the scaffold on the occa-
sion of the last execution in the county.
This was Joseph Evans, who was tried,
lconvicted, and executed for the murder
of John Cissler, by striking him over
the head with shovel. This occurred
ON the last day of December, in the
year 1929. Evans was tried at the Feb
ruary term, 1880, at the court OF oyer
and terminer, and the jury, after being
out one hour, returned verdict OF muir
der in the first degree. Itappears Ev-
ans, Cissler, and two other men named
Linsibiger and Ball were all fellow la
borers on the canal, and occupied the
same shanty. A quarrel arose, and on
the trial the witnesses Ball and Linsi-
biger swore that Evans struck Cissler
with shovel, from the effects of which
blow he died. An extraordinary part
of the trial was the charge of the judge.
He explained the law, and commented
upon the testimony In such a mannei
that il was impossible for the jury to
do otherwise than render verdict Ol
guilty, unless they had disobeyed the
virtual instructions of the court. The
lgoyernor designated Tuesday, the 10th
of April, as the day upon which Evans
should be executed.
Upon the margin of another world
and with all the horrors OF death before
him he asseverated that the testimony
of Ball and Linsibiger was false, and
that the killing of CiSsler WAS accident
| al. He admitted that he had lived d
wicked life, and advised all present to
refrain nom gambling, profanity, and
inte.n perance, and ascribed his prems'
ture and ignominious death to his adj
diction to these vices. He then, in the
most solemn manner, stated that, as he
was going to be hung for crime winch
he had never committed, no other per-
sons would be executed in Westmore'
land county for period OF forty years
and furthermore, that several witness
s-naming them-that had sworn
falsely against him could not die nat
ural death, as the Almighty knew O
their sin, and would not let them die
naturally. Singular as it may appear
there has not been an execution i'll the
county since that of Evans, over forty
four years ago; and, what is still the
more singular, of the witnesses he men
toned, one was drowned, one was
kicked by horse, and, from The inju
ries received, died +; one was hung in
Ohio, for horse stealing, by a mob one
was struck by lightning and killed
and the last one was killed on the old
postage road, standing on or near Q
water tank, when train of cars rolled
over him and left the lifeless remains
of the witness Il round mass OF human
flesh. Those arrested and tried fol
murder have either been sentenced tC
various periods in the penitentiary ol
have escaped the horrors of the gibbel
by swallowing poison on the near ap'
proach of the fatal day.
Many OF the good people of West
moreland, honest, industrious farmers
remember the last words of Evans on
the scatfold, and wonder at the reason
of the yeriiication of the wicked man {
prophecy.