The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1875-11-12
A COLD BLooDEp MURDER IN BRADFORD

Henry Decker came from Delaware coun.
ty, n. Y, to Herrick township Bradford
county, some two or more years ago, and
went to work on the farm of Mr.. Overpeck.
| He said that he had been married and that
his wife had run away with another man,
while he was in the army. Last spring, al
ter short acquaintance, he married wo'
man named Betsey Conover, who lived with
her father, William Conover, few rods be-
low Camptown village. Immediately after
| his marriage, Decker went to live with his
father law. The hastily formed union did
not prove an agreeable one, and on Tuesday
| the 26th ult.) Decker and his wife agreed
to final parting. Mr. Charles Overpeck,
to whom Decker was indebted, called for
| him that evening and took his trunk and
tools to his own house, about six miles dis-
tant. There were no harsh or recriminating
words from Mr. Conover or his daughter, at
| the parting, which Mr.. Overpeck witnessed
On the 2Sth ult Decker went to Camp
town, when he appeared perfectly sober.
After spending part of the evening at Mr..
| Cleveland's he went to his father-in-law's 5
Kitchen where he sat and ate an apple, and
talked pleasantly.
After sitting a short time he arose, saying
that he did not feel very well, and went out
| He went back to Mr.. Cleavelands took a
| horse out of his barn, and then hitched it to
the roadside fence about twelve rods above
| Mr. Conover's house.
His wife felt uneasy at his saying that he
felt i'll, and thinking he might return, OF ened
the door and looked out. just then he
came up and asked her where the "old man"
was, saying he wanted to see him on busi-
ness. She pointed to an adjoining room,
and told Decker that her father had gone in
there to bed. lie then took up the lamp,
placed it on the oven of the kitchen stove,
so that the light shone directly upon the
! bed where the old gentleman lay,uucon-
scious of the horror of his swiftly approach
ing fate.
Decker walked up to the bedside and
roughly shaking the sleeper said: "Wake
up, old man! Come get up and be sociable.
You never have said any good words to me,
| let me hear some now ~
Mr. Conover, being aroused at the un-
seasonable hour, replied this is no time to
be Sociablc, Henry. | am sure that | have
given you no hard words While speaking
he had slightly raised his head from the pill
| low Decker then pulled down the bed
clothes and deliberately shot Mr.. Conover
with a revolver, the ball entering the left
side of the breast. He then turned and went
out into the kitchen and holding the revol-
| yer to his wife's head, exclaimed "l on are a
dead woman p Just at that moment he
glanced toward the other room, and as he
expressed it, saw "the old man coming for
him" He rushed out the door, mounted
the horse he had taken from Mr. Cleaye-
| lands and rode away.
Mr. Conoyer got out Of bed, walked a few
steps, and dropped dead at his daughter 5
| feet.
Decker reached Towanda early Friday
morning, and going to Esquire Tidd's office,
told him that he had committed murder and
wanted to be locked up in Jail, for he eX-
pectcd to be lynched. Mr., Tidd thinking
him fit subject for the station-housc, sent
for Police officer Burns. The latter search
ed him and found revolver, which Decker
wished to retain, but the officer promptly
disarmcd him and, on Il warrant being is
sued by the Justice, committed him to Jail.
There cannot be doubt that Decker de-
lberatey planned to murder both Conovcr
and Mrs. Decker, but was prevented from
the commission of the latter crime, by the
fear of the fathcr-in-law's intervention. Mr..
Conovcr is spoken of as an excellent citizen,
peaceable and friendly. lie was over eigh-
ty years of age and universally respected by
his neighbors. Bra,Jord Argus,