The daily intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Territory [i.e. Wash.]) 1876-1881, 1876-10-26
A Sketch Of Francis Eps.

y
bsrTh He Sss .ent - school until the
age of foer.svu. aud sfterwsrsia learned
tlle tailoring trade. AZ thc a.e Of
eighteen be started oui .~sklng mplcy-
ruent - . IoUrne man tailor. ami tirs.
wen, 10 Munich. and ;hence 10 Wurx
burg in J. sgg be enlisted IN the BA-
yarian army. xhich.ook part Ia the war
b.s~esaa frussia and Austria. About
tins tirae hts parent. emigrated TO
America aud settled III Columbus Ohio.
He yisited Pan. IN the Fall Of 1876.
and while there enlisted ia the French
army AMI MAS ssnt to service in Mexico
In sms,ain the cause Of MaxamilIian
Daring hls service III Mexico he receiv-
ed three Wounds gunsbo. IN the
hand, bayonet thrust IN the breast.
and sabre cat on the lower hip The
Withdrawal ot Bazaine army from
Mexico returned Ept 10 Paris ia tho
Spring oi ls6s AMI - he had enlisted
Tor two years IN tie French army. be
was .pon thereafter sent with his regl
aisnt Ia join the French forces at Al
geriA. Northern Africa. Daring his
soldier life IN Africa, the ft'loring ia
cident is related of him,
From his own account. il appears
that he waS one evening Oh guard, " hen
a Iaan came along the bank of the river
near which he was ola picket duty.
This man was = Frenchman, and a
trader. He was travelling alone. peace
ably aud afoo, Francis Ept ordered
him 10 halt He obeyed He com
manded him TO throw up his hands
VII ie he shonld search him. He found
upon him wallet of notes and money
III breast pocket. aud a bag of coin IN
his pants pocket. Ept asked him fer
money. saying he WAS nearly starved.
but il he had money be could buy good
food The Frenchmsn very indiscreetly
opened the bug of gold coin. thus ex.
posing It's rich contents To the soldier.
and reused all the evil in him. While
he was hesiiatng about his mode of se-
curing il tor himself the Frenchman
drew forth a handsome. quaint silver
snuff box, aud offered Ept snuff Ept
immediately coveted the snuff box. and
asked for il as gift. The French man
refused. saying il was present. soov-
eur. and be could not part with it.
To possess the snuff box and the gold
he was now resolved he felt no pity
for the lonely Traveller. no restraining
fear of punishment. no coinpunctions
about the deed be was about TO do. He
suddenly seemed 90 have seen something
that engaged his attention, and looking
over the Freuehman's shoulder, he
gszed ifxesily as il much Interested
The Traveller. thrown off his guard,
sarn@d ta observe what could so interest
the soldier, and Ept. successful In bis
russ. struck hun with his sabre. The
FrerehmAn fell. praying for mercy.
pleading for life-only life. But he
nigh, IS we'll have offered supplication
10 the still river running by. Ept
showed no mercy. His victims cries
stopped not his murierous hands In
a few moments the FrenchmHn lay cold
and dead upon the warm earth, and Ept
was Tobbing his pockets Of the coveted
gold, the wallet. and the silver .nuft-
box. His purpose accomplished. he
dragged the dead body I" the river
hank, and threw II over into the placid
waters II sank. then rose and went
floating down the current. leaving =
,rni - blood IN its wake bat II told
no 49, save that n travelling Fronch
trader had come to "a violent death
After the expiration of his term of ser
vice in the French army, he decid,d 10
follow his parent. and brothets'o Amer
ica, and reached Columbus ia Sspicin-
found cmp!oymeut as Il louVneyman tai
ior, with Mr W,fthe,mer. tos hon he
worked abous twJ months prior 10 th.
numbering OF yoeng Werthelm,r.
On sunday night Of November 20tt
1910. he went TO the store door about |
o'clock. aroused Mr. Wcrthelmers son.
and claiming 10 be SICK. obtained ad
mission and permission TO sleep in the
s,orr Abraham Werthelmer improviscd
bed and covered him with overcos's-
then laid himself down aud went In
sleep Ept rose as soon as his victim
had fallen asleep. and taking hatchet
struck him seven powerful blows while
he lay asleep on = cot; then attempted To
break open the safe of the store but
failed. he then took vAli>e and filled
il with yaluables from the store. and
taking the murdered boys overcoat,
vest and revolver. attempted flight from
the vicinity be Was overtaken on the
afternoon of the following day. twenty
miles away
During the last week of his conhnment
he was guarded hy day and hy night,
Ia prevent self obstruction as well a.
escape He remained in god spirits
aud was quite communicative up TO the
,lav preceding his execution. To
those with whom be WAS best ac-
auAin,od hs would talk freely of the
incidenis Of his pas; life. hut seemed u
have no realizing sense of the msgni-
tuie of his guilt AMI the certain death
that awaited him. HIS parents were
Catholics, anal If he had any religions
preiilestious il may be said tn have
b.en with this church. When !, be
came known 20 him tha; the Supreme
Court hzd denied him - new trial, aud
that he had bat lew days longer on
earth, he became very desirous of the
services Of priest, and Father Ep-
ping. of Zsnesyille. ~a. s~ni for. lie
made repeated tail confessions to this
spiri,nsl adviser.
When the poor wretch Mas lei out Of
hi> cell tc take his dinner on Thursday,
he heheld lefore him the towering IN
s,rument Of death. and then !, WAS his
.,ol,dity ard courage gave SWAY lie
/ broke down. crying pi,eonsiy, and ex-
+ hihi,ed signs of pcni'enoe- bGt ne
socn rsgAined his self-con,ros.
/ Ius. ,rso- =, his b~sinsv Locked in his