The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1877-04-22
STORY OF THE MURDER.
The Criminal Screens His History and Dies
Protesting Innocence.
[pY TELEGRAPH TO THE HERALD


The crime which Charles NJ Sterling was executed
1t Youngstown to-day in the most v!lanous sense
murder, and tho community In which tho murderer
ereahed his last believe that he received his just
ward. Tho execution to-day was the final act III a
tragedy which began on cold, frosty morning the
6rst quarry. 1896 and which since then has
been before a community in successive scenes almost
without intermssion Scarcely month passed With
out some new development IN the case, and Tor
tho last three months 1t has been wonder box
avery day. Tho victim OF tho murderer inno-
sent gri fourteen years or age named LIZZIE Grom-
bacher, whose widowed mother lived Powerstown,
Mahonng county, and whose umstanccs compelled
her to send the daughter out for living. on
tho morning OF tho murder, January 0, she her
way 10 ncighbor Henry Heaslays house, where sho
bad worked, and alter leaving homo sho was never
alive Dy any except her destroyer. The dis
sovery or the murder was made by Richard stevens,
buckstcr from Poland village further into the country.
He hts way to market about O'Clock in the
forenoon, and when at tho top OF Lovcand Hill, about
three miles from Youngstown, no got down from his
wagon and went into the woods. About a hundred
yards distant IRON tho road he lying tho ,hicket
The body Of dead person. Running once back to
his wagon he told his what he had seen, ana they
drove hurricdly toward Youngstown and gavc the
ilarm. In an hour the wood filed with men from
The town and surrounding country and the dead body
identified There was every evidence that the
girl had first been outraged and then murdered by
stranguIation. Her underciothIng torn and badly
rolled. and around her neck was tightly tied a veil
which she had worn on leaving home, whilo from her
mouth issued bloody foam. The cxamhing physl-
clans found that her body was not yet entirely cold,
and said that had. the vci been removed from her
throat when FIRST discovered her lilo ight have
saved.
DESTROYER
As soon ms the excitement at the hndng OF tho dead
body had srSsidcd speculation began 10 tho guilty
person hiram Burnett farmer living on
The road toward town. once gave a de-
MS house IN the morning and started
In the direction Of the Hill about tho hour The girl had
loft her homo. Ho was by other purtios tho
road beyond after tho hour AT winch the murder
have been committed. Mcn started out at once on
tenant Arnold, Of tho police force. caught the tramp
~ Boardman Centre about eight miles distant He
was Mt put chains and brought back TO the
County Jan. where le was stripped Of his clothing and
examined His clothing was blood-stalncd ana por-
ton 0 his BODY had evidently been washed clean that
day, while the rest OF his SKIN dirty and greasy.
RESULT OF THE INQUEST
An inquest upon tho body was held and verdict
rendered which made tho tramp the guilty person.
though he stoutly denied knowing anything OF tho
murder and has ever since maintained wlful ignor-
ance OF the crime. He held TO before the
courts and in due brought to trial. Being with.
out means the State provided him with attorney,
Who IRON the day Of his retention dIt everything IN
his mower TO beratc his client Tho attorney OK
presses II as his honest conviction that tho is
Innocent and no lett nothing undonc 10 savo him. AT
the first trial the jury disagreed and alter weeks OF
research jury was found and second trial begun.
This resulted in tho conviction of sterling, aud tho
18th oil December last Judge Conant sentenced I'M
be hanged on March %.
During the three intervening months Sterling kept
up his courage aud still protested his innocence. His
attorney circulated petition Tor either pardon
pricve, but accomplished nothing. Up TO this time
nothing had ever been heard OF Sterng's relatives,
md knew whence he came or where any OF his
friends lived He refused to tell where his parents
lived, and doubtless the name no gave fictitious,
rs no one ever came or wrote TO clam relationship
A DISOwNED.
On Monday. March 20, two days before he was TO be
executed, n woman named Sterling. from Max
well, Ontario, called Governor Young, and,
claiming 10 DO the mother ri the murderer, asked
for his pardon. Hor prayer was that OF broken
hearted mother, and while the Governor could find
any ground for granting her prayer, he consented to
extend the condemned mans ilc lwcn,y-iour days
king the day Of execution April 2lunlil tho
might VISIT him and if possible secure evidence to
prove his Innocence. she had not yet seen tho sup
iown where she arrived the day before the
10 have taken place. She went to the jail 10 VISIT
him. and on beng shown into the cell attempted
to embrace the long lost son, but he repealed
her ard declared that he knew her not, that
MT his mother The woman WINS shocked at the
treatment she received IRON whom she
POSITIVE aas her son, but cntrcaty or kind word
could touch his heart, and he stcuty denied ever hay
ing seen the woman. she again visited him on the
second day. but with better result and sbe finally
had 10 Leave without single Kind word look from
HIM whose life sho had thus extended. Almost
como with excitement and exhaustion, shc left for
home, and since arriving tbcrc she learned that sho
had really been led astray. Her son who lett homo
81
OF the condemned murderer rs yet alive another
part OF the country and her visit 10 OHIO without
cell without anything happening OF consequence nor
has his identity been established. Tho authorities
were unable 10 get his secret, and tho slight feeling in
his behalf among few citizcns grew daily less.
DESPERATE DASH FOR LIFE
Tho nnal In tho tragedy being thwarted
yesterday morning by an attempt made by Sterling
escape from the PRISON. lie rot up at SIX O'Clock In
the morning and asked tho gnnrd IN attendance the
privilege OF coming IRON his cell to wash The re.
uuost was n he
turned upon tho guard, whom he Knocked down with
piccc OF earthen ware. lie then mado u
bis plan by skilfu movement and got
outside tho door which Sterling soon crushed in
soisc, in and nred shot ut tho prisoner, which
;owcd him, and he went back TO his col. he spent
tho rest OF Tho day and last night in qulcncss refusing
~ municate with any except tho Shcrin and
his attorney lie slept wcl last night rose early. alto
hearty breakfast and spent most Of the forenoon IA
sonvcrsaton with minister Up 10 the last hour no
tented his guilt ana though all means TO
Scre rcsortcd 10 no confession could DO obtained
bis request led TO tho roof OF the jail TO take a last
look over the city and the outside world He was thou
conducted to the courtyard and placed on the soaold
when tho hnal scene occurred. HIS attorney, William
Anderson. badc him guotby, fell upon his mock and
kissed tho prisoners check ana wcpt bitterly.
AssEyERATioNs OF INNOCENCE.
STERLING male short speech, In which he protested
his Innocence and declared thai the witnesses all tes
derod GIRL came upon the scafroId al The prisoners
request 10 him sterling again affirmed his iuno-
tcnco, declaring that he never the girl.
TiR LAST SCENE
prayer was offered, the last words SAID and
lbc moose adjusted. AZ twenty minutes to one tho
trap was sprung and tho murderer dangcd in the ar
the end oil tho fatal rope. Three MINUTES alter the
trap was sprung the victim capped his hands 10.
geher, kicked with his feet nnd his body shvercd IN
Commissions rom head TO foot. In sixteen minutes
the physicians pronounced lie extinct; tho body was
cut down, a post mortem examination made and
the body buried IN the poiicr's acld.
IDENTITY
One OF tho exciting features oil the last two days las
.Nn .tsth al. attaV
In that direction have iaIcd ~ arriving at anything
dehuitc. He lett abatement which fails throw any
light upon his history, except that he wandering
tramp, that he was born in Canada and has been IN
prison In New York and Pennsylvania scvcrni times
for petty offences lie ucnicd the any relation
snip with the woman from Canada who secured his
reprtcvc. Both Sheriff Drake and the attorney be.