The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1877-07-21
ELMIRA'S SECOND HANGING.
nov PETER H PENWETL, THE WIFE
MURDERER. FACED ms DOOM
Composed. Cheerful. and Anxiou. to Examine
the Gniiows observation-disclosures Called
Out-Op the Scanoid-IIis Last Conrssion.

|
ELMIRA, July 2O.-"You have plenty OF
light in your cell. said visitor to Peter H. PEN
well the condemned murderer last evening.
| ~ Yes. but by this time tomorrow shall have
more" was his reply.
| He was hanged at II :35 o'clock this morning
in an enclosed space between the old and now
| Jail buildings in this city. An mm snse crowd
gathered around the buildings at an early hour
and the military were brought into rcquistion to
dispcrsc thcm. Gov Robinson 8 letter denying
having expressed the opinion attributed TO him
about the duties Of Judge in the case. do
strOyed the last hope Of respite. Powell spent
the morning In prayer and conversation with
the clergy He showed not the slightest tremor
of weakness TO the last. and was very anxious to
he taken down and shown the scaffold and It's
workings.
When placed under the moose he thanked tho
Sheriff and the people generally for their kind
ness to him. Then he knet down with the Rev.
Mr.. Hour. and the latter prayed fervently.
When his arms and legs were tied. Pcnwcll
said; hope all the gentlemen present will
take warning by mo-" There were about 300
spectators. and soldiers had to be posted on
nsds honsctops 70 control the clomorous
ute. he was nronounced dead. Tho cash on
Ms throai inflicted by himself with the, razor
tators '''' '''0 7p0.-
Powell made n long confession before going
To- execution. He rctorates his assertion that
u wns agreed between him and his wife to kill
themselves, Mt,r the failure Of the poisoning
and don't care how" This was on the day VI
TIA" murder. Penwell says:
Iasn wa; RG' gr.t thought Of shc axe In the
past Or o'clock, went IN aud asked Henry White
.ng some where around. and he looked and found il
going e do with Il told her that She Knew do not
."n"r "hsther 90 The axe from the house Or from
she .nd Now is The time ior ~ r'inemher her law
Ing y hrSa 'f DC no; FT Tsem nr and snys G c%
nnu IN The night when there were. people in the
do not r,mcmbc! how maj u@s. ny struck Mili
and rSers TR Gaa n al SR Ss " ,ss rSc% s
for th my wis ana i99ked upon her face and
10 look {" me very gau"-qst as II she wa. asleep A.
y, officers came and removed me to prison through
ea S ns sn i9@s a"e ssr iee cw some % the osor
until after had been IN prison for nearly two weeks
- Penwell was buried at the expense Of the city
This + the second hanging in Chemung coun-
ty. The first was in 1867.
WHY HE KILLED HIS WIPE
Peter II. Penwcll was sixty -seven years old
He belonged in Michigan. In 1871 he went To-
Toledo, OHIO. At that time a Mrs. Pamela
Butler of Elmira was visiting her daughter in
Toledo. who kept milliner shop and saloon
night. and met Mrs. Butler. In a few weeks
they were married. Subsequently the wife re-
turned 70 Elmira and Penwcll followed her He
tound that her descriptions were none of the
best He went to pedlling soap and patent
medicines of various kinds about the country
Among the men whom Penwcll became Jealous
Of was man known DR.. Ryder. He pro-
ic--cd to perform cures 10y the laying on II
hands. and 10y the exercise Of great faith. Mr.
l"nw.ll became patient Of his From that
time. I"nwrll says. he had no pence, and finally
b" and his wife separated. His wife's daugl-
ters. he SAYS encouraged their mother in wrong
doing. In March last p-nwoll met has wife at
her sisters, Mrs. Wh!tch"ads. in Erin There.
on th" SIN ~ March, he Put arsenic in her tea.
and IN his own. too. he sayn. The dose he gave
her Was an oVerl Ose. and she threw II on. PEN
We'll says that the poison was taken 10y agree
mcnt. On saturday. the 10th OF March. PEN
Wei went into q room occupied by his wife at
Nhiteheads. She was in bed, being still weak
from the effects Of the poison He had pre-
Vlously borrowed a razor. saying he wanted 20
shave. quarrel ensued. Mrs. Whitehead
heard her sister calling for help. When help
arrived Mrs. Penwell was lying on the bed with
the top of her head cut on Penwell Law on tho
npor bleeding AT the throat The razor was in
MS hand. An axe that had stood behind a bar
rel III the room lay On the floor covered with
blood, A book was found in Penwelrs pocket
IN which was written a statement that the darI
WIS To have been committed before penwell was
arrested. HIS nlurlcs were not serious. He
told several people that hc would do tn. same
th.ng over under the circumstances. Suisse
qu"nty Ie denied having any recollection II
IN. decd. and until the last steadily adhered
t. this statement.