The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1877-04-27
Il Strange Case.
HANGED BY THE NECK TILL DEAD-wAs HE
GUILTY?

In the vicinity Of Youngstown, Mahon-
ing county Ohio, on the 18th of January,
1876 Lizzie Grombacher, a young sgir,
was most foully outraged and murdered
and heI body left in a thicket at the road
side. She at the time living with her
mother, Il widow, i'm the village Of Powers
town, near Youngstown, but had previous
ly been at service as a domestic in the
family of Mrs. Heasley, residing on the
Poland road, short distance from the vii
lage. About nine o. clock in the forenoon
of the day stated, she left her mothers
house for Mrs. Ileasley's, to get some
clothing, and in about two hours afterward
Richard Stevens. neighbor, who was
passing along the road, went into the
thicket for the purpose of cutting a walk
ing stick. In the thick brush, distant
from the road about one hundred and fifty
yards, he discovered the bruised and bleed
ing body of the girl. The desperate strug-
gle she had made was plainly shown by
the displacement of the leaves, broken and
bent bushes. twigs, etc. By these signs
she was traced to the fence at the road
side, where blood seen, and here,
doubtless, she was overcome, and ceased
to struggle, as from this point to the place
where her body lay appearances indicated
that she bad been dragged. veil she
had worn was twisted about her neck SO
tightly that it was imbedded in the flesh,
she had died from strangulaticn.
The discovery, soon noised about, crea-
| ted the most intense excitement, and the
people az once began looking about for the
perpetrator of the ficndsh deed. The
only person known to have seen the girl
alive after she left her mothers home,
! aside from her murderer, was MIR. Cover,
who met her on the road, about two hun
dred yards from where her body was found.
| This man also remembered having observ-
ed an i'll looking individual, q tramp on
the road IN advance of the girl, and an
other citizen also recolected having seen
the "tramp." Late in the afternoon a
man answering the description of the one
seen, and giving his name as Charles
Sterling, was arrested few miles from the
scene of the murder He was fully identi-
fled, and An examination of his clothing
revealed several blood stains. The inquest
! held upon the body of the girl confirmed
| the worst suspicion as to the motive or
purpose of the murderer. The girl had
sacrificed her life in defence of her honor
The accused, Charles Sterling, was tried
at the full term of the court. convicted of
murder in the first degree, and Wednesday,
March %, fixed as the time for the execu-
tion of the death sentence. Two days
previous, however, executive clemcncy in
: terveued, and at the fearful request of
| Mrs. Sterling, who believed the condemned
man to be her son, reprieve was granted
until April21. subsequently, Mrs. Sterling
visited the place where the prisoner was
confined, when to the surprise of ALL the
man reprieved from death denied that the
woman was his mother. She withdrew
from the prison, and shortly after became
convinced, though she had previously af-
hrmed to the contrary, that the man for
| whom she had appealed so successfully
was an unknown stranger Since, efforts
have been made by counsel to save the
prisoner from the gallows, but without ef-
feet. Arrangements for the execution
were completed, scaffold being secured
from Cuyahoga county for the sad occa-
sion.
The preparations for the scaffold were
made within the sound of Sterling in his
cell, and his quick ear has often caught
the sound of the hammer, but he has re-
mained stolid. He persisted in denying
that his name was Sterling and said moth
ing would tempt him to reveal his identity.
"!f | could walk out of here free man.
with a million dollars in my pocket,
would not le)l, - he said. The general i'm
preston is that he is Sterling and that his
mother is now a consenting party to his
denial. When she entered his cell after
the reprieve was granted by Governor
Young, last month, it was without the IN
ten;iOn of recognizing him, but the mater
nal instinct was too strong, and the plan
to save the family reputation was tempo
rarily defeated.
Friday morning he become desperate,
and made a savage effcIt to escape by
knocking down keeper and breaking
| through .he wooden corridor door with
ponderous blows. When threatened with
, a revolver he exclaimed f: Kill me; :hat s
just what | want
After being returned to the cell be re-
manned stubborn, refusing 20 either speak
or eat until night, when he took some hgh,
refreshment The last night of the prisoner
was spent in solitary communion with
himself the ministers even desertine him.
Four keepers sat in the corridor looking
through the iron grating at Sterling, who
lay silent and gloomy on the narrow bed
, He tossed restlrssly about until ten q clock
not word escaping his lips. From that
hour until six O'Clock in the morning he
, slept. On awakening, he said a minister
, and his counsel, Mr.. Anderson, mig hit be
t admitted aud then relapsed into silence
5 His last hours were without sympathetic
S word from any one.
t The vow of silence which the doomed
man made has been strictly maintained
, He at times communicated with his guard.
: by means of pencil and paper, and a
2 nIne o'clock when his counsel entered tn,
S corridor xrote a few sentences to him.
I Sterling was sentenced to be hanged
t between the hours of - and | O'Clock
: Satuid day. At 10 a. m. Rev. Z. r. Mich
C olson, pastor of the Baptist church, callet
4 Oh Sterling. They had long talk, i,
e which the prisoner still claimed that he wa
S an innocent man. He said that vndica
s ton must be at a higher tribunal He ex
d pressed no preference in regard to religion
It faith, but trusted only in the future III,
y last hour of the prisoner was spent in con
l. versation and prayer with his minister
l. The crowd in the halls was surging for ad
e mittance to the enclosure, but until within
n a few minutes before the hour none wer
a admitted. The anxiety of the moment wa
II extreme. Sterling made a request to b
e taken up on top of the Jail, where he coul
e once before death see out upon the world
= His request was granted. A strong guar
led him mp. At 1915 p. M, after be cam