The Centre reporter. [volume] (Centre Hall, Pa.) 1871-1940, 1877-03-15
A NurdereF's Wife.

A short dispatch stating THAT John V,
hiere, indicted at Hudson, along with
his wife Eleanor. for the killing Of
Charles II. Hennance, had been found
guilty of murder in the second degree,
while the woman charged with completely
IN the crime was acquitted, deserves a few
words of explanation. The history oi the
murder and the prosecution reveals An
instance of the devotion of a degraded
woman for q degraded man such As haa
seldom been paalleled in fact or fiction.
To get At the heart of the story il lis neces-
hary to relate the uusalory epiRode that
led 81 the commission Of the crime.
kiere and his wife kept a house If i'll
reputr ia Hudson and al the time uf the
munier they had Ia their place the run
away wlie Of "a Young fellow named Giles
spaulding. She WAS "a mere glrl ui If
teen who, after Il few months If unhAp-
py married life with a mere boy u twenty
one, had left him and taken refuge in
TINS den Of mfamy. Spaulding, who
seems g. be "a pretty poor specimen Of
manhood, yearned for her companion
ship, and determined b. make an effort
b. recover the fugitive He c0mmu-
uicated his design 10 "a female friend, who
consented tU 20 with hlm 10 kiere's
house, and on their way they me. Charles
II. Hermnce, whom they pressed b.
accompany them. They paid two visits
30 the place, failing 10 get admittance on
the first occasion Az the second call.
which took place about midnight, Her
nance went ~ tie door and knocked,
while his companions remained IN the
background They saw the door opened
and heard q few words exchanged a shot
was then fired aud Hermancc reeled down
the steps and fell back on the pavement
stone dead. The ballet had gone through
lIlE heart.
Mr. and Mrs kiere, With Annie
SpNnldlug. the cause 81 the quarrel, and
two girls uf bad character who belonged
90 the house. were arrested. II was az
once discovered that klere and his wife
had gone - the door 30 answer the
knock, and the woman seeing that either
one ot them would be made responsible
for the murder resolved 90 answer for the
terrible deed herself. She made a con
ieSsion next morning, stating that she
had shot HcunAnce and she afterward
sWore - the statement in giving testl-
muuy before the curoner'a Jury. evident
IN considering the old doctrine that tie
husband il Auswerhle for the acts oi his
wife done III his presence nulhty, and
hoping a. save him by sacrificing hrr-
sell Ii was proved, however. by the
girls who were in the house. that kiere
Ncut t0 the door with a revolver In his
hand. aHd returned still holding IL. while
bis wife only carried that truly feminine
weapon. "a stove litter Ii was shown also
that kiere Was . biooitbirsty scouudrel,
who hal already killed two men, wound
cl three others. aud served term Ia
State prison. Nan and wife were in-
dicted and tried together Tor the murder
oi Hermance. he stoutiy maintaining his
Innocence and size btuutiy asserting her
guilt. One would think that il jury
could not hesitate long in deciding the
question, but II took twelve good and
true citizens Of Hudson seventeen hours
30 determine whether the man who kept
q house ol prostitution. harhored a runs
way wife. went tn the door with a revol-
yer ia lars hand D. answer the knock Of
the turitives friend seeking O. bring
about her reconciliation wltE her hus-
band and Slot down that mediator ln
cold blood. was guilty oi murder IN the
first or second degree.
We shall only say hy way Of criticism
that if is mercy that q jury which,
after such dcliberatiau, brought in "a YER
diet uf murder IN the second degree. had
common sense enough 10 acquit the
murderers innocent wife. They did SO.
however and fer the first time during
the trial sh. broke down when listening
as a free woman 20 the judge condemntng
lrr husband 10 imprisonment for life
The curious spectacle q such devotion
so moved the Judge that be said ia sen
fencing kiere "Your wife. who WAS
indicted with Won. has. 10y her conduct
and her evidence exhibited an amount
II affection for you which has been tho
wonder. as IL has excited the admiration IL
tins whole community. That she should
br willing to sacrifice herself either from
her own valitiou or at youT suggestion
and cntreaty. 10 spare your life, 10 save
Won from Incarceration in falon's cell,
bv taking upon herself the whole respon-
sihilitv of the crime and exoneratiBg you
frum all participation therein. furnishes
an evidence of womanly heorlsm and de-
vution seldom If ever witnessed before.
As we contemplate il We can almost for
give her for deliberately swearing 80 AN
untruth in uricr 20 carry out this object
and purpose But truth is mighty and
sill prevail The story was too unres-
sonablc and improbable 60 be credited
hv honest and intelligent men. Such
comment from such source render II
unnecessary for us 10 add any interpre-
ta;ion 20 the story which we have told,
and we can only conclude with the
platitudc borrowed from Mr.. Squeers.
that human mature is a rum thing. -
N,Er lurE M'nrlR