Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1879-09-10

h"he up your mind to that
"' What do you mean ! asked the ter
rifled Lucy.
Ii means that you are IN my powe
now-no one near us-and Pm going I,
make you mine by all means
" He seized her as he spoke, and, not
wltiistanding he was a powerful man, he
strength and the liquor he had imbibe,
made the struggle desperate one Seein!
that he would probably be foiled in hi
EVIL desires, and now thoroughly maddenet
by the whisky he had drunk and the girl.
almost superhuman exertions, he whipped
out a large pocket-knife and threatened t.
Kill her unless she quit struggling. TIL,
sight of the knife lent extra strength &c
the unfortunate girl, and just as she wa.
about to overpower the brute the knife was
shoathed in her bosom. She fell at his feet
and again and again did the murcerer's
Knife seek her heart After his paroxysm
OF rage, the sight of the now inanimate
body filled him with fear, and, dropping
the knife, he ran from the spot. He quick
ly made his way to the house, where the
old man still lay in his stupor. Then did
the first thought of concealment of the
crime enter his mind. lie raised the old
man from his slumber, and easily convinced
him that he was but just dropping off to
sleep when he reused him, and bantered
him to finish the bout The old man took
II all IN, and together they had Il right mer-
ry time finishing the jug. Here was an
alibi; for he could make the old mau
swear that he had not left him a moment
that day
A short time after the murderer had
fed from his victim, Lewis, who had an
appointment with Lucy at that hour has
tened to the rendezvous Imagine his hor-
ror when his eyes gazed upon the one object
on earth dear to hm, cold, lifeless and
bloody. With an awful shrek he clasped
her in his arms, trying to warm her back to
/ life by his own heart beats. Then, kneel-
ing by her corpse, he swore 10 avenge her
death, and then, almost crazed by the blow,
ne continued TO call on her lac loved
Some miners passing that way dis
! covered him, and taking him into custody,
delivered him to the authorities at c.,
who, notwithstanding his protestations of
innocence, lodged him in jail on a charge
/ Of the murder of Lucy Harris. Public
sentiment was about equally divided, and
when the trial came on the courtroom was
crowded. The defense was a denial of the
murder, and the knife, which was proved
to have been the prisoners, he claimed to
have lost several days before the murder.
The prisoner could not be reused out of the
apathy which had seized him, and to all
the eXhOrtations of his friends he made
answer that the sooner all was over the
sooner he would join her above. Not
withstanding an able defense by his law
yers, he was found guilty Of the murder
and sentenced to be hanged.
THE trial and verdict convinced nearly
all that he was indeed the murderer, and
the most charitable gilded his fearful crime
with emotional insanity. However,
guilty or not, preparations for his hanging
went on, and the eventful day drew nigh.
"Jenkins was the loudest voiced of all
firm believers in the guilt of Lewis, and it
was observed that he of late drank heavier,
and the sun neither rose nor set on him ex
cept as a drunkard The night before the
day appointed for the hanging he was
seized with delirium tremens in the then
principal saloon OF the town, and, ID the
astonishment of tine bystanders, IN his de
lirium he again went through the bloody
tragedy. The Judge who had passed the
dread sentence was sent for, and, giving
Jenkins into the custOny of several consta-
/ bles. he had a magistrate to take down the
sayings of the now raving maniac, and all
were soon convinced that the real murderer
| of Lucy Harris was before them.
The Judge went to the cell of the con-
demned. and with glad heart he commu-
nicated the joyful news to the prisoner, and
told him he would be free man to-mor-
row. and thanked God the real murderer
had been found, and that an innocent man
! had not suffered The Judge and maSis-
istrate. on their own responsibility, released
Lewis. and the trial and conviction of Jen-
kins soon followed for when accused OF
the murder and shown the damning self
accusations he wilted and made clean
breast of it. The gallows erected for Lewis
served TO s.shuffle off, the real murderer of
Lucy Harris, for Jenkins was swung of in
short time afterwards.
Lewis, as soon as released, came to this
SPOT. the scene of the tragedy, and carved
that cross on the tree, and every day during
life he would come here, kneel and pray to
be worthy of being united with her above.
His reason was shaken by what he had
zone through, and the Judge cared that he
wanted for nothing. The people here call
that Lewis Cross and Heaven knows he
did carry heavy cross He kept it white
and clean while living, not allowing hbre
to grow in any of the incisions. He died
about fifteen wears ago, and once in while
one of the town people cuts out the cross
as it fills up, so as to perpetuate Lewis
Cross as long as the tree stands.
Caution Against Lightning.