Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1879-01-15
CRIME.

In Jannary, 1877, seemingly re-
spectacle man named Huuter, who then
lived in Philadelphia, couspired with
man named Graham to murder man
named Armstrong. Hunter was to pay
Graham FIVE hundred dollars for execu-
ting the murder. 1t was arranged that
HuntV should walk with Armstrong on
the street; that Graham should follow,
and at given signal by Hunter,
Graham should kill Armstrong with
hammer or hatchct, both OF which he
carried on his person. The evening ot
the 22rd of January, 1877, was set for
the execution of the murder. aud the
two devils went about it deliberately.
The deed was executed In Camden, n.
j. on Vine street. 4" At an alley-way
just above Fifth street, Hunter, making
an excuse to his companion, entered 1t.
As he came ou. of it again he saw that
Graham was immediately behind the
unsuspecting Armstrong, and so he gave
the signal for the murderer's blow by
simply saying, "Yes." With that Gra-
ham raised the hammer, but his nerves
we're not steady and his heart misgave
him, for the hammer slipped in his
hand, and, instead of striking the vic
tim on the skull, it fell with dead tbud
upon his face. "God spare my life"
cried out the poor man, as be threw up
his hands. Graham having lost all
courage, turned about and was walking
away, but Hunter, dreading the possI-
bili;y of Armstrong; escape, cried out,
:" Iii; him hit him." Armstrong had
fallen to the ground and Hunter ran
towards him and stood over the pros
trate man, who was trying to rise" and
finished him BY striking him on the
head with the hammer that Graham had
thrown away.
The amount of money that Hunter
paid Graham was Sl7.25 all of which
was testified to by Graham, and BY
other corroborating circumstances led
TO his imprisonment i'll Camden Jail,
where he now is, awaiting trial.
Hunter was tried aud found guilty of
! the murder last summer, and sentenced
10 be hung last Friday. the 10th inst.
He Lad attempted suicide few days
{ before the 10th, by cutting an artery
in his leg. The cut in the leg was made
by a piece of tin cup-the cup he
had received from the keeper, and be
managed to conceal it from that officer
when he left the cell. lie was very
weak from loss of blood resulting from
: the wound. After this attempt at suit
eide he made another by refusing to eat.
but was kept alive, however, by injec-
tions. His pulse at various times had
been as high as $50, and on the morn
ine of the execution he was very ner-
vous. At ll:02 A NJ the county phy-
sician proceed to the room of the con-
demned. Hunter was very weak. His
brother, son-in law and the Rev. DR.
Runkleman, of Philadelphia, were with
him. 4. Ills Hunter, failing to gain
strength, and being unable to walk, was
carried down stairs. At % minute:
past eleven the wretched man was car
ried into the enclosure in the corridor
in an utterly helpless condition. The
white cap was quickly adjusted over
his face and the rope around bis neck
while four men held hun on his fee.
the condemned criminal being seeming.
lv obliyicus to all the surroundings
The sheriff put the usual question tC
him as to whether he had anything tC
say, but he made no response, reclining
on the arms Of the deputies with CLOSED
eyes, pale and barely breathing. 4
So the sheriff cut the auxiliary rope
and here occurred a sickenDg specta
Gle. The rope either had 70 muc!
slack or gave so much that il lifted III,
culprit barely from the floor, when ht
fell back and was caught by the assist
ans. Sheriff Calhoun qulckly selzeC
=, he roe leading to the basement ah'
bo,. ted Hunter into the air, and he wa
hunp I. 0ly bv a number Of persons hold
inc 10 the rope. The physicians salt
at once that !. is neck was not broken
and although he dieG, by strangulaiiol
he gave no outwar, evidence of pain
Three minutes after hanging his pulls
beat at 64, at 1l:3l at Ar, at tl:o9
became spasmodic, and at / ;4o IL MAJ
ceased altogether. :.
He made confession, stating tha' II
the main, the statement of Graham /:
true. He said that the cause of the
murder was money; that Armstrong
owed him three notes of $4,000 each
making a sum total of 81 500 that h'
bad Armstrong; life insured for SIG,
600, and that he murdered him to ge
the twenty-slx thousand dollars.