The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1879-10-15
forbade Lewis from coming 10 b

the lovers for all that was out.
Things reached a crisis wten TIT
old man, informed of these meetings
took 10 drinking harder, and swors
by all the Gods to rid the earth o.
that dough-faced baby who wss try,
ing to steal bis child away frsm him
Lucy, who had of late been treated
shamef1lly by the old reprobate, uset
TO come here to this spot 10 hold
tryst with her lover, and 70 weeI
alone 10 anguish over her uahappy
life, made now doubly wraiched BY
her continued opposition to i5es faith
er's wishes.
jenkins came 20 the hoass one
beautiful day in May, and having
brought plentiful supply Of whisky
with him, the old man was sDon IN
der the Influence and Jenkins was
not far eff, either. Lucy. sesing how
affairs stood, silently stole from the
house, and wended her way to her
favorite spot--here. She vas seer
to leave the house By jenkins, and
be Immediately followed her, ascer
tanning frst tha. Harris wss in {
drunken sleep, and obliviogs to Ell
around him. Sis
"The knoll yonder near tho trees
was the only place around here fol
ute 6 distance free from hfush, ant
through little lane Lucy would com.
here TO pray, weep, or meet her low
er. Just as she reached hese on thai
fatal day-iatal to her, at hast-she
heard cracking in the 5ush, anC
thinking 1t was Lewis who vas keep
ing his tTyst, her eyes brightly kin
died and smile illuminated hel
face. Bat when the burly form o.
jenkins burst into the clesring, hel
smile changed, and look Of loathins
and contempt greeted himas he rude
ly accosted he-
Thought it was the oiher one, dit
you? Well, I'm tired Of this shilly
shallying. and I'm going to end thil
thing You have got to be mine o
last, SO you can make up your mint
to that
"'What do you mean p asked ths
terrified Lucy.
1T means that you are in ny
power now-no one is ncs- us-and
I'm going to make you mine by al
means
'He seized her as be spoke, and
Notwithstanding be was = powerfol
man. her strength and the liquor be
had imbibed made the strsggle des
pers5e one. Seeing that be would
probably be foiled in his evil desire
aud now thoroughly mrddened By
the whiskey be had drank, and th,
girls almost superhansa excrtions
he whipped on: large pocket knif,
and threatened 10 Kill heg unless sh'
quit struggling. Tie s;ght of th,
bnife lent extra strength % the unfor
tunste girl, and just ~ she Wa.
about 10 oFerpower the brute, tht
knife was sbesthed iIf her bosom
! She fsll al bis fest.s - again ans
again did the murdeFerss knife seel
her heart. After the parcxysm 0
rage, the sight OF the now inanimat,
body filed him with fear, and drop
ping the knife, he ran from the spot
He quickly made bis way To th,
house, where the old man still lay il
q stupor. Then did the firss though
of conceagnient enter bis mind. II,
raised the old man from bis slumber
aud easily convinced bin that b.
was but just dropping of to sleel
when be reused him, and banteret
| him to finish the bout. The old mai
took it eli in, and together they ha,
a right merry time finishing the jug
Here was en- alibi; for be could max
the old man swear that be had 30
left hin moment that day.
"a shor. time after the murder hat
fed from his victim, Lewis, who hat
an appointment with Lucy at tha
hour, FASTENED to the redezvo1s
Imagine bis horror when his eye:
gazed upon the one object on eartl
dear to bin, cold, lifeless aad bloody
With an awful shrek be clasped her
in his arms. trying 10 warm ber bacl
to life BY his own heart beats. Then
kneeling by her corpse, he swore tc
svenge her death, and then, almos1
crszed BY the blow, he continued ,c
call on her be loved.
Some miners passing that vay
discoEered him, ald taking him into
custody, delivered him to the author,
ities 81 c., who, notawithstand
ing his pzotesiations OF innocence,
lodged him in jail on charge of the
murder Of Lucy Harris. Public
sentiment wss about equally divided,
and when The trial came on the court
room was crowded The defense
was & denial OF the murder, and the
knife, which ga5 pEoErn to have been
the prisoners, be claimed to have los.
several days before the murder. The
prisoner could not be reused cut OF the
apathy which had seized him, and 10
all the exertions Of his friends be
made answer that the sooner all wss
over the sooner he would join her
above. notwithstanding an able
defence by his lawyers, be was
found guilty Of murder. snd sentenc-
ed to be hanged
The trial 4ad verde. convinced
nearly ail that be was indeed the
murderer, and the most charitable
giided his fearfal crime With emo
tionsl insanity However, guilty or
not. ;be preparations for bis hanging
went on, aud the eFeniful day drew
nigh.
jenkins vas the loldest voiced OF
all 6Tm believers in the guilt OF Lew
Is, and IL was observed that be of
late drank heavier, and the sun new
er rose or set on him except as a
drunkard. The night before the day
appointed for the hanging be wss
seized with delirium uemens in the
principal saloon Of the town, and TO
the astonishmens of the bystsnders,
in his delirium he again vent through
the bloody tragedy The Judge
who had passed The dread sentence
was seat for. and, giving hin into
the custody Of several constsbles, he
had magistrate take down the say
ings Of the raving maniac. and al
were soon convinced that the real