The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1879-09-02
THE RABRR MURDER.
cOnfssslOn Of Drews Inpllea.ins Five
Others.

Confession Of Drewa duplicating Five
READING, Pa, Sept. 1.--oharleS Drewsl
under sentence Of death rs one Of the
principals in the Raber murder, has made
q confession. he says: ~ went to-'i
last summer and we sat on the porch.
He treated me to beer and we both felt ID
effects. He said we could make money,
and told me how. said I would consider
it Finally I asked II he was alone. He
replied that there were three others with
him. He mentioned Hummel and Wise,
and / said l did not know them. He then
offered TO bring them up. saw them,
but l only knew Wise-from boyhood up
knew him. Ithen agreed and they in.
sured Raber. ! said It was hard thing
to kill Raber. He said they could
make money. When they again met
- said there were five inter
ested. Hummel also spoke about II.
Wise came and asked whether l
was 10 kill Raber. I told him was not
certain. He urged me to 60 ahead; said
they would shootme Il didn't. promis.
ed, but never intended 10 do II. They
afterwards often urged me to, as the in
suranCe had all been affected. - after.
wards said they had the plan ready, and
II did not kill him they would shoot me,
and SO TO save my life promised.
In week or two afterwards Wise said
l should not do It, SO far as he was con.
cerned, as he said he did not like the
job; think 1t was the same day he Raid
l had to kill Raber. then asked Frank
stichter to do Il, because l could not.
stiChter said he didn't care. he could kill
any one, but he bargained that l should
90 along, which promised, but declared
l would not touch Raber. Then Raber
came to my house and we went of to-
gether with Stichter. I was first, Raber
was in the middle, and with Stitch.
ter following. went over the
plank and Raber got on 1t. Stichter got
Raber by the legs and threw him In and
jumped on top Of him; Raber fell below
the plank, and then went back TO the
fence. 1t was first intended to drown
Raber In the dam; Brandt had planned |
that Raber was togo ishingat Kitzmiller's |
TO catch fish for - and wife, and then I |
was to drown him. We went, and Peters
went with us. When saw the dam / !
could not do It, and said we would return,
when Raber replied yes, It was too cold
anyhow. Ipitied him. The drowning at
the plank afterwards was also the plan OF
Brandt, who had promised me $500, and
that the others should get the same. he
promised stiChter nothing. l had tried to
coax Elijah Stichter, but be would not 90
with me. / said 10 Prank that would
give him the $500 alter I was paid.
When It was done they tried 10 sYindle
me out Of all and xiii me. This was
planned behind the shed at Brandt's.
This they told me in jail. When they
asked me TO 20 via Rankstown thought
they wanted to kill me then. Brandt al.
ways urged me in jail TO keep quiet about
this matter, as they hoped to get clear. 1
did not see the conspirators so very often
about the matter. engaged Frank Stitch;
ter TO do the job, after Kitz Miller's plan
failed. did not 60 into the water. After
the drowning Stichter walked up to my
house and went to Brandt. l did not see
the old mans struggles. The plank was
made wet by splash when Raber fell.
Brandt had Raber insured in another
company to kill him, but the company
failed and with it the plan. Brandt told
me what to say before the coroner. It was
part Of the general plan. Brandt often
urged me in Jail not to confess. He called
at my cell to-day for that purpose. I am
afraid OF him, but not OF the others. II
you hang me you will hang an innocent
man.