The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1880-05-20
PAYING THE PENALTY,
EXECUTION OF THE RABER MUIR
DERERS AT LEBANON FRI
DAY.
SCaffOld Scenes Of the Triple Hanging - History
OF the Plot to Murder their Victim

Lebanon, MAY 13-Lrael Brandt, Henry F..
Wise and Joseph Hummel, the Rsber murderers,
we're executed here to day. Probably no mur.
der in the State has excited so much public In.
terest as this one. Joseph RabCr, the victim, was
between 60 and 10 years of age, lived in noun.
tain hut with an old woman whom he called his
housekeeper and had the reputation Of being per.
fectly inOifensive. The insurance of old people
having become quite common in the country,
Brandt came to the conclusion that 1t would be a
good speculation to take a risk on Raber's life.
But he did not propose to wait until his victim
died natural death to get the profits ofinvest-
ment but resolved in his mind the expediency
Of getting him away at the earliest opportunity
Wise and Hummel shared the views Of Brandt
when informed Of his speculative scheme, and
had him insured with the understanding that he
should be murdered 10 order that they might OBJ
tain the amount of tae insurance policies Zech'
man and Ztuazahn took part Of the insurance
but the evidence al the trial Of the accused did
not connect the latter with the conspiracy to
kill Raber.
THE MURDER.
Charles Drews was first asked to murder the
old man by Brandt who promised to pay him
literally for his services. Drews having been re-
duced to poverty by an improvident wife, and
fearing violence at the hands of the conspirators
| agreed 10 drown Raber In dam about two miles
from the place where Drews and Brandt resided
Rsber was induced 10 accompany the maH who
| had been selected to murder MIN on the strength
of a statement that the object Of the trip was tC
catch fish for Rechman's wife, for Wnom the olC
| man en- teTtained great respect. The arrangement
| was that DreWs should throw Raber into the dam
and circulate the eport that he had accidentally
| tumbled into the water Drews failed to execute
| the work assigned him and he was vigorously as
sailed for his indeCision, and threatened WIZ
death If he did not work Raber out of the way
within short period subsequently DTeWs en-
gagged Frank Suchler for 500 TO assist him, anc
on December Z 1878 he and his employer be
| guiled their unsuspecting victim over small
| creek and at the first favorable opportunity thre"
him into the river and drowned him. II had beer
| pretended on and Immediately after the crown
| ing of the body, that Rsber had met with aCei
| dental death and a large majority OF the people
| in the community believed the story. But thl
idea was soon dissipated by the disclosure OF Ger
| tain facts which rendered 1t reasonably clear tina
| Drews and Stichler had murdered the old man.
svau 7sf-s 1r5g' -7 ,'sav7,
ARREST AND CONVICTION F THE CoNsPIRAToRs
Drews son.in.law, who had seen sdchler CorcO
|
veaed certain secrets which led to the arrest o
Brandt, Hummel, ZechmaD, Wise, Drews ant
stichler The accused were tried collectively IL
April 1879 and convicted of murder in the fits
degree, the evidence of Joseph Peters and hi
wife daughter of Drews) being very conclusive
as to the guilt of nearly all the accused. The ev
idence against George ZeChman was compare
lively weak, and Judge Henderson favora6ly EN-
tertained motion for new trial in his case
Wise thought he saw an opportunity to save hi
neck from the hanglnans moose by appearing
against the accused and accordingly made con
fession to the District Attorney, admitting hi
connection with the plot to murder Raber ant
duplicating Z.chman as one OF the participant
| in the crime. In August last Brandt Hummel
Drews and Stichler were sentenced to be hanged
and three months afteTward the tw latter pait
the penalty of their crimes on the gall0ws. Brand
and Hummel were to have been hanged at tht
same time, but writ Of error to the Supreme
Court interrupted the execution OF the death war
rant Wise was not sentenced with his CODfedeT
ates, in order TO make him a competent witneS
against Gilman but his testimony being regard
ed as unworthy of belief by the court and jury
the accused was acquitted and judgment OF deat
by hanging was pronounced on Wise Few
months after the unsuccessful trial. The Suprem
Court having decided that Brandt and Humme
were not entitled to new trial, Governor Hoy
ordered them and Wise to be hanged on the sam
| day,