Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1880-06-03
SWUNG OFF.
TE,e Firr.t Execution in Monroe
County.
PETER KING THE VICTIM.

We clip The following account of the
hanging of King the Monroe county
murderer, from the Cincinnati Gazette
of saturday:
of crime ended to-day in the hanging of
Peter King, jr., for the murder of David
Trembly. Although sentenced more
than three months ago, King bias pre-
served his reckless demeanUr until with
in a few days past. Yesterday lie was
baptized and Joined the Methodist
Church, and his spiritual advisers be-
lieve that he was repentant. Rev. w.
II. Rider and Rev. Geo. Ebert, the con-
verted Hebrew, were with him until IL
o'clock last night, and he Joined them in
religious services. He slept none until
O'Clock, and was up early this morn
ing, when he ate light breakfast and
during the morning WAS visited by his
ministers and a number of friends.
The hanging WAS postponed as long rs
possible, in hopes that a reprieve or
Communication of his sentence might a.
rive shortly after noon the Witnt Sses
and reporters were admitted TO the jail.
The short conversation with the prison.
er showed that ne was not inclined to
tLlk. The sea fold was erected in the
upper story of the Jail. The room is on
ly eleven feet high, and it was feared
the fall would not be sufficient. The
rope used was common sea grass.
at 20 King was brought up stairs
by the Deputy Sherifs and ascended the
scaffOld with firm tread. The moose
was adjusted and the ministers offered
short prayer. Each of Kings arms
and legs were then pinioned and Sheriff
Read then asked him if he had anything
to say. lie answered III 4 firm voice
There has been heap of talk that John
Read, the Jailer, did not use me right.
| only want to say that he and the Sher-
iff has done what's right by me-" The
Sheriff then drew the white cap over his
face, shook hands with the prisoner,
bade him good by, and pulled the lever.
The trap fell with a tremendous lattle,
and though the fall was only three feet
Kings neck was broken. All percepti-
BILE movement ceased in about one min
ute. In seventeen minutes he was pro-
nounced dead, and the body was imme-
diately cut down and placed in black
coffin and delivered to his friends.
The corpse was afterwards placed in
the public squaae and viewed by every
body. This is the first hanging that ev-
took place in the county. About 1000
strangelS were in town.
THE CRIME
for which King was hanged was commit
ted on the 23d Of last September. David
| Trembly, a well-knowu huckSter, living
near Eeallsville, was that evening found
dead in his wagon, within half mile
of his home. He was sitting on the
seat with his head dropped forward and
one hand grasping the bow of his wagon,
having been shot through the head from
behind. He had left home the day be-
fore with over 500 in his possession,
and when found his pockets had been III
fled
Suspicion at first rested on John Hess,
a notorious character living in that vi
cinity, but he promptly came forward
and proved an alibi- and rendered assist
ance in searching out the murderer.
King and his cousin, Edward COnley,
were then suspected. They had left
there and gone to West Virginia imme-
diately after the murder. They were
arrested in New Martinsville on the
21th, and brought back to Monroe cOun-
ty. In their possession was found about
$50, aud other property which was iden-
tifid as belonging to the murdered man.
Shortly after then commitment TO jail
KING CONFESSED TO THE MURDER.
He gave the minutest details of the
crime. He had been sitting by the road
when Trembly drove up, and spoke to
Trembly, but received no answer. When
the wagon had passed him he slipped up
behind and fired his revolver at the dis
tance of twenty-five, feet. When the
pistol cracked Trembly tumbled over.
King then climbed into the wagon and
searched the pockets of his victim. Ia
king everything but his watch. He de-
tailed the route he took after the mur-
der, and told where he had hidden Trem
bly's pocket-book and papers. These az
ticles were afterward found where King
had hid them. He exonerated Conley,
and said no one but himself knew any
thing about the crime. He was tried at
the February term of court, and the
jury found him guilty after celebrating
three hours. Judge Okey then senten-
ced him to be hanged on the 2Sth of
May.
King was only about % years old, and
very little more than half-witted. When
sentenced he remarked, We'll, 1 never
was scared in my life before, and amt
so id bad scared now." Afterward he
said, I'D be id pretty spectacle wig
Cling at the end of rope!" The ire
sponsible state of mind indicated by
such remarks, and by his general de-
prompted many persons to seek
to have his sentence committed to i'm
for life, but Gov. Foster de-
clined to interfere.