The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1880-06-26
NOT BORN TO BE HANGED.
psatH o. man i0ho thirty years ago sui
ms gaaoses bull IN Baltimore county, ma


Dsah Of q man rho thirty gears ago sue
MS gettoHs bull in Baltialore county, ma
Raul kunlIel, man who thirty wears ngo
WAS W. charged with the murder OF i lady 1t
iaIelon' Baltimore COUNTY, and was sentenced
t ~ ueala Tor the crime, died, as has heretofore
oeeh reported, IN York, Pa, on june 18th,
nseu " years His death has recalled most
remarkable incident in his life. Thirty wears
Aso, rs stated he was convicted on eircum
stahtial evidence Of murder, was sentenced
70 pe hanged, and escaped only by the proyi,
1ehaal discovery Of the real assassin eight
uAys 9eiora the sentence was 10 have been ex.
oeuted; son OF the deceased, now residing
~ orei gave the following as the family re.
Spru o. me incident to a correspondent OF the
NeW lork World and 1t appeared in the col
hmns OF that paper June 10Th.
In fsl9 a brother Of Paal Kunkel. who had
been living with the latter's family, resolved
TO return to Germany. whence he had come
some years before. Paul accompanied him
70 baltimore, and after seeing him safely on
shipooard started homeward on foot. He
i \, win no notable incident until he reached
farkton: Near that place he came np TO n
man sitting by the roadside. lie had an UNI.
oreliA and new pair of women's shoes in his
possession. lie spoke to Mr.. Kunkel, who
stopped and engaged in conversation with the
stranger.
The latter said he was travelling in the di.
reenon Of York and the two walked on to.
selner: The stranger said his name was Con.
RAD winter On the way he offered the nm.
oreIla he carried, which was valuable one,
IN exchange for an old one that Mr. Kunkel
had. hunkel unhesitaiingly made the trade.
ny the time they reached York the two men
n he - H., g. -
expressing desire to remain few days in
ork to rest and look about him, KunkoI
preferred him the hospitality of his home
winch Winter accepted. lie remained three
or iour days with the Kunkel family, durinl
,which time he exchanged variety Of articIei
ne mad IN his parcels for others Of no value
belonging to different members Of the family
ITO offered TO give one Of the children hand
some snuff box, but this gift was declined b,
the parents. Winter, soon after meetini
kunkel on The York road. gave the latter III,
news Of a murder that had been eommitte,
down in Maryland somewhere and told Kun
kel that the murderer had not yet been cap
tured.
The day after Winter left York, Kunke
learned that woman had been murdNr ed il
Larkton on the very morning he had passe,
through that place. A day or so afterward
two officers from Maryland appeared at Kun
kels house. They recognized in him one 0
the strange persons who had been seen il
farkton on the morning after the murder
and who were suspected of the crime. Ths
woman who had been killed was a Mira
Cooper.
The officers found an umbrella, a pair o
shoes and several other articles in Kankel'l
house which were identified as the propert
OF the murdered woman. Knnkel was ar
rested, charged with being the murderer
Ills mind was at once SO affected by the tor
rlble situation ia which he found himself tina
he was unable to give any connected or lucii
explanation OF his possession Of the articles
Ills wife knew nothing Of the circumstance
connected with her husband meeting wit
Winter. She told all she know, but it was in
sniheient TO have any effect on the author
ties and hunkel was taken 10 Baltimore an
lodged IN Jail. Ten months afterwards b
was placed on trial.
Mrs. Cooper, who was a lady of good tam
l'y, living near Parkton, had been found coy
cred with brush by the roadside, with he
skull crushed 10. A stone was discoyere
close by, with which the deed had been done
Il was proved that she was returning fror
the village store, where she had purchased
pair Of new shoes; that she carried on the os
casion a large alpaca umbrella with a peculia
mark on it, and that Kunkel was seen passin
along the road near the scene of the murde
ON the morning the crime was committed
The pair of new shoes and the umbrella wer
found in his house in York Mrs Cooper'
silver snutfbox, which she always carried
was also missing and the authorities were tho
an Ignorance Of the fact how near tho
article had come to being cnother damagin
witness against this unfortunate German
kunkel was convicted. lie was sentenced I
be hanged two months from the time Of hi
conviction. Despite the strenuous cxerlion
OF his friends, who believed him innocent
among them being the then Catholic bisho
OF baltimore, no executive clemency could b
obtained IN his case. He himself was in
state OF mind that did not permit him I
realize his fearful position up to within eigt
days OF the day set for the execution. The
there suddenly came singular clearing up
has mental faculties. lie sent for his cour
sci, and for the FIRST time informed him
tae circumstances Of his meeting with Coma
Winter at Parkton and the exchange of proI
erty he had made with him. Officers were dt
| tailed to huut up Winter. No trace of biz
could be found until two days before the da
set for the hanging Of Kunkel, an officer frol
Ashland appeared in Baltimore with the mis-
ing man. Winter was blacksmith. He hA
been working at Ashland ever since the a,
rest OF S.unkel, under another name.
The trial of kunkel created a widespread
interest, and among those who had discusse
It most among his fellow. workmen had bee
Winter, who was known ia Ashland under tli
name OF Grover. lie was particularly bite
against hunkei, and hoped that be would ne
be permitted to escape unhanged. A youn
man who worked with Winter was SUSPICION
| after the story Of kunkel had been mad
public, thai his teilOw-workman was the ma
Tor whom the officers we're looking.
one DAY Winter took pinch OF snnF iroi
box he carried and offered his helper some
The latter took the box, On tho inside {
me I'D was engraved the word Cooper.
Inc young blacksmith at once communicate
ms suspicious to friends. BY careful watch
ing they discovered that the blacksmith
name was not Grover, as tie had given il. bu
Conrad Winter. The arrest was made !
once and Winter taken to Baltimore A r.
prieve was granted Kunkel. Winter wa
placed on trial for murder. He was cor
vieted. kunkel was given new trial 10 clea
him legally Of Tie charge OF murder, wbic
was speedily done
On the scaifold Winter confessed To IN
murder Of Mrs. Cooper. He had mistake
her for Mrs. Goodrich, who had procpre
his incarceration in State prison for stealth
sheep. lie had Just been released fror
prison and was approaching Parkton, wbel
he saw woman walking in the road ahea,
of him. He thought it was Mrs. Goodrich
lie picked up q large stone, stole ND 10 III
victim and ielled her to the ground with
blow. She died instantly. Upon turning he
over he discovered that he had not killed hi
enemy, bat Mrs. Cooper. lie took her nm
brella, shoes, snuifbox and other articles ans
then covered the body up with brush. Whsr
he met kunkel the idea was conceived o
placing Mrs. Cooper's property in his posses
sion and thus destroy evidence against him
anlE MiaInr ..aa Aannal ..u.I i..-..I..l -