Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1881-05-19
THE RABER MURDER.
Tho Confession Which Brandt and HI
mel Left BEHIND Them.

Tho Confession Which Brandt and Hum
mel Left Behind Them.
Ono year ago Charles Drews, Frank
Stichter. Henry Wise, Israel Brandt and
Josiah Hummel were hanged for the mur-
der Of Joseph Raber in the northern por-
tiOn of Lebanon county, in order to
| secure the insurance money on his life
amounting to $1,000. An important
sequel has just been made public in the
confession Of Brandt and Hummel, two
OF the cOnspiratOrs. who requested their
spiritual advisor, Rev George F. Trabert,
and counsel, Colonel J. L. S. Goblin, no.
to furnish the same for publication until
one year after their death. Brandt was
tic hotel keeper at whose inn the conspira-
tors met and conceived their scheme. He
charges that the project was broached by
Henry Wise, who effected the insurances
oD Rabcr's life, and that George Zechman,
who was tried and Acquired, was the
most active one in carrying out what
Wise had planned. Brandt's reason
for requesting that his confession be with
held was that it implicated Zechman
its publication. Hummel states that Wise
was the instisator Of the scheme and used
his utmost endeavOrs to interest others in
the project. Zcchman met Hummel at
Wise's house aud made arrangements for
the insuring Of Raber and then working
him out Of the way. Five persons had
insuranccs on Rabcr's life and Drew was
the man selected to do the job. Zechman
and Wise sent Hummel to Drews' house
to order the killing of Raber upon a Ger
tain day, but he failed to find Drews at
homo. On the next day Hummel went to
Brandt's and asked the latter whether
Drews would do the decd and was told that
it would be done that week. Drews want
cd 81 800 for drowning Itaber, but the
sum WAS considered too high, and Hum
mel felt that rs far as he was concerned
the project was abandoned. Zechman,
the only one Of the six cOnspiratOrs who
escaped the law, five having suffered the
penalty Of death, is now engaged in farm
ing in Upper Bern township, Berks county.
The committee Oh insurance, appointed
by the Pennsylvania State Fircmen's asso-
citation. met Yesterday at the Office of Maj.
S. f. Ancona. Heading, of the committee.
The other mclnbcrs present were J. X.
Barr, of Lahcaster, chairman &; Samuel II.
Ettla, of Harrisburg, and John Slingluff,
of NOrristown. HcnryA Dcrr, of Nor
ristOwn, president, and William w. Wun-
der, secretary Of the State Fircmen's as
sOciatiOn, were also present.
The committee agreed upon plan of
organization under the general insurance
act of May l, 1876, and will report the same
to the state firemen's convention which
meets in Reading in September. The name
proposed for the new organization is ''The
Volunteer Fircmcn's Insurance Company
Of Pennsylvania" The capital stock was
fixed at $500, ,00O-in 1000 shares of $50
each, books for which will be opened at the
time of the convention, September 20 and
II. Privilege to subscribe for shares Of
stock will be given first to tho several VOL
untcer fire companies of the state in their
organized capacity next to the individual
members of said companies and finally
il any balance remains, to tho general pub
lie. The papers have all been prepared
ready for organization, and il they arc
approvcd-by the state convention, the SUBJ
scription books will bc opened at once, and
it is confidently believed that all the stock
will bc taken while the convention is in
session.