The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1881-01-13
Execution OF Mrs. MeierhOffer and
Frank Lammens.

Mrs. Meierhoffer, convicted with Frank LAM
mems, her paramour, of the murder of her hus-
band, J. W. Meierhoffer, at West Orange, N.
j., October Is, 1879, was hanged in the county
jail, Newark, January 6. She was very pale,
and deeply affected, but walked to the gallows
without assistance, and met her fate without
confessing or uttering q word. She died in
about nine minutes. About thirty persons
were present, including the officers and jury
selected by the Court, under recent law.
Lammens was hanged from the same gallows,
Immediately afterward. He made no confess
ion. The Under-Sheriff cleared the corridor in
in which the gallows was erected, of group of
persons who had congregated One hour later
the Sheriff knocked at the door of the room
where Mrs. Meierhoffer was imprisoned,
and the condemned woman stepped
forth. Her arms were pinioned at
the elbow, the moose adjusted around
her neck, and the coretge proceeded to the gal
lows. With the condemned woman marched
the Sheriff, and Immediately behind them came
the Under-Sherif and Deputies, and in the
rear two constables. Once under the shadow
of the gallows no time was lost in pinioning the
lower limbs of the woman. The moose was
then hooked on to the rope that dangled from
her face, and the fatal signal was given. There
was dull thud as the weight was released,
and the body of Margaret Meierhoffer shot up
ward with convulsive jerk. 1t spun around
several times, and at last hung an inert mass.
Lammens was brought from his cell at $3.50,
and asked to see the jury that convicted him,
but they were not present. He declared his
innocence, and was led trembling to the gal
lows. At 1927 the drop fell, and in IA minutes
the pulse stopped and he was pronounced dead.
Mrs. Meierhoffer, with her semi-imbecile hus-
band and her two sons, lived on the Orange
Mountains, at place called St Clouds, the
house being situated on the Northfield road,
about five miles from Newark. Lammens came
along and asked for food, which was given
him. Mrs. Meierhoffer, who had necessarily
the management of the farm, asked him if he
could work and if he wanted to. He re-
piled that he did, and she hired him to gather
the harvest. On the 9th of October Meierhoffer
was carrying potatoes from an clubhouse into
| the cellar of his residence. At the foot of the
cellar steps he was shot by Lammens, as Mrs.
Meierhofer alleges. This was between II and
10 o'clock, as fixed by the prosecution on the
trial.
During the afternoon three hunters called at
| the house and purchased milk, which was
| brought from the cellar by Lammens, and the
| grocery man and butcher called. Nothing was
said to those persons of the tragedy which rad
been perpetrated. But Mrs. Meierhoffer OK
plains her retcence by saying that she was afraid
of her life at the hands of Lammens, and
thought 1t better to walt until night and bring
| the police. If they came during daylight Lam
mems might see them and escape. She sent for
the police, and kept him in the bedroom until
| they arrived.
| Lammens and Mrs. Meierhoffer were arrested
and returned for trial, which came off in the
Court of Oyer and Terminer of Essex County,
before Judge Depue. They were found guilty
and remanded for sentence. Judge Depue
then sentenced both to be hanged on the 9Th OF
January.
Mrs. Meierhoffers two sons, Joe, aged twen-
ty-one and Theodore, aged sixteen years, were
at first very attentive to their unhappy mother,
and their devotion to her, especially during
the trial, was quite touching and the subject
of much talk by those who attended Court
But Joe has not been to see her for nearly five
months, and Theodore has not paid her visit
for q couple of months.
No person has been to the prison who evel
knew or saw Lammens before. He says he had
o wife in Brooklyn, and intimated that Lam
mems was not his correct name.