The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1883-04-06
TIE LAST SCENE.

o CLOCK. MrS. MeakerS arms were
pinioned before she left the cell and
the procession moved to the gallows,
where she was seated in chair. AT
ter prayer by che chaplain, the Sheriff
handed her a paper with these words !:
Emeline Meaker: If you have any
thing to say why the execution ofyour
sentence should not take place you
have now an opportunity.
This was done on account of her
deafness. She was calm and pale and
sat with closed eyes. She then said !:
"Good bye, Mr. Hall. l have nothing
more to say, only l forgive you for
hanging me- Her legs were then tied,
she standing all the time. She showed
no signs of fear or trembling, but said !:
May God forgive you all y After
hanging thirty minutes the body was
taken down. Mrs. Meaker died with
scarcely o struggle. She was buried
in the prison cemetery in the after
noon.
HISTORY OF THE CRIME.
The story of this crime is one of cold
blooded murder by woman who was
nothing less than iiend in human
form. In the early hours of morning
of April 27, 1850, the dead body Of
Alice Meaker was discovered by Sher-
iff Atherton, of Waterbury, lying in a
dark swamp in the outskirts of the ad-
joining town of Duxbury, under a
mass Of muck and brush. The news OF
the murder created great excitement
throughout large section of country.
The atrocity of the crime aroused in.
tense public indignation against the
perpetrators.
THE MEAKER FAMILY.
For year previous to the time OF
the mdrder there lived on rugged
and barren slope of the Green Noun
taips, in the town of Duxbury, in a
small, weather beaten tenement, the
Meaker family. comprising six persons.
Horace and Emeline L. Meaker were
husband and wife, aged respectively
50 and AZ years. Louis Almon and
Nellie Meaker were son and daughter,
of 10 and 2l years of age. The family
were poverty stricken and unlettered
The old man and woman we're both deaf
and the boy was dull and stupid. Into
this household in the winter of 1870
were ushered two little orphans
Henry and Alice Meaker, half-Drothel
and sister of Mrs Meaker, who haG
been from the Poor Farm in Chariot,
to find home. Alice, with faxer
hair, delicate complexion and brigh
eyes, was IL years old and precociou'
for her age. She was sad and melan
choly child and never played with thu
children of the neighborhood. As sh'
was capable aud smart Mrs. Meake
kept her home to do the household
drudgery. The neighbors seldom saw
Alice, but frequently in passing th'
house they were alarmed by hearing
the shrill cry of a child. Stories o
brutal treatment of little Alice by Mrs
Meaker was noised about, and on sew
eral occasions the girl mad escapes
from the Meaker house in a half-starve,
condition and called on neighbors 70
food.
THE MISSING GIRL.
Suddenly Alice was missing. Thi
was on the oath day of April. Th
next day was Sunday, and severa
neighbors, suspecting that the chill
had been foully dealt with, went dow
next day to Waterbury village and il
formed Sheriff Atherton of the circun
stances. Meanwhile report reaches
the officer that Almon Meaker ha
bought some stychnine of the yillag
druggist, and on inquiry it was ascel
tained that young Meaker had bougt
forty grains of the deadly poiso
on the Friday previous, telling tn
druggist he wanted to XII
rats. The suspicion of the officer
were strengthened by the contradictor
stories told by Almon Meaker whe
questioned by them as to his wher'
abouts on the Friday night in question
1t was further ascertained that he hire
livery team that night, as he said
carry his sister to Stowe. To Sheri
Atherton he stated that he and h
mother took little Alice and carrie
her to the Richmond depot aud th'
she had gone to Canada on the car
On being closely questioned, howeve
young Meaker broke down and refuse
TO answer any more questions. Th
was on Monday night
ALMoN MEAKER's CONFESSION.
Taking Almon in a room alone, al
after bringing great pressure to be-
on him, Sheriff Atherton forced q co
fession of the murder from the lips
young Meaker. He first said that ii
terrible crime was committed by hir
!, self and that Alice had gone to a be
/, ter land, and that her troubles were {
D over. The self-confessed murder
t offered to accompany the officer alol
+ to the swamp where he said the boo
of the poor girl was buried. Thereupt
y at midnight Sheriff Atherton and b
, prisoner set out on his dreadful missio
\ They drove seven miles through
1
I, mountainous road until arriving at
a desolate spot, when the murderer su
a denly said: "Stop; this is the plac,
8 Alighting from the team, young Me
3 ker led the way through dism
$ swamp some ten rods, and, pointing
: a heap of muck and underbrush sal
e "She is under there. Now ! have do
D as l agreed to- The officer and I
Y murderer carried the body of the de
a girl to the team aud drove back to t
] village. While returning from t
swamp Almon briefly told the story
4 the murder.
!. The rubber factory operated by w
|, liam A. Krouse, in Williamsport, W
/ Ia