The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1888-11-15
PAID THE PENALTY.
An Old Man Hanged for Murder
ing His Grandchildren.
AIDED BY HIS BETRoTHED.
His Confession ofthc Terrible Crime.
The Children Killed while they
Slept and Buried in Ditch.
The Execution of a Flcnd.

LEBANON, Pa, Nov. l4.-At 1l:OS
o'clock to-day William Showers was
hanged in the Jail yard for the murder
Of his two grandchildren at Auxville
May II, 1887. He was attended by Rev.
He'll, OF the Evangelical Association, this
city, and Rev. Deitzler, his former pas
tor at Annyilie Lutheran Church.
Passes were issued by the Sheriff to
about 400 persons TO witness the hang
ing and the small yard was crowded,
The Sheriff and his deputy marched on
either side OF the condemned man from
the cell TO the scattold, preceded by the
minister. A short solemn service WIS
held in his cell, and again on the
scaiiold just before the black cap was
drawn over the condemned mans head.
Alter the services ON the sGalIold the
trap was sprung and the aged murderer
was swung into eternity lie made no
statement on the gallows and showed
great tirmness throughout the solemn
ceremonies. Death resulted from stran-
gulation.
The crime ior which Showers suffered
the extreme penalty was the murder OF
his two grandsons, Willie Kahler, aged
years, and Sammy Speraw, aged 4, on the
10th OF May last, both illegitimate chill
dren OF his daughter. Showers was
without wife or housekeeper, and the
little ones were Il burden to the old man.
Finally the children disappeared, and
Showers told conflicting stories OF how
he had bound them out, and again that
they had been lost on the mountain.
This led to his arrest, and few days
afterwards, on the afternoon Of May 81,
when the excitement was at fever heat,
the dead bodies OF theboys were found
buried in ditch in the meadow back OF
Showers house. Marks upon the bodies
indicated that the children had been
strangled.
AT the coroncr's inquest it only took
the jury five minutes to agree upon their
verdict that the two boys "camc to their
deaths ut the hands OF their grand
father" 1t was the general talk in the
neighborhood at the time that "old
Showers" had murdered the children to
get them out Of the way so that he could
marry Miss Betsy Sargent, aged % years,
who also lived at Annyille. Showers
stated that he tried to have them admit
ted into an orphans home, but was un-
successful, and that the woman would
would not marry him unless he first got
the children out OF the way. All this
Miss Sargent emphatically denied.
On Friday morning, September 90, tho
case was called for trial at Lebanon,
when the most intense excitement was
caused by the production OF written
confession. The statement, covering
five pages OF ioOlscap, was handed TO
Judge Mcpherson, and after the same
had been read, the prisoner was told TO
stand up. The indictments were read,
charging him with the murder OF his
two grandsons at Annville by strangling
them to death in their beds. Showers
was asked to plead "Guilty" or 'Not
Guilty" In weak, trembling voice
he responded Guilty" and then took
his seat.
In his confession Showers accused tho
woman, Betsy Sargent, OF having been
an accomplice in the commission OF the
deed. He gave an account OF when and
where he met her; that she had con-
sented to marry him, but wanted the
children put out OF the way, and it was
agreed that they should be killed. The
crime was committed before Il o'clock
on the night OF May l6. Miss Sargent
came TO the prisoners house. "To-
gether we lit the candle" he continued.
"The clothes OF the children lay on the
wood chest. She rolled them together
in bundle Then lit an old lanternI
had. ! had already dug the hole in
which the children were found in the
gutter. The children were then i'll bed.
Sammy, tho little one, slept upstairs,
and William down stairs with me.
Then we went into the bedroom
where William was. had q thick
twiue, about as thick rs lead pencil,
about q yard long. He was sleeping.
tied this around his neck more than
one time and choked him to death. She
carried the lantern, and had closed ii so
that no one should see it, and | carried
him under my arm and pat him into
the hole. Then We went up stairs.
There there was little petticOat. This
tied around Sammy Speraw's neck and
strangled him. Then We took him down.
/ carried him under my arm. She car
ried the lantern, but had to shut il so
no one could see us 20 down the lot.
Betsy stood the lantern in the currant
bushes, opening it sufficient to give me
enough light to cover up the hole. l
then covered itup with the ground and
we 4yent up to the house"
During the reading OF the confession
Betsy Sargent, who was 4 deeply in
terested spectator in the court room,
exclaimed in n loud tone, That's n
darncd Lien For this interruption the
Judge ordered her out OF the room.
After the plea OF guilty had been en-
tered, Showers counsel moved to with
draw the same and substitute that of
mot guilty." on the ground that the
confession had been obtained by undue
influence, while the prisoner was labor
ing under fear and intimidation. The
prisoner testified in his own behalf that
he was nervous, and had been told that
it would be better for him to confess;
that his lawyer did not care for him,
and the Jury would go against him. A
weel; later the opinion Of the Court was
rendered, permitting the plea Of guilty
to be withdrawn and granting the pris-
oner q trial. On December 10 he was
again brought into courtand after vain
attempt to secure change OF venue, he
was tried and found guilty.
Showers was about Is years old, small
in sture, gray-haired, and slightly lame
from the effects Of wound received in
the army, when he was kicked by
miile.. Notwithstanding his age and in
| trinity, Showers, during his incarcera-
ton in the Lebanon Jail, managed 10 es.
cape by digging through his cell wall
and lowering himself to the ground by
means OF twisted bed clothing. A re-
ward was offered for his recapture, and
he was found several days later by n
party OF young men in the woods near
Annville and taken back to jail.
\ Terrible Tragedy.
GLADE WATER, Tx, Nov. 14.-Las.
night George Roden completely decapi.
tated Nathan Owens, who was trying to