Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1888-11-21
Hung.

] LEBANON, Ia. NOV 1t----AI 1.-Two
o'clock to day Wm- Showers was
hung in the jail yard for the murder
of his two grandchildren at Annvllle,
/ Nav 18th. 1887. He was attended
/ bv Rev. Hell, of the Evangelical As
sociation, this city, and Rev. Deltzler,
his former pastor, of the Lutheran
| Church. Annville. Passes were issu
ed by the Sheriff to ABOUT four hun
dred persons to witness the hanging,
and the small yard was crowded.
The Sheriff and his deputy marched
on either side of the condemned man
| from the iron cell through the cor
ridor to the scaffold, preceded by tue
minister. 4 short solemn service
was held in his cell aud again on the
scaffold Just before the black cap was
drawn over the condemned man >
bead. After the service on the
scaffold the trap was sprung and the
aged murderer was swung INTO
ete-uity. He made no statement on
the gallows and showed great firm
ness throughout the solemn cere-
monies Death resulted from stran-
gulation. Showers body will be
taken to Aunville by his two sons, to
whom he left a letter of twenty
pages giving full obstruction and, 1t
is thought, a confession.
THE CRIME OF SHOWERS.
Showers was arrested at Annville.
his home, on Nav 80, 1887, and on
MAY 31st the bodies OF his two little
victims were found IN u drain near
his house In June he plead guilty,
but afterwards, while witnesses were
being examined to determine the de-
gree of his guilt he withdrew his
plea of guilty. On September 23d
he was again brought up for trial
but it was not until November Both
that the Judge set aside all proceed
ings in the case after the findings of
the bills of Indictment. December
18th he was again brought into court
and after vain attempt to secure a
change of venue he was tried and
found guilty \ motion for a new
trial was heard, and on January 4,
1883, il was overruled and sentence
passed upon him. His case was
taken to the Supreme Court, February
24th. on a writ of error, and on May
9TH it was decided adversely. Sep
tember 18th an appeal was made to
/ the Board of Pardons, and, failing, a
/ last effort was made for commission
to inquire into the prisoner lunacy,
but was also denied, When his
grandchildren, named William Keller
and Samuel Speraw (hoth illegitimate
children Of his daughter) disappear
ed Showers attempted TO allay
suspicion of the crime by n story
about having taken them across the
mountains, seven miles away, to be
taken to Texas by friends The
children were strangled in bed and
when found in the drain near the
house had ropes around their necks
Showers had made efforts to have
them placed in orphans homes but
failed, and his desire to get rid o.
them ended in murder so that ht
l. might then secure the services of &
certain woman as housekeeper ol
wife. it Is alleged. The woman haC
refused to live with him while the
I, children remained at his heme
e Showers was about SIXTY five year
old, small in statute, gray haired ant
y lame slightly from the effects of
j wound received in the army when h
was kicked by a mule Notwith
standing his age and intirmity
, Showers during his Incarceration Il
e the Lebanon Jail, managed to escap
by digging through his cell wall AM
lowering himself to the ground b.
S means of twisted bedclothing.
5 reward was offered for his recapture
e. and he was found several days late
q by party of young men in tn
y woods near Annville and taken bac
to Jail.