The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1888-11-22
AN OLD MAN
MEETS DEATH ON THE Gall
LOWS.
Execution of Murderer william Show
crs-IIow lie Killed His Lit
tie Grandchildren.

William Showers was hanged in the Jail
yard at Lebanon, Pa.
The crime for which Showers suffered the
extreme penalty was the murder Of his two
grindsons, Willie Enhler, aged six years, and
Sammy Sparaw, agel four. on the 10th Of
May last, both illegitimate children Of his
daughter. Showers was without wife or
housekeeper, aud the little ones were bur
den 70 the old man. Finally the children
disappeared, and Showers told conflicting
stories of how he ha bound them out, and
again that they had beeu lost on the noun
tain. This led to his arrest, aud n few days
afterwards, ON the afternoon of May 81,
when the excitement was at fever heat, the
dead bodies # the boys were found buried
In ditch in the meadow back of Showers
house. Marks upon the bodies indicated that
the children had been stranglcd.
At the Corouer's Inquest it only took the
jury five minutes to agree upon their verdict
that the two boys "camc TO their deaths mt
the hands Of their grandfather" It was the
general talk in the nnighhorho)l nt the time
that cold showers had murdered the chill
dren % get them out Of the way 50 TINT he
could marry Mis- Betsy Sargent, aged fifty
two years, who also lived at Annvillc. Shows
ers statel that h. trieI 10 have them almit-
tel into the orphlus' home, Tut wa, unsuc-
cessful, and that the woman woul not marry
him unless he first got the children out of the
way. All this Miss Sargent emphaticilly de-
MEL.
On Friday morning September 81 the case
Il sYt. ..s I..l.n
most intense excitement was cause by the
produc ion oi written conf, sSion. The
statement, covering five pages Of fool.sap,
was handed 10 judge Mcpherson, and after
the same had been re ld, the prisoner WIS
told TO stand up. The indictments were read,
charging him with the murder OF his two
prandsons at Anuvllle, 10y struggling them TO
death in their beds. Showers VAS askcI to
plcaI Guilty or "Not Guilty. In n weak,
trembling voice IN responded, "uullty," and
then took his seat.
In his confession, Showers accused the
woman, Betsy Sargent, of having been an
accomplicc in the commission of the decd
He gave an account of when and where he
met hcr; that She had consented to marry
him, but wanted the children put out of the
way, aud it wa, acre Il TINT they should bo
killed. Tie Crim' was commit Il before IL
o'clock ON the night of May lG Miss Slr'
gent came To- the prisoners house. To
gcther We lit the cludle,n he continued. "Tho
clothes of the children lay on the wood ch st.
She rolled them together in n bundle. Then
lit an old lantern hal. Ihad already dug
the hole in which the children were found in
the gutter. The children We're then
in ted. Sammy, the little one, slept
upstairs, and Wiiiim down stairs
with me. Then we went into the bedroom
where William was. l had n thick twine,
about IS thick as n lead pcncil, about yard
long. He was sleeping. tied this around
his neck more than one time and choiei hun
10 death. She irritd the lantern, and had
closed 1t so that no one should SEQ it, and l
carried him under my arm and put him I'M o
the hole. Then we went up stairs. There
there was a little petticoat. This | tied
around Sammy Spsiaws ne X and strlngled
him. Thea We took him down. | carrie |
him uud + my arms. She carried the lantern,
but had TO shut IL 50 no one could SOC us 20
down the lot Betsy stood the liant rn in the
currant bushes, oIeling it sufficient to give
me enough light 10 cover up tic hoe.
then covered 1t up with tie ground and we
went up TO the hCu.e,h
Showers was about Gj years old. small in
stature, gray haired, and slightly lame IRON
the eilcc $ of n wou Il received III the army
when he was kicked by II mule. Notwith
standing his age and iniirmity, Showers dur.
ing his Incarceration IN the Lebanon jail
managed to eScap, ly digging through hi,
cell wall and lowering hims III to the ground
by means of twisted bed clothing. a reward
was offered for his recapture, ana he was
found several days later bv n party of young
men in the woods near AnuyIlie and taken
back TO jail