Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1889-08-05
A TERRIBLE CRIME.
The Thrilling Story Told by Mr..
John Cessna, Of Bedford, Pa.
4 OONEMAUGH VALLEY MURDER


one Of the Nest Sensational Trials ON
Record Ecllpsed by the Popular Inter
eat in the Johnstown Flood--How Ola
Herman Umberger Was Murdered and
Robbed Of $4,000 Conviction on a
Chnd's Testimony.
NEW YoRK, Aug. 5.-"The tragedy
was surrounded by dramatic incidents,
while the trial Of the two men for their
lives was theatrical and full of pathos.
The little 1O-year-oId girl named Mana
was the heroine and the center Of i'm
tense interest. It was the most remark
able case in some respects that / ever
knew in my fifty years of experience as
lawyer in western Pennsylvania and
attracted degree of attention that was
only exceeded by the Conemaugh flood.
| One hundred Witnesses were examined,
the chief one being Mana, whose testi-
mony convicted two men of killing her
stepgrandfather."
This is the way Mr.. John Cessna, an
eminent lawyer and Republican pOliti-
clan of Bedford, Pa, began graphic
narrative of murder case In which he
was one of the prosecuting attorneys.
Mr.. Cessna was sitting on the piazza of
the Manhattan Beach hotel, C0ney
Island, chatting with party of gentle
men when he told it.
Mr.. Cessna, by the way, is an ex-
congressman and ex-speaker of the
Pennsylvania house of representatives.
He is about 10 years old and good
story teller.
/ Interest OvershadOwed by the Flood.
"The scene of the murker," he con-
| tinued, twas in an old farm house in
the Somerset county portion of the
Conemaugh valley. This reminds me
| that the distressing details of the awful
| flood there occupied all the space in the
newspapers; hence the trial Of the muir
der case / am going to tell you about
was not reported, although it was going
| on about the time the waters were do
ing their deadly work.
''The murdered mans home was a
plain frame house with piazza in front
of it on the Johnstown turnpike, about
two miles from Gennertown. AS usual
among the farm houses of the vicinity a
harvest bell, so called, hung over the
back door. This was used to call the
hired men from the field in haying and
harvest time.
"The victim of the tragedy was Her.
man Umberger, 81 years old. He was
quiet, industrious and frugal. He had
one popularity that made him noted
among his neighbors. That was his lack
of faith in banks. He was never known
to trust one with cent of his money.
He had gradually accumulated a fortune
of SIT 900, which was considered good
deal for farmer. He kept his cash in
his pocketbook for years. This he car
ried in his boot leg every day for twenty
years, even while in the field working.
At night he put it in a bureau drawer in
his bed room. His family consisted of
his wife-his second one--her grand
child Mana, 10 years old, and Ella Stern,
the servant girl.
"It was a cold night in February-the
27th last There was little snow on
the ground About o'clock the heavy
footsteps of two men were heard on the
piazza and then three quick raps on the
door. The family was sitting around
the stove musing. When the knocking
ceased Umberger told the servant to
open the door. Two strange, mysterious
looking men, all muffied up as if cold,
stood at the door.
i The Farmers Hospitality.
! "sWe are cold one of them said.
j Can we come in and warm ourselves
for few momentsY
"sInvite them In replied Umberger.
"The men shuffied into the kitchen
and thence to the dining room, and the
old farmer, little suspecting' their mis-
sion. gave them chairs and told the glrI
TO put more wood on the fire. The men
did not remove their muffiers or unbut-
ton their coats, but this did not arouse
suspicion.
"'You are strangersg said Umberger,
inquiringly.
Not entirely responded one. We
are cOnstables from Bedford. "A peddler
who went down through this neighbor-
hood few DAYS ago lost lot of jewelry
and we have a search warrant to look
for it. Beg pardon, but we must search
your house.
'sThe spokesman showed what pur-
ported to be search warrant. ObeyiEg
instructions, the servant girl took the
candle and led the way into the adioin-
ing ro0m-the bedroom-foliowed by
one Of the men, Umberger, his wife and
Mana, while the other stranger remained
IN the dining room watching. The up
per drawer, containing two p0cketbooks
!. filed with 81, 900 in cash, IN the bureau
was pulled out and examined, as were
, | the others. The murderer remarked, aE
he saw the fat p0cketl500kss We don't
) want your monev, but jewelry.
The DastaFdIy Crime.
/ "The old farmer then removed the two
pocketbO0ks and putting them in the in.
side pocket Of his vest as il to protect
/ them. started back and folded his arms
across his breast His wife, fearing rob
berry. had slipped out into the kitchen K
await developments and determined x