Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1889-06-28
Two Hangings in Penn'a.

PHIL'A.. Pa. June 25.-Mrs. Sarah Jane
Whiteling was hanged this morning IN the
corridor of the county prison. The drop
fell at 1907 o'clock. and the body was
lowered and removed at 10:41. The wo-
mans bearing throughout the terrible or
deal was most remarkable exhibition OF
fortitude and resignation to her fate. Dur
ing the entire morning she never Tor mo-
ment showed the slightest evidence OF
weakness. and frequently expressed her
pleasure at the prospect OF meeting her
husband and children" The several phys
icians who were present at the exec uuon,
and who have more or less frequently been
with the condemned woman since her IN
generation, expressed surprise at the wo-
mans exhibition of calmneSs IN meeting
her death, although they agreed IN the
statement that she has at no time showed
any evidence whatever of an unsound
mind.
The crime for which Mrs. Whiteling suf-
fered the extreme penalty of the law was
the deliberate poisoning of her husband
and two children with arsenic for the pur-
pose of securing the small insurance which
she carried ON each of their lives. The
Whiteling family consisted of John White
| ling, the husband and father, aged 30
years; Bertha, 8 years old; Wine, nearly
3, and Sarah J. Whiteling, the murderess,
who was two years older than her husband.
| The husband died on March 20, 1888, and
the doctor who attended him gave certiti-
cate of death from Inflammation OF the
bowels. On the 14th Of April Bertha died,
anS the same doctor certified that she died
of gastric fever Willie died May 26, as
was supposed at the time, of congestion OF
| the bowels DR. Smith, who had attended
| the two previous cas9s, refused to take
| charge of Willie's case and another doctor
| was called i'll.
| After the third death DR.. Smiths suspic-
| ions were aroused that all was not right,
| and he communicated his suspicious to the
| Coroner, who ordered that the bodies be
| exhumed An analysis of the parts show
| ed the presence of enough arsenic to cause
death The Coroner summoned Mrs.
| Whiteling before him and charged her with
killing her husband and two children. Al
| ter some hesitation the woman admitted
| that she had poisoned her children, but
| claimed that her husband took his own
| life
! MRS. WHEELING of Phira., was the first
l woman hanged in that city, and the eighth
hung in the State. The names of the 9th
| ers were:-
Elizabeth Rimby, Chester county, Sep
| tember 3, 1906
| ElzaMoore, York county, April 81, 1909.
| Charlotte Jones, Allegheny county, Feb
| ruary II, 1853.
Mary Twiggs, Montour county, October
%, 1858.
Catharine Miller, Lycoming county, Feb
ruary 3, 1861.
Martha Gundy, Allegheny county, Jan
| uary 10, 1866.
Lena Miller, Clearfield county, November
Is, 1867.
WnKEsBARRE, Pa, June 25.-Michael
Rizzelo, alias Red Mike, was hanged in the
iail-yard here this morning. His last night
on earth was spent in prayer. He refused
| to partake of breakfast, taking only cup
of milk, and saying to the Sheriff that he
was ready, and to hurry his work without
any delay, as he was prepared to die. He
was courageous to the very last moment,
walking to the scafold accompanied by
Rev. Father O'Haran of this city; Father
Chorisco of Scranton, and Fathers Dunn
and Chorist, of Plains Before leaving his
cell Hangman Atkinson, of New York, ad-
usted the short moose about Rizzelos neck
and placed the black cap upon his head.
On being led under the hanging rope from
| which hangled the hook few prayers
were offered by the priests. Atkinson then
stepped quickly in front of the murderer
and unbuttoned his loose coat, lifted the
| loop over his head. A signal with uplifted
hand was given to the hangman's assistant,
who brought sharp AK down upon the
slender rope supporting the 40O-pound
weight, and at 1910 a. M he was swaying
| to and fro in the air. Several convulsive
| movements were the only signs ofhfe, though
he died very hard. At IL o'clock he was
pronounced dead by the prison physician.
The remains were cut down and placed in
coffin. Examination by the physicians
showed that the neck was not broken, and
death resulted from strangulation. His
body was then taken by the undertaken
and removed to the Catholic cemetery for
burial.
The crime for which Michael Rizello,
alias Red Nosed Mike, to-day, paid the
death penalty was committed in the fore
noon of October 49, 1888. J. Brainard Nc
Clure, paymaster for contractor Charles
McFadden, was accompanied by Hugh
Flanagan, the stable boss, and was driving
| from Wilkesbarre to the railroad camp
above Miller's mills with $500 intended
| to pay off the workmen on the completed
job. Michael Rizello, Giuseppi Revireno
and Vincenzo Vellali lay in wait on the
lonely mountain road, expecting the arrlv-
al of Mcclure and Flanagan. On their
approach Rizello stepped out and
fired five shots into Flanagan, either shot
shot doing deadly work. The frightened
horse started to run away, and proceeded
some little distance, when Revireno with
rifle shot Mcclure in the back twice, kill
| ing him instantly. The horse continued
| its flight until Vellali, who was ambushed
| further up the road, stepped out and shot
it. The other Italians then arrived on the
spot cut loose the valise containing the
| money and fled through the forest to
Mikes cabin three miles away, where the
money and guns were concealed. Al
though Mike and his companions were sus
pected and arrested they were discharged,
| and soon after left the city, going to Pough
keepsie, taking with them their plumber,
| $12,0
A few weeks later Mikes companions
| took passage on q steamer for Italy, Pink
ertons permitting them to leave with the
money unmolestcd, though Mike was still
| kept under surveillance. Later evidence
was procured by detectives which fright
encd Mike into full confession on Janu-
airy 5, 1889. On February Mike was
| brught to trial, and after four days of dra-
matte excitement in court he was found
guilty. Though entirely without money
or friends he was ably defended by leading
| members of the Luzerne Bar.