The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1890-04-11
FoRMER EXECUTIONS.

FoRMER EXECUTIONS.
The first official hanging IL Cambria. took
place on the 20.h April, 1866. and Daniel
Buser and John b. Howser, were she vic
tins. The crime for which they were exc
cuted was the cold -biooded murder Of
Polly Paul. an old lady who resided in
CroyIe township. and Cassie Munday. a
young girl who was living with ber for tie
purpose OF learning TO weave. The crime
was comm tilted for the purpose o. robbery,
II being thoreht that the old lady bad q
considerable amount OF money about her
premises. Two men. John Ream of jack
son township, aud David Riddle of Jeffer-
son coduty. were first arrested and tried
bat were acquitted, It being eonclusively
shown by indisputable testimony that they
were in other localities at the time the mur-
ders were committed. Buser and Howser
were afterward arrested and a their trial
which took place at December term 1865.
were convicted. They were confined in the
old jail and hung on the Goth April 1886, In
temporary enclosure erected for the pnr-
pose. About two weeks before the exceed
ton Buser attempted TO cheat the law by
committing suicide by opening a vein in his
arm with n piece of tin he 81 ood up talk
ing TO one of his guards at his cell door un-
I'll se fell over from the weakness caused
by the loss of blood. when his condition was
discovered and measures taken to prevent
ifs repetition. The two men were executed
at the same time on double scaffold and
met their end without fiDching. Ex-
Sheriff Myers of Ebenshurp. was Sheriff at
the time Buser and HOwser were executed.
Michael Moore was the next; the crime for
which he stretched the hemp was the brutal
murder Of his wife in the woods about one
and three-quarteT miles south east OF Min
eral Point. Moore had been separated from
his wife for a number of years, the woman
leaving him on account OF his cruel treat
ment- Ste went to philadelphia where she
remained as housekeerer for family for
nearly twenty years. Moore in after years,
without going through the formality of
divorce, gave out that his wife was dead
and remarked Some of his Deighbors be-
gan talking up the N after of his having two
wives living and Moore concluded to get the
FIRST woman out of the way. He wen: to
Philadelphia, hunted up his wife and lead
ine her TO believe that he was changed
man induced her TO return and hYe with
him. On his way back he stopped off at
Tyrone, then went to Osceola where he
tried to purchase some poison. Not sue
ceeding he and his wife took the train, and
on the night of February 29th. 1872. the two
got OF at Mineral Point. only a short dis
tance from where Moore bad bis home with
his second wife. That wss the last seen of
the woman alive. The next morning
young man residing on farm In the neigh
krrl g.,
the remains of murdered woman. Moore
was arrested. tried at June Court. 1872. and
convicted. He was the first prisoner that
entered the new jail, being confined in the
old Jail at the time of the removal to the
new one on the 18th OF April. 1872. About
month previous to the execution Sheriff
BOnacker suspected Moore was attempting
to get out. and on attempting to remove
Moore TO another cell. he became desperate
and seizing piece Of iron pipe that he he'd
broken of from his cell. threatened to kill
She first man who would enter. Shsriff
BOnacker was compelled to use his re volv-
er, shooting him once in the wrist and thigh,
when Moore came TO terms nd was re-
moved TO another CELL On an examination
of his cell after his removal IL was discoy-
cred that he had been working on the wall,
using the iron pipe for working out :he
stone and mortar. and bad he been left
alone would have made bis escape. He
done the work at night and during the day
time covered up the evidence OF his work
with his bed. He was executed Oh the
27ih Of November, 1872, in the yard OF the
present Jail, the scaffold standing opposite
the door that leads from the jail TO the yard
on the north side.
The fourth and last hanging previous to
Carter. was Michael Murray whose execu-
tion took place on the 23rd September, 1884,
the ScafIold occupying the same ground as
The crime for which Moray paid she
muIcer II john HanGcuf in the Fall of
1884, 10 Washington township. on the pub
lie road near what Is known as Lemmon's old
old stone house. Murray was sort of
crank. done no work and spent his time
wandering over the country. a short time
before the murder, Murray passed By the
farm of HaDdcuf. when some men who
were working in a field digging potatoes
shouted some banteIing remarks to him.
Haudcuf was not present but Murray. Oh
meeting him on the road a few days after,
charged BIN with IL and shot him dead. q.
Murray was tried at June Court, 1884. con-
Victed. and hung on the 23rd of Septe
following. Ex-Sheriff ID. Luther, OF
Carroll Township, was sheriff at the time of
bis execution.