The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1891-03-05
TWO MURDERERs HANGED.
The History Of the Crimes for Which
VIM. West and Henry Marsh
guff,r Death.


suff,r Death.
Washington, Pa, Feb. 20. West was
brought to the scaffold at 2:32 clock, and in
one minute the drop fell.
The rope broke and after several minutes
wait the man had dropped again at q min
utes Of three. The rope held this time.
West was thought to be unconscious be-
tween the two drops. He was pronounced
dead at 2:4s.
West did not speak word.
The crime for which William West was
hanged this morning was Of the most
brutal character. On the 18th day Of 0c-
tober, 1890, the residence Of John Crouch,
about three-quarters Of mile from Bent
leysyille, in this county, was entered and
John Crouch, aged about 81 years, his
wife Of TO- and their son Andrew, 45 years
ofage, were dubbed to death. The position
Of the bodies when found showed that
the family had been sitting peacefully
about the fire, and as Mrs. Crouch
aud her son were very deaf, aud
the old man was almost blind, the
probabilities are they knew nothing Of their
impending death until the fatal blows were
dealt them. Both Mr.. and Mrs. Crouch re-
ceiyed but one blow, while Andrew was
struck several times The murder was not
discovered until the day after IL was
perpetrated and at first it seemed that there
was no clew to the fiend that had done the
awful deed. A bloody club, shattered by
the blows it had given, and heavy
footprints in the mud leading to the house
and then toward Monongahels City were
aoerward discovered, and these had much to
do with the conviction of the murderer.
Ebensburg Pa, Feb. 26.-Henry Marsh,
the murderer of Clara Jones, was hanged
here to-day.
The crime for which Henry Marsh to-day
forfeited his life on the gallows was one Of
the most atrocious in the history Of Cambria
County, and was the termination Of long
debauch. On Sunday morning, July 9Th
1890 Clara Jones, girl about ~ years of age,
employed as n servant by a Gallitzin family,
was murdered by Marsh about one half mile
! from the town mentioned, on what is known
as the Quarry road. The drunken murderer
beat his victim over the head with coup
ling pin and then cut her throat with a razor
and left her for dead.
Remorse for his crime speedily over.
took Marsh, and seemingly without
thought Of escape he made his way to
GS!litzin. On the road To town he met a
citizen named John Nagle, whom he in
formed, in an excited manner, that he
had KILLED Clara" and asked where he
could find an officer, He was promptly
placed in the hands Of a policeman and
search was instituted for the body of
the girl he had confessed killing. His
victim was found snll alive but unconscious,
with the windpipe severed. A trail Of
blood could be seen along the road where
the girl had crawled from the place Marsh
| had attacked her to where she was found by
the searching party.
The girl was moved on stretcbe-to the
Z IAg',tC- married sis 'byso lives in
| GalltEin, where she fingered until "a ath
relieved Der suTerings on the following
Tuesday. During this time she was unable
to give any statement of the crime, and the
facts known are only those told 10y Marsh
/ and the witnesses at the Trial.