Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-06-28
THE UMBERGER TRAGEDY.
WHAT THE BOOK THAT HAS BEEN
TALKED ABOUT CONTAINS.
It Is Merely q History OF the Murder and
Trial-How Dave Nice1y's Confession
Was Secured-The Dying Prayer-Gist of
the Matter Objected To.

Trial-How Dave Nicely's Confession
Was Secured-The Dying Prayer-Gist oi
the Matter Objected To.
ESPECIAL TELEGRAM TO THE p1sPAToR.I
JoHNsTowN, Pa, June N.-The ellis.
tory of the Umberger Tragedy, With q
Criminal History of Somerset County," will
leave the hands of the binders here in a few
days. THE DISPATCH correspondent Sc
cured copy to-day and careful review
shows that it contains but little that is new.
The publisher in his Introduction says that
1t is written with view of supplying de-
mand for q correct history of the Umberger
tragedy, and says that the subscriptions al
ready received fully justify him in his con-
clusions. He says he has not attempted to
make it sensational, but hopes to dispel the
mistaken impression that Somerset county
is favorite field for criminals in which to
ply their vocations."
The book starts out with an account of
the murder of old man Umberger and the
subsequent arrest of the Nicelys, and their
preliminary trial before Justice Raush.
The testimony brought out in the trial is
given in detail, as we'll as the whole pro-
ceedings before the court, with all of which
the reading public is familiar. The conduct
of the Nicelys while in prison and their
attempts to escape are all described, as well
as the proceedings before the Pardon Board
to effect their release
There is nothing really new until he
comes to the manner of taking Dave
Nicely's confession, which was as follows:
With his back turned toward the guards as
If in ordinary conversation Rev: Mr.. Granger
ha0 ri Nos 5aSN
by sentence, which he then repeated to
David, then wrote it down and read it to
him and then heard another sentence treat
ing it in like manner till the confession was
completed, when he read it all over to David
in order, made such supplementary addi-
tions as were desired by David and then had
him sign it.
Regarding Joe Nicely, the belief is ex-
pressed that he confessed to Rev. Mr.. Beal,
who has not yet seen fit to make the confession
public, probably through fear of implicat-
ing Others He gives the prayer of Joe
Nicely, which was uttered just before the
execution, and which was taken down in
short hand expressly for this book, as FOL
lows:
o, Lord, look down upon us in this hour
and send us Thy comforting spirit. o, lift
upon US the light of Thy countenance rec
onciled, and be Thou in our midst We
world as to give Thine Only Begotten Son
that whosoever believeth on Him should
not perish but have everlasting life. We
thank Thee for the cleansing blood that has
made US whittier than snow. We bless Thee
for Thy pardoning power that has forgiven
us our tranSgresslons, for we have sinned
against Thee. We come to Thee believing;
receive us; receive US even to Thyself Help
us to lay hold by faith of Thy great prom
ises. Give us peace in believing. Thine
shall be the power, and the glory, forever.
Amen.
The matter to which Rev. Mr.. Granger
and others objected, and against which an
injunction was obtained, consists of an in
terview with General Coffroth In which
Rev. Mr. Granger's course in Withholding
the confession is severely criticized In
this interview General Coffroth says:
On the morning of the execution, 1 took
the dispatch saying the Governor declined
1t to him. he read 1t and remarked 1--WE are
doomed" I then told him that it was re-
ported on the streets that he had made a
confession of some kind to Mr. Granger He
replied: 81 have made statement to Mr.
Granger, stating that the pocketbook on
trial was not the pocketbook given by me to
William Thomas, and that the testimony of
Hamilton Smith, Beener, McCracken and the
two Vaneers was false" 1 said to him, is
that all that is in it; he replied it wasA
As we were going out we met Mr..
Koontz said to him: 81 hear you have a CON
fession from Dave7" He replied: 81 have
not so said to any person" If Mr.. Granger
had a confession of which Dave had full
knowledge, why did he not tell us at that
time, SO we could have had it from Dawes
own lips and had him make a statement that
would have revealed the full particulars of
this atrocious murder. = If the state
ment made by Dave, as published by
Preacher Granger, is genuine, then a part of
the evidence was false, and If the Common
wealth resorted to perjury and fraud to Sc
cure conviction, then ask you what hellish
and hendlsh act would they not do to sus-
tain verdict thus obtained?