The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1891-06-10
Tried Three Times for Murder.


For the first time during three trials for
bis life. Jacob Staub was allowed to go on
the witness stand at Uniontown on Friday
and tell his story Of his trouble with and the
killing OF Alpheus Glover At the time Of
his former trials the law forbade the defend
ant in capital cases from testifyiEg in his
own behalf, but that disability was removed
by an act passed in 1856 His testimony
was as follows:
MY full name is Jacob staub, and am
il my seventieth year. I was born and
raised in Maryland, and came TO this county
in 1861. l was in the One Hundred and
Six.y-eighth regiment and was nine months
in the war. Ny farm adjoined that Of Al
pheus Glover on Beaver creek or July 26.
1872, was engaged with the boys in haul
ing wheat, and in the evening after we quit
work told the boys to turn the horses out
in the lot. took my rife and went down
the road, where heard my hog squealing.
] met Verdi Glover on the east side of Judy
run, coming with the cJws. went on past
her and about 2Oo yards further on met
Aif Glover with his dogs l asked Glover
why he was dogging my hogs, and be said;
4 will dog them if they don't stay out Of my
field ! told him If they did not stay out of
his field would pen them up, but did not
want them dogged. He cursed me and
said: 'You feel big with that gun said
l did not need any gun, and handed the
weapon back to the boys
Il did not see who took it, but saw Clio
yer had club in his hand. | had hardly
turned around when Verdi ran between her
father and me and begged him not to curse
me 50. He took her by the arm and threw
her away He then struck me on the head
with the club and knocked me down, and
began beating me until was unconscious.
did not hear any shot fred, and the next
thing knew was sitting az the foot Of an
oak tree and my wife was bathing my face
with caniphor and holding my head, which
had lump as big as half an egg. i did not
shoot Alpheus Glover, and am as innocent
of that as newborn babe. 1 had no re-
volTer with me on that day. never made
any threats against him to any one"
Staub then related the marvellous story of
his escape; of how man walked into his
cell at midnight and walked him up; how
be was lifted up by rope, and through the
roof, and how two men were in waiting and
hustled him of, and finally how he wan
dered about the country for sixteen years.
Afser being out just FIVE hours the Staub
jury agreed on verdict Of mot guilty"
The court house bell was rung, and the aged
prisoner was brought into the court room.
For the third time in his life Staub arose,
held up his right hand and faced jury
which was to give him life or death With
fear and the infirmities of 20 years, his once
strong right arm trembied as he heard the
clerk ask the jury for their verdict. When
the words mot guilty" reached him he sank
into bis chair and, leaning his head upon
bis his hands, wept tears of joy. He
was Immediately discharged, and was met
at the door by his aged wife, with whom he
went arm in arm from the court house.
The old man was congratulated BY crowds
of friends Immediately after his discharge
he went 10 the Jail, where he collected his
goods, and left for his mountain home. The
verdict is received with favor by some and
is loudly condemned by Others. The Jury
was composed largely Of old men, who il is
claimed, leaned more strongly to the side of
mercy for the aged accused than they would
have done at the the time the crime was
committed 10 years ago.