The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1891-08-21

About half-past five clock on Thursday
evening. August 18th, man, woman and
boy, whose names have since been learned
as Elmer Bruner, Ann Jackson and Charles
Bruner, drove through Ebensburg, going
west on the Pittsburg pike, driving a bay
horse hiched TO a buckwagon or open bug
gy. When they reached a point on the
road opposite the residence of Samuel
Reese, which is situated on the left hand
side of the road, going west, about a quar-
ter of a mile west of the borough line, they
drove to the one side, next TO the bars, I'M
and stopped. Here the man got out, and
going up to the house, found that it was
occupied but that the occupants were not
at home. Returning To the buggy he in !
formed the woman and boy that there was
no one at home and that he would rob the
house Will they should be on the lookout
for the approach of the owner.
There is a road OF path leading from the
bars (H) up along the fence on the right To
the barn, Obj or small stable. On the right
side of the house going up is door, but IL
has been but little used and the steps are
rotten and broken. The entrance most
used was at the kitchen door, which is in
the end of the house facing the stable.
house is about sixty feet from the road,
and the stable about twenty feet from the
house.
The kitchen door was secured by a COM
mon door lock which Elmer Bruner forced
open by humping his shoulder against the
door until the lower screw in the hasp in
side, gave away and the door opened
According to the boys story he entered
the. house with Elmer Rrunar flor tho lat
ter had bursted open the door The first
room on entering is the kichen, in which
was cooking stove, table, few chairs,
etc. The second room is a bed room, in
which was bed, couple of chairs, aud on
the bed was lying pair of pantaloons and
a dirty shirt.
In the third room was a bedStead. a
couple of chairs and trunk, which they
found locked. They found in the house
a chisel made out of blacksmith's rasp,
with which Bruner pried open the trunk.
The boy claims that they got nothing out
of the trunk that he saw but a few trink-
cts. With theexccption of the story of the
parties implicated in the murder, there is
no living person that knows what was in
the trunk. Reese's wife, daughter and SON.
in-law all say that he always kept the
see inside of it. Whether the old man had
some money or not in the trunk is fact
that will probably never be known While
he was fond OF liquor he was never known
to spend much money and generally got his
liquor, If possible, at the expense of some
one else. He worked pretty steady at lab
oring and farm work and was regarded as
good hand. He had but lately moved to
no. nrea xx-ha hs hax
ing rented the house and ground, consist
ing OF seven acres, about the first of July.
Owing to the sickness of his wife, who is
at the point of death at his former resi-
dence, the home Of his daughter, about
half mile from where he was killed, Mrs
Reese never went to their new home.
On the morning of the 18th Reese went
to assist Mr.. L. l.. Jones, farmer, whose
farm is on the outskirts of town, in harvest
ing his oats. He quit work in the evening
when the Court House clock struck six,
starting home with a rake on his shoulder
that he had brought with him in the morn
Ing. He crossed the fields and entered his
garden at the bars in the back part OF the
lot (E). His rake was found laid away in
the shed under the barn, opposite the kitch-
en- door.
a h' oos- ohdii says tnty ndu
just finished searching the house and were
about leaving when Reese came upon them;
that Reese ran into his house and came out /
with his gun, and commanded Bruner 10 /
show what he had in his pockets; that he /
heard Reesc's gun ''click'' when Elmer |
Bruner turned around and fired: that !
they then started for the buggy and drove I
Dff.
Three boys, Clay Cunningham, Clinton
cunningham and Alvin Dunmire were
coming into town on the pike on the even
ng of the 18th, and when nearly opposite
he Reese residence, heard the report of
he pistol and saw a man, woman and boy
coming out, the woman and boy getting
nto the buggy and the man walking on
Ihead, and heard Reese hallooing.
George Mckay, who lives about one
hundred yards from Reese's house. also
leard the report of the pistol and the cries
4 Reese, and ran down. When Mckay
cached the fence surrounding Reese's gar
en- he could see him struggling. but when
e got 10 the spot he was dead He was |
5ing about ten feet from the kitchen door