Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-11-10
SCARED TO DEATH.
William +. Keck Cheated the GallOws b.
Diving,

Dying.
READING, Pa, Nov. 1O.-Everytbing was
ready for a hanging today.
The gallows were in position, the rope
creased and fastened, the galows tested, the
murderer's new suit was in his cell, tine tickets
of admission given out to about 100 persons,
including visiting sheriffs and commissioners
from neghboring counties. but the murderer
cheated the gallows and ticket holders.
His lonely death in his cell stopped the
operation Of the law and the gallows were
taken down unsatisfied.
The doctors. who made the post mortem ex-
animation, found no traces of poison and
swore it was nervous exhaustion. A coroner g
jury was empanreled, and after hearing other
witnesses, including prison officials, returned
the following verdict:
"Wm. F. Keclt came to his death at Lehigh
county prison, Allentown. Lehigh county; that
the cause of death nervous exhaustion,
superinduced by the fear and terror of the ex-
ecution imminent"
All day yesterday Keck paced his cell, crying:
II swear before God than never murdered
Mrs. Nipch."
Relatives took charge of the murderer's body
and the people who held passes to the hanging
were very much chagrined that they had been
robbed of the sight of seeing a fellow MOI tai
plunge into eternity.
KEcKs CRIME.
have made expiration was the murder of VIM
Nlpch. aged seventy two, and his wife, Jea-
nette, aged sixty-nine, at Smoketown, nine
miles north of Allentown, on the afternoon of
Wednesday, November IS, 1891. Keck and the
Nipchs were intimate and neishbors. occupying
old shgnties on the banks Of an abandoned iron
ore mine. Keck came to the Nipch home gun in
hand, at 10 am. on the fatal day and remained
until after pm, partaking of their frugal
meal OF cabbage. potatoes and meat. At about
o'clock without uttering word he seized his
gun and shot Nipch in the back near the right
arm pit.
Mrs. Nipch sprang toward the door to call
help when Keck shot her dead in the room. the
charge penetrating the base of the brain. keck
went to the woodshed outside and got an AK.
Nipch was on his knees. Keck aimed two
blows at his head, the force of which was broken
by Nipch's upIifted arm. Keck seized billet
Of wood and rained three more blows on
Nipch's head, rendering him unconscious.
Kcck then locked the door and left. Robert
Bachman heard the scutfie and saw Keck leave
the house. carrying his gun and going directly
home. When Nipch recovered consciousness he
pried open the door and crept to a neighbours
to give the alarm. Among those who came was
Keck, who was arrested and Jailed, Nipch's
daughter saving him from lynching. Nipch
died November 2S. He~ made an ante norton
statement discriminating Keck. A small sum of
money was the motive for the crime. Nipch had
S5.57 in his purse. The money was missing
after the murder. Money spent by and found
on keck amounted to $4.57, leaving dollar
bill unaccounted for. Heck was tried
January 6 to A. 1892. and convicted. His
defense was that Nipch killed his wife and that
he shot Nipch in self-defense. Sentence was
pronounced February 20. April % the supreme
court decided against Keck. Gov. Pattisou
fixed upon September as the date for the exc
cution. Respite was granted from November 10
to October %. The board Of pardons refused
TO commute the sentence.
keck was tifty-two years old June g. He
was brother to David s. HECK ex-superin-
tendent Of the Berks county public schools and
superintendent of Indian schools in New Mex
leo, Arizona. Utah and Wyoming. He served
two enlistments in the war, and in March last
was allowed a pension. He had wife and a
daughter, who were estranged from him be-
cause Of his worthlessness.
Keck had become i'll at o'clock in the after
noon with vomiting, pains in his head and
stomach and the prison physician had pre-
scribed for him. At 8 O'Clock his muscles
became rigid and death came Unexpectedly in
half an hour. The tody was removed and
quietly buried this morning.
HARRISBURG. Pa, Nov. 10-Robert E.
Wright Of Allentown, counsel for Keck, the
Lehigh county murderer, came to Harrisburg
| last night with some recently discovered testl-
| mony to ask reprieve for the prisoner. Before
he could see the governor this morning he re-
ceived telegram stating that Keck had died in
his cell last night from heart disease. Mr..
Wright believes he was innocent