Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1893-12-21
CRoSSMIRE HANGED At SMETHpORT

Munner--Luckey Was the Murderer of
His Father. Mother and Sistcr--Angelo
Kappa and His Brother Killed n
Neighbor-.Aii Three Went Calmly to
Their Deaths.
PtTTsBURG. Pa. Dec. l4.-Angelo Zappa
was hanged here at 1915 o'clock this
morning.
The scaffold stood in the little triangular
Jail yard ON the Diamond street side at the
rear of the county prison. The engine of
death was modelled after the scaffold used
at Moyamensing prison, Philadelphia, and
IL the same on which Fitzpatrick and
Dennis Cloonan ended their lives. It was
placed in position Tuesday and given q
preliminary test yesterday.
Those present at the execution were the
sheriff aud his jury, the physicians and
newspaper reporters, in all about 40 per-
sons.
zAPPA's CRIME.
Angelo Kappa and his brother Joseph
came from Ateleto, in the province of
Aoquilla. Italy. in April, 1891, Angelo
was ~ years of age. Angelo Iappa
murdered Frank Helmstetter on the even.
ing Of July 4th, 1899. The families lived
in adjoining houses and their wives had
quarrelled. Joseph Kappa, came to the
assistance of Angelo IN the fight which
followed. During the fight HelmsteLter
received his death-stab, from which he
died three hours later. Joseph Kappa, was
also tried for the murder and both were
convicted in the first degree. The pardon
board recommended the communication of
the death sentence to life imprisonment in
Josephs case, but the governor has not
taken any action In the matter and
Joseph remains i'll jail. Joseph has been
greatly excited over his brothers. fate and
fears are entertained that he will go insane.
Angelo exhibited the same nerve char
aclerlstic of all criminals about TO be exc
cnted. He said he was resigned to his fate
and hoped for salvation in another world.
happa's body was taken in charge and
will be given q respectable burial by the
committee of Italians who raised the
money TO defend him.
AN EXECUTION IN ONTARIO. ..
BRocRvfLLE, ONT, Dec. Ii.-At $50
O'Clock this morning Charles ]. Luckey was
hanged for the murder OF his father, sister
and step-mother. He went to the galows
with smiling face. He walked to his
death as unconcernedly US most men
would walk to their dinner table. Up to
tue last he protested his innocence and to
outward appearances died erfectly happy.
Luckey's neck was broken and he died
instantly.
BRUTAL, UNNATURAL CRIME.
lsuNhGN WIS " llOSL ana
unnatural one. Early in the afternoon of
the day of the tragedy, the house occupied
by the victims was observed by neiehbors
to be oil lire. They at once rushed to the
scene and found all the doors locked and
the windows fastened.
The front door being broken in horri-
Bile sight presented itself, Lying in a heap
at the foot of the stairs were the bodies Of
old man Luckey, his wife and their
AtNtn n.....
soon extinguished, after which a search
was made Tor the murderer.
suspicion pointed to the son of the muir
dered man, who bore q bad character and
had been released only lew days before
from prison, where he had been sent for
robbery. He was arrested and admitted
having been at his fathers house the
morning of the murder, but denied the
crime. lie was committed for trial but
was acquitted.
Further evidence was secured and he
was again arrested and on the second trial
a verdict OF guilty was found. 10 the last
Luckey declared his innocence.
RALPH cRossMIRE's DOOM.
SMETHPoRT, Pa, Dec. l4.-Ralph Cross.
mlre was hanged here this morning for the
murder of his mother, Mrs. Lucretta Cross
mire, about year ago. CrossmIre watched
Sheriff Grubb and his deputies erecting
the hanging apparatus directly in front Of
his cell with listless indifference last ulght.
and to all outward appearances these
ghastly preparations had no effect on his
SAUNDERS He retired at midnight and slept
continuously until awakened by the death
watch at 7.l5 O'Clock, this morning. At s
O'Clock the last sacrament was admins
tered, and then he paItUok of hearty
breakfast,
At 10 O'Clock the sheriff adjusted the
straps on the condemned mans arms.
The prisoner was asked if he had anything
TO say, and replied
Father, into thy hands, / commend my
spirit, adding Il forgive all my enemies, 2
he walked firmly to the apparatus of
death and met his fate without llinching
Just before the weight dropped, Cross
mlre, Ill n low, bnt clearly audible voice,
said Il forgive all who have sinned
against me"
The drop was then pulled. At lois he
was pronounced dead. His neck was
broken by the fall.
cHoKED HIS MOTHER TO DEATH.
The crime for which Crossmire was
hanged occurred November 10th, 1892. in
the little settlement of Farmers Valley.
Mrs. Crossmire lived on farm with her
lather-in-law, an old man of 80 years. On
the evening of November 18th, Mrs,
Crossmire went to the stable to milk her
cows. AS she did not return to the house
in reasonable time, the old man went to
the stable and found her hanging by the
neck from n cross beam. II was first sup
posed to be q case of suicide but the in
quest proved that a murder had been done,
On the barn floor four feet from where
the woman was found hanging was a
pool of blood and the woman's gray hair
was clotted with blood and filth, showing
that struggle had taken place. Suspicion
immediately pointed to Ralph Crossmire.
who it was well-known had threatened his
mothers life. He was arrested and held
for trial. The prosecution presented
very strong case. Crossmire was shown to
have concealed himself In the barn, the
night before the murder and laid in wait
for his mother. When she came to do the
milking he grasped her by the throat and
ch0ked her to death, afterward suspending
her from the raftcr to give the appearance
of suiced.
The jury found him guilty of murder in
the first degree. A motion for new trial,
an appeal to the pardon board and to the
supreme court were all futile, and GOV
ernor Pattison fixed the date of the execu.
ton. The quarrel with his mother which
led to the crime grew out of her refusal to
permit his alleged mistress to reside at the
homestead.