Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1893-12-14
HANGED FOR A BRUTAL CRIME.


Execution of Benjamin Tennis, at HARRIS
burg, Pa, for Foully Numbering Little
Nine-ycars-oid Agnes Wright.
HARRISBURG, Pa, Dec. = Benjamin
Tennis was hanged in the Jail here, this
morning, for the murder of little Agnes
Wright, near Hummelstown September
18th last. The drop fell at 1l.30 o'clock.
Tennis was hanged in the west yard
of the county prison. A thousand peo-
pie witnessed the execution, which was
the first in Dauphin county in 10 years.
Men and women thronged the windows
and roofs of the adjoining buildings
and there was a loud cheer when the
prisoner was led to the scaffold. He
showed no nervousness whatever as he
assembled the scaffold.
He made a prayer in German and
then addressed the spectators. He asked
all those who forgave him to raise their
hats, and nearly all present complied
with his request. He then remarked
that he was going TO heaven, and asked
those who witnessed the execution to
| pray for himself and his children.
The Rev. Mr.. Staley, his spiritual adj
wiser made prayer and the Rev.
| Luther Deyoe pronounced benedic-
ton. A quartette then started to singa
hymn and before the voices were
scarcely raised the drop fell and the
condemned man had expiated his
crime. The body was permitted to hang
| Is minutes when it was cut down.
Death resulted from strangulation, the
moose having slipped from under the
ear to the back of the neck. The body
| of Tennis was taken in charge by the
friends and removed to Hummelstown,
near the scene OF the tragedy, for burial.
Mr.. and Mrs. Wright, the parents of
his victim, witnessed the execution, the
father being in the crowd near the scaf-
fold and the mother at window of the
prison overlooking the yard.
During the morning Tennis was visited
in his cell by the parents of the little
girl. Mrs. Wright was DESTROYS of
knowing whether her child had entered
the thicket with Tennis voluntarily, and
was assured by the prisoner that he had
carried her into the copse of trees by
force. When they left the cell, Mr..
Wright said "Good bye, Ben, and may
God have mercy on your SOUL"
Mrs. Wright babe the condemned man
farewell in similar terms.
HIS BRUTAL CRIME.
The crime for which Tennis was
hanged was the brutal murder of Agnes
Cooper Wright, the 9-years-old daughter
of an employee of the Hummelstown
Brown Stone Company. The child left
her home for school at about 7.15 o'clock.
The school is almost two miles distant
and the road thereto was skirted by a
dense underground and trees. The girl
not returning in the evening, q search
was instituted and resulted in the finding
Of her body in the thicket about 20 yards
from the road and less than quarter of
mile from her home. She had been
outraged and murdered, pieces of her
underclothing having been used to
; strangle her to death. The child's
dinner pail and school books were
scattered about, indicating q struggle
before she was overcome.
No clue could be obtained at the time
as to the identity of the fiendish MUIR
derer. A week later, however, detec-
tives arrested Benjamin Tennis, a neigh
Dor, on suspicion. Great excitement
was occasioned by the arrest, and threats
of lynching were openly made. Tennis
was at once taken to Harrisburg and on
being placed in jail, confessed. The fol-
/ lowing day he was arraigned in court
and pleading guilty was sentenced to be
hanged. Tennis was widower and
leaves seven children.