Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1894-06-13

IN his profession, ana an untlrlng
worker, called to his assistance Hon.
L. E. Atkinson and John J. Patter-
son, Jr., and they made trio cspa-
BILE of holding up their side of the
case, able to show the cracks in the
other side into which to pour the hot
saad of law and justice. The Dis
trict Attorney worked untiringly day
and night, and when the case was
called for trial on the 9Th day of Feb
ruary, 1894, he felt that his lines in
the case had been SO closely drawn
that the capable and talented men
employed on the defence could not
break them. and the result of the
trial proved how correct he was.
But the defense still clung to the
belief that they would have a walk
over, and their first act was to Jump
on the Court itself They would read
lesson to the Court, and then they
would wipe up the case with the Dis
trict Attorney and his assistants,
and forthwith they challenged Judge
Lyons with uulawfully having assist
ed in having filed the jury wheel,
when one OF the jury commissioners
was absent On that ground they
proposed to quash the array of jurors,
bat Judge Lyons soon satisfied them
that he had acted under later and
more comprehensive law than they
quoted from.
Then the case was proceeded with,
with Hiram Dunn, Theoiore Schmit
tie, Clayton Stoner, H. F. Smith,
Henry Bay, VIM Barclay, Vim. Kidd,
A r. Ffeehrer, Thomas Murphy,
Williamson Van Ormer, Beale Eaton,
and Geo. w. Speakman as Jurors.
The mother was not put upon trial.
The son was put upon trial and
his mother sat by his side during the
long ordeal of that week till to the
finish on Monday afternoon, Febru-
arY u, 1894.
When the District Attorney finish
ed his opening speech, the thousand
spectators that had jammed them
selves into the court room felt that
the contemplated walk over by the
defendants counsel could not take
! place, but that instead of setting the
| prisoner at the bar free, he would be
proven guilty of the murder OF his
father.
And from That time on a marvel
Gus change took place in the minds of
the people as to the result of the
trial.
The talent for the murderer work.
ed hard, but there was not q weak
place anywhere along the Common
wealth line that the lawyers for jim
could penetrate
Such a multitude as attended upon
the trial from the first day to the last,
had not been witnessed at court by
any Juniata county people or by any
of the many people who were in town
that week from distant places, and
the dramatic scenes of the trial, and
the incidents in and around the court
house would fill a book But the
climax OF surprise in this most re-
markable trial was reached when the
murderer's counsel asked for con
ference with the Commonwealth.
The six lawyers withdrew to Jury
I room, and held consultation, and
, When they returned the announce
melt was made that the defense had
nothing further to offer, and that the
District Attorney would close the
case for the Commonwealth which he
did IN Il short and incisive speech.
Judge Lyons Immediately charged
the jury. The jury retired aud with
in short time returned with a yer.
dict Of guilty of murder IN the first
degree.
The case passed through the usual
preliminary stages of sentence, and
approval by the Governor of the
State, who fixed the time for the ex-
ecution on Thursday, June Il, 1894
AT the April term of Court Mrs.
Carpenter wife of the murdered man
and mother of the murderer was put
upon trial, and after pleading guilty
as an accessory after the fact to the
murder was sentenced to pay the
fines that the Law imposes and un-
dergo an imprisonment in the west.
ern penitentiary for the period OF
two years.
Meanwhile, and up to the day of
execution interest in the case was
manifested by the people. They
talked about the impending hanging
every day, and when the scaffold was
brought here from Harrisburg by
John S. Michael and put up in the
court room close to where the mur
derer sat during his trial, the inter
est was greatly intensified. Hundred,
Of people went to the court house t.
see the instrument Of execution, and
the afable Sheriff always met them
and answered their inquiries, unless
under pressure of business he was
forced to be away.
Tie instrument of death is made
of heavy timber, painted lead color
and stands Ii feet, 9 inches high to
the top of the cross beam from which
the rope hangs. Tie floor or trap
door is 3 feet six inches from the
. ground and five feet square inside
the timbers of the frame. tits hung
on hinges on two sides of the frame,
and cut across in The middle from tbs
sides opposite to which it is hung,
/ When not up the floor hangs in two
pieces by its hinges against two
sides of the inside of the frame
When required for use the leaves are
lifted just like the leaves of a hinge
table is lifted, and meet in the mid.
die where the leaves come together
on heavy bar that is placed across
underneath thus forming a substan-
tial platform capable of holding as
many people as can get on it. The
bar that holds the leaves up in the
middle, is held in place by two staples
! I