Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1895-02-27
AN ECHO OF THE CARPEN.
TER MURDER.

Another chapter was added to the
Carpenter murder case last Saturday.
When James J. Carpenter was mur-
dered IN Port Royal on the 10th day
of December 1898, be left an estate
worth nearly $4,000. His heirs we're
his son James b Carpenter, who was
convicted of numbering his father and
executed last June, aud Hetty B., the
wife of the murdered man. Mrs. Car
penter plead guilty to being an acces
sorry after the fact to the murder Of
her husband, and is now serving q
term insthe Western Penitentiary.
Believing that they were entitled
under the laws of the Commonwealth
to inherit the estate of the murdered
man and being charged wit. bis mu,-
der, for the purpose of securing coun-
sci to aid them in their defense they
assigned to Hon. Joseph Bucher, vii
liam H. Sponsler and Jeremiah N.
Keller, Esquires, their attorneys, the
estate Of the murdered man or as
puch of it as descended to them.
+. N. NJ. Pennell was appointed ad-
ministrator in the estate, and in the
course Of year filed his account.
George j. Parker, Esq was appointed
an auditor to make distribution of the
balance in the hands Of the administra.
tor.
When the audit was opened on Sat.
urday, Hon. Joseph Bucher and j. N.
Keller, presented their claim for the
money that Mrs. Carpenter and James
b. were entitled to out Of the murder.
ed mans estate.
Ex-Attorney General W. U. Hensel
and j. Howard Neely, Esq, appeared,
and on behalf of the collateral heirs of
the murdered man, claimed The whole
estate, basiug their claims upon the
common law principle that s'no one can
reap the benefit of his own wrong" and
that, ttat principle being enforced
they would inherit nothing, and ,ha.
the estate would go to the murdered
mans brothers and sisters, collateral
heirs
1t was conceded By counsel that tie
question was a new one in Peunsylv Iva.
MIA, and that the case will eventually
fed its way to the Supreme Court for
final adjustment So for the sake of
economy in taking up the reooI6 to
tha; high judicial tribunal, it was agreed
that the murder was committed By
James b. Carpenter and that Hetty B.
Carpenter his mother was an accessory
after the fact, and also the fuding of
the suditor as to whether the obtaining
of the estate of the murdered man was
one Of the motives Of the murder,
is to be final.
After. this agreement, the case was
argued by lIr Heusel and Mr. Bucher.
There are but six cases decided in
the United States in which the ques-
tion Of whether or not, person could
| take by Inheritance the estate of the
person whom he murders for the pur.
pose OF removing the life that stands
between him and the estate, and the
opinions of the court are not uniform.
Mr Bucher took the position that
while it might be true that the law
| should be that the par-cide could not
take the estate of the murdered father,
aud that the wife should not take any
portion of the estate of a hush aud
whom she had helped to murder, yet
under the present state Of the law in
Pennsylvania, its literal constr uction
demands that the estate of the decedent
be distributed under our state laws
without regard TO tie circumstances of
the death Of the decedent. That the
common law principle, that, "no one
can reap the benefit of bis own wrong,
was rendered pugatory By our Ac: of
Assembly
Mr.. Hensel took the position tha.
the common law principle was still in
force, and cited number of authorities,
showing the doctrine of rational inter.
probation had prevailed to establish
tn principle that notwithstanding the
letter of a statute, an heir forfeited
all rights when to secure the inheri
tance, be murdered bis ancestor. The
fact that the question is new one, has
made 1t interesting to many people,
and after the auditor has fled bis opin-
ION it will be reviewed by Judge Lyons,
and then taken to the Supreme Court
by the losing party, where it will te
finally adjusted. 1t will likely reach
the Supreme Court IN iiay.
Mrs. Kendig, OF Lancaster, Pa, is
visiting Mrs Sheaifer.
Miss Neora Kennedy, Of Harrisburg,
is visiting John Gushard's family.
Miss Emma Robisor, and Mrs.
Frank Burchfeld, are visiting in
.Mffiiu county.
Mr. Samuel Auker and wife of AL
toona, is visiting Mrs George Dough
man of Patterson.
Tie fantastic parade on The 22nd,
was quito an imposing burlesque On
parades in general.
Jerome Thompson, cashier Of the
NIddieburg bank spent Washington $
b.ith day III Juniata
According to statement Of peach
growers, peach buds indicate large
crop for the coming season.
Mr.. r ,bert .McMeen attended the
meeting Of the Scotch Irish Society,
recently held In Philadelphia.
Col ]. X. Robson las been ap-
pointed keeper of the State Grounds
at Harrisburg State Buildings.
Chester Stouffsr, of Philadelphia
spent Washipgton's birthday with
Blair Cramers family in Patterson.
A citizen Of Ga,ipolis, Ohio, has
been discovered living with four