The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1899-12-07
PEN NSYLVANIA'S LONG LIST
OF Coming Executions More Murderers Un'
der Sentence in this State Than at
Any Other Time.

ANY Otner lime.
More men are under sentence of
death in Pennsylvania than at any
prior period IN her history, and the
probability is that 1900 will be the
banner year of executions in the nlne-
teenth century. SO far Governor
Stone has in his possession papers in.
dcating the conviction OF fourteen
murderers, the date for whose execu-
ton he is required to name.
TO these must be added the names
of Michael Baronosky, Andrew Cor
ess, Anthony Machulas. Josewh Sa-
chinsky, Peter Stenkewicz, Andrew
Stenkcwicz and John St.nkewiscz, OF .
Schuylkill county, who were found /
guilty of the murder of Joseph Rut .
kowskl. This is the greatest number
of men even found guilty in this State
for the murder of single person, and
probably the largest IN the United
States. If they are made to pay the
extreme penalty Of the law they VIII
constitute the greatest number ever
executed in the State at one time tor
the same oftense.
The nearest to this was tormer
trial in Schuylkill county, when nve
men were found guilty and executed
for the murder of Policeman Yost, OF
5 Tamaqua, in 1877. OF the murder
ere 70 he executed five are in Moya-
d. mensing, Robert w. Brown, Samuel
f Dodson, William Epps, George Hest
f and George Meeks. Although the
r execution of unfortunates has been
e decidedly improved upon during re-
cent years in affording a more human
death, Philadelphia officials are con-
S fronted with the fact that they have
d not a scaftold OF sufficient capacity to
!; hang four persons. The Sheriff is IN
IS a ouandary, as he does not wish to
IS have a wholesale hanging. The lack
n of scaffold big enough to hang the
ol FIVE men together may prove a means
t, that may prevent all from being exc
lg cuted upon the same day.
~ If q new ID NV N'SSS~>' -
t. the iolnt execution of the murderers
,g then the Mauch Chunk structure vii
tn be secured, as it has been loaned t.
n different county officials in the Stat
IS, during the past twenty years. Ii
de 1876 four men met their death q
he Mauch Chunk, and il was at this eN
lis acut;on that death proved less paint
to the unfortunate than at any
those held in the State before th'
an date.
to This humanitarian feature was tt
Ill, result of an idea conceived by tt
he late Mayor Edwin Filter, OF Phllade
tn pnia. who witnessed the bungIlT
ee, hanging of William Getty, at Easto
en- after the rope had broken. Th
'lll, death should come in the easiest WI
to possible is a belief shared by spect
lily tors, and, of course, the victim tee
ion likewise. Getty was found guilty
,ws the murder OF his wife, and as han
the 1nps were not as numerous then
ver now. the officials concluded TO &C
of duct the ceremony IN an island on
OF Lehigh River, near where 1t empt
ten into the Delaware, and grant the pl
lie an opportunity of witnessing It,
1t was a great day in Northan
Ne TONS county seat and the people
- miles around turned out IN large nj
ED bers, expecting to see successful
can ecution, but they were wotully dls
ase. pointed, as it was irgbtiul all
onal Cutting the rope method of hang
you was then in vogue and the rope br'
ans with Getty, who appealed to the 81
ana iff to stay the proceedings and let
cous 90 free. Getty was kept wall
J., nos while another rope was secured
ioeu @ he was dragged up and strung
m 'il' death. Since then the island IN
pc river has been called Getty's Islam
bes. peS. Mayor Filter concluded to max
,as ,ha special brand of rope that would
.ons vent this unnecessary suffering
= ;e humiliation on the part OF the
.sr,,s cuted, and this he did. Since
ti,no. this brutal feature of executions
To. longer exists, and in whatever sec
of the county hanging occurs,
is forwarded to the officials witt
t.. cost.