The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1904-11-24
A-HANGING IN THE
OLOEN TIME.
How William Crist Barterd His Body
for Gingerbread.
WITH THE MILITARY AND MUSIC

He Went To Eternity-The Crime for
Which He Was Hung Was Com
mitted On Dog Ridge Near SeIby-
sport.
Quite recently there was published
in Baltimore paper an account Of
the murder trial and execution of
George Swearinger for wife murder.
He was hung, as is we'll known his
torically in Cumberlandin 1929. Rich
ard Beall being sheriff and execution
er. This was the first case of admin
istering the extreme penalty of the
law in Allegany county. There are
yet just few who saw the awful
scene.
The next case of the kind was Will
liam Crist, who was tried for the muir
der of Abraham Frey in 1913, and
was convicted at the October court of
that year, and hanged the following
month in Cumberland. 1t was case
OF great interest and created quite a
sensation at the time. 1t is believed
your many readers would be glad
and even benefited by reading truth
full and reliable account or history of
this noted case, now personally re-
membered by only few spared ones.
1t is, therefore, proposed by one of
that small few to write up the occur
renee in the interest of and on the lines
of history.
The murder was committed on Dog
Ridge, Selbysport district, now Gar
rett county, in the early fall of 1S43
Crisis victims head was crushed
with large stone and his dead body
placed behind a log and covered over
with leaves. He was found a few
days later. Suspicious at once fell
upon the guilty party. He skipped
Ioyer the line to little hamlet known
~ farklevsburg,F ayette county, Pa
Va warrant was issued by the local
justice of the peace and placed in the
hands OF Richard Fairall, constable
of the district. He was brave and
determined in the discharge of his
official duties, and when he got on
the track of the murderer he did not
stop at the southern brink OF Mason
and Dixon line, but passed oyer by a
few miles and captured his man and
brought him back to the local author
tiles. No point was ever made as the
legality or illegality of the arrest. The
constable was not forgotten for his
courageous work. Here is what the
Maryland legislature did for him at
it's December session, 1843. chapter IA:
bly, of Maryland that the Commiss-
toner's of Alleganv county be and
they are hereby authorized to lew
the sum of $50 and pay the same to
Richard Fairall on account of his ex-
penses incurred by him in the hang
ing of William s. Crist, the murderer
of,Abraham Frey"
The motive or cause for this foul
murder was woman, Elizabeth Frey,
the wife of the slain man She was
indicted with Crist as accessory be-
fore the fact, at the same term of
court, but was acquitted after the
principal had been tried and CON
victed. The same counsel acted in
her case. Womanly sympathy aided
in her acquittal.
The grand jury who found these in
dictments were William Shaw, fore
man; David Scott, Dudley Lee, Leon
ard Shircliff, David Hinkle, Jasper
Robinette of A. Hanson Brown
brother of the author of this paper,
William Athey, Archibald Casteel.
Godfrey Fazenbaker, George NJ.
Blocher, Jasper Warwick, VIM. Cham
bers, Matthias Duckworth, Jonathan
t Rinehart, William Stanton, James
Chisholm, jeremiah Tasker, John
L. Browning, Henry Sanbower and
Cornelius Right.
The jury that tried the case were
Jacob Rice, foreman; Charles Norris,
Moses Porter, Thomas w. Dawson,
Owen McElfish (the last survivor died
only few years ago., Martin Rizer,
SLY ry Hammill, James Twigg, Rubin
DE- ley, 0. S. Champion, James H.
Hoblitzell and William Hoblitzell.
They came to a just verdict without
difficulty or delay, tho the evidence
was what the law calls circumstantial.
and a strong defense was made by two
able lawyers, VIM. Price, in his full
professional manhood, with a splen
did reputation, and George A. Pearre,
in his rapid ascension to profess ional
prominence. The prosecution was
ably conducted by Hanson b. Pig
man, States Attorney, and William
V. Buskirk, brilliant lawyer, and an