Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1913-07-24

years on the morse IN r0nt OF ner ana
with her husband riding at her side Mrs.
Swearingen started one Sunday morning
for the ride of some 80 miles TO her home
in Hagerstown. That night was spent in
Cresapstown. Early the next morning
they had reached the vicinity of Mrs.
Swearingen's farm, where, without the
owners knowledge, Rachael Cunning
ham was living at the time. Coming TO
the foot of a steep hill Swearingen was
seen by some persons to alight from his
horse, put the child on the ground, take
his wife's bride, and going up the hill,
disappear in the laurel bush. In the thick
brush wood, as il was sfterward shown,
he killed his wife with club, splattering
the blood on the surrounding foliage. He
then rode after drover whom he had
just passed on the road and asked him TO
60 for help. as his wife had fallen from
her horse and he feared she was killed.
When help arrived the woman was dead.
A jury of inquest gave verdict that she
had met her death by ian act of Provi-
dence." But Swearingen soon excited
suspicion by making contradictory state
ments. He had said that the horse had
stumbled and thrown his wife down a
precipice. In confirmation OF this theory
the horses knees were sore as il he had
stumbled in the stony ground and injured
them. But more careful examination
had been made and the wounds showed
that they had been made with sharp
instrument and evidently not by fall.
The body was, therefore, exhumed and
second inquest was made, the verdict
this time being that Mrs. Swearingen had
been murdered by her husband. Before
he could be arrested Swearingen fled and
Rachael Cunningham disappeared at the
same time from the farm house in Ale
gany county, where she had been stay
ing. Public sentiment was now at high
pitch. The Governor issued proclama-
tion offering liberal reward for the cap
ture of the fugitive. Hand bills describ-
ing him and Rachael, who was supposed
10 be in his company, were scattered
broadcast. In December one of these
handbilS had reached poStoffice in a
small tavern near the Red River in Ken
ucky. A man and woman answering
the description had spent the night at the
tavern and had lett, both riding the same
horse, just before the arrival Of the mail
that brought the handbill and the Cover
nor'S proclamation. The tavern keeper
gathered a small party and started in pur-
suit. In three hours the guilty fugitives
were overtaken and arrested.
On.May a. 1929, Swearingen stepped
from the stage in HagerStown, at the
same spot where he had scattered coin
among the cheering crowd some two
years before. This time he was in irons.
He was kept under guard in the Globe
tavern until the stage started for Cumber-
land, where he was TO be tried for his
crime.
The trial began on the 18th of the fol-
lowing August. Swearingen was de-
Tended by John V. L. McMahon and
William Price, two eminent lawyers,
and they did all they could to save their
client. But he hamstrung them during
the trial. Mr.. Price argued before the
jury for five hours and the speech Of Mr..
Mcmahon consumed seven hours and
was one of the most notable speeches
ever made in a criminal trial in this
State. But it was all in vain. The
wretched prisoner was so inclosed in the
meshes OF his own falsehoods and the
network of evidence of his own weaving
that there was no escape. A letter which
he had written TO Rachael while he was
in Jail had been intercepted and was read
to the jury by Mr.. Dixon, the States
Attorney for Allegany county and if there
had been any doubt in the minds of the
jury as to the prisoners guilt this would
have ended it. In 10 minutes the verdict
was rendered and Chief Justice John
Buchanan pronounced the sentence Of
death.
The judgment of the court was execu-
ted on flat on the west side Of Wills
Creek, at Cumberland. The murderer
was escorted to the gaIlows by number
OF companies Of militia from Allegany
and other counties and accompanied by
several ministers OF the Gospel. But he
was Indifferent TO all these things. His
last thought was Of Rachael Cunningham.
He had made full confession of guilt,
which was published after the execution.
The strongest part OF the execution
was the fact that the body Of George
Swearingen was carried TO the home Of
his murdered wife's parents, where the
funeral took place.
"There is way which seemeth right
unto man, but the end thereof are the
ways Of DEATH"