Deworricoiad ei
Terms, 82.00 a Year, in Advance.
Bellefonte, Pa., January 3l, 1880.
P. GRAY MEEK, - - - Ebprror.
ANDREWS ON TRIAL!
‘The Most Atrocious Crime
Ever Committed in
Centre County !
HE MUST HANG OR GO FREE!
WHICH WILL IT BE?
The trial of Alfred Andrews, now
occupying the attention of the court is
proving to be one of the most interest-
ing cases in the course of Centre county
justice. Every incoming train brings
additional numbers to the already large
crowd of interested people. Long be-
fore the time for court to commence the
room was packed with a crowd eager to
hear the proceedings. Never since
Centre has been a county has there been
80 much interest shown in a trial. The
Hopkin’s case created a great excite-
ment, because of its being the first mur-
der trial in which the accused was con-
victed since the time James Monks was
hung, away back in the early part of
the century. But this case is looked
npon with a far greater interest, because
of its being a trial with circumstancial
evidences only to rely upon for convie-
tion,
The crime for which the prisoner
stands indicted, was committed on the
public road leading from Snow Shoe to
Karthaus, in Clearfield county. No
more suitable place could be found for
the commission of such a foul deed as
the road leads right through the moun-
tains and has been little used since the
Karthaus bridge was swept away by
the June flood.
For the entire distance from Boak’s
store down to the river, there are but
few houses,and it was over this desolate
way that the murdered girl had to pass.
She started from Mrs. Eugene Meeker’s
house at Pine Glen, on the morning of
November 27th for the double purpose
of disposing of some marketing for her
employer and visiting her parents, who
are highly respectable people at
Karthaus. The people of the vicinity
noticed Miss Price as she passed their
respective homes, and some of them
swear that she was then followed by a
man who was afterwards proved to Le
Andrews. Different testimony at the
hearing stated that her actions indica ted
that she thought the man was following
her as she would ocasionally cross from
one side of the road to the other to
avoid him, however this may be,
she continued on her way and was not
seen again until she was found dead by
a party of hunters on their way to
Boaks’ camp. The body was found. at
a point about one mile and a half from
the bridge, pierced by three bullets, one
in the head, one in the neck and one in
the breast, another had been shot through
the basket she was carrying. The par-
ty who found ker notified the commun-
ity and an inquest was held by Esquire
Rankin, the jury consisting of W. S.
Loy, Mitchell Watson, Harry Rider,
John W. Rider, W. B. Potter and
George Emerick. Evidence of a very
desperate struggle was everywhere to
be seen, and upon examination it was
was found that the poor girl had not on-
ly been cruelly murdered but the
henious crime of outrage had been at-
tempted.
A search was immediatly instituted
for the criminal and various clues were
run out but to no effect, until Alfred
Andrews, who had been seen on the
road following the murdered girl, was
arrested. ‘With his apprehension, all
further search was given up as it seemed
to be the general impression that the
right man had been arrested,and though
the evidence against him at the hearing
was purely circumstancial, he was held
and no futher efforts made to fasten the
crime upon any one else.
Andrews is a seemingly 1anocent
shiftless kind of a character, who came
from England some four or five years
ago, stopping first in Lock Haven,
where he worked in a livery stable.
Afterwards wandering up the river un-
til he came to Karthaus where he
worked for several months and was
married. He then moved to Brisbin
in Clearfield county at which place he
was arrested for the crime for which he
is now being tried. Exery effort has
been put forth to make the trial a fair
and impartial one. The prisoner has
had able counsel employed by the coun-
ty, and jit is their intention as well
as that of the Commonwealths attorney’s
to leave nothing undone which might
throw light upon the case.
THE TRIAL BEGINS.
Scarcely could nature have drawn a
greater contrast then she did on Wed-
nesday morning when the trial begins:
‘While inside the Court House all was
silent and solemn and the shadow ot
crime hung over one, Alfred Andrews;
without everything seemed bright and
splendid as though it was only trying
to overcome the gloom brought upon
. the county by the unprecedented num-
ber of crimes which have been per-
petrated within its precincts in so short
a time. At exactly five minates past
nine o'clock the court opened with
Judge's Furst, Riley and Rhoads upon
the bench, after some routine business
had been gone through with,the prison-
er was brought into court by Sheriff
Cook. Dressed in a striped, sack suit
and sporting a bud of a mustach, An-
drews did not impress us as a murderer.
The same vacant stare that has chara-
terized him ever since his arrest, was
plainly visible and he manifested more
interest in the peoplejin the court room
than in the proceedings {that were to
decide whetherihe was to answer for the
awful crigie for which he stood indicted.
After shaking hands with his counsel
Messrs. Chambers and Spangler, he sat
down beside. them and continued taking
in the surroundings with an air of ut-
ter unconcern; in fact the only time
that he showed any interest at all was
during the prosecution’s opening address
to which he listened attentively during
the time occupied by it.
The Prothonotary then called upon
the prisoner to stand up. He rose with-
out tremor and responded to the follow-
ing questions in a slightly husky but
never-the less firm voice :
“Alfred Andrews, you have heard the
indictment! Are you guilty or not
guilty ?”
“Not guilty, sir.”
“Alfred Andrews, how will you be
tried 7’
“By God and my country, sir!”
The jury was then impaneled as
follows :
P. W. Barnhart called and sworn;
chalieng=d by defense.
David Beightol, called and sworn ;
not challenged.
M. N. Adams, called and sworn;
challenged by defense; opinion pre-
viously formed.
J. G. Ritter, called and sworn ; not
challenged.
Henry Hale, called and sworn; not
challenged.
Wm. Dawson, called and sworn;
stood aside ; objects to capital punish
ment. :
Reuben Collier, called and sworn ; not
challenged.
George Martz, called and sworn; not
challenged,
Robt. McKnight, called and sworn;
challenged for cause; objects to capi-
tal punishment.
Wm. Resides, called and sworn ;
challenged.
Edward Stump, called and sworn;
not challenged. \
G. W. Hoover, called and sworn ;
challenged for cause ; had formed an
opinion. ,
Rob’t. Cooper, called and sworn ; stood
aside.
G. B. Stover, called and
challenged for cause.
Geo. Flick, called and sworn; not
challenged.
Isaac Underwood, called and sworn ;
challenged for cause; conscientions
scruples against capital punishment.
Isaac Armstrong, called and sworn ;
challenged.
Jacob Frontz, called and sworn ; not
challenged.
‘Wm. Peters, called and sworn ; stood
aside.
Wm. Meyer, called and
challenged by defense.
G. D. Armbruster, called and sworn ;
challenged by defense.
Cyrus Durst, called and sworn; not
sworn ;
sworn ;
chailenged.
E. C. Woods, called and sworn ;
challenged by defense ; opinion formed.
John G. Bailey, called and sworn;
challenged by defense ; opinion formed.
H. R. Curtin, called and sworn;
challenged by defense ; opinion formed.
A. J. Stover, called and sworn ; chal-
lenged by defense.
Charles Neff, called and sworn ; chal-
lenged bysthe defense ; opinion formed.
Reuben Lucas, called and sworn ; not
challenged.
‘Wm. Lytle, called and sworn; not
challenged.
Peter Robb, Jr. called and sworn;
challenged by defense ; opinion formed.
H. S. Coner, called and sworn ; chal-
lenged by defense.
H. K. Miller, called and sworn,
stood aside by the commonwealth ;
scruples against 2apital punishment.
Emanuel Musser, called and sworn ;
not challenged.
The necessary number having been
secured the list was again gone over ard
Reuben Collier was challenged by the
commonwealth ; W. H. Noll being call-
ed, sworn and accepted to take his
place.
After W. H. Morrison, and Vinton
Beckwith were sworn in and given
charge of the jury, the oath of office
was administered to each juror individ-
ually as follows:
David Beightol, farmer, Liberty twp.
J. D. Ritter, carpenter, Philipsburg.
Henry Hale, laborer, Huston twp.
George Martz, gentleman, College twp.
Edward Stump, tarmer, Potter twp.
George Flick, farmer, Huston twp.
Jacob Frontz, farmer, Worth twp.
Cyrus Durst, farmer, Harris twp.
Reuben Lucas, farmer, Howard.
‘William Lytle, farmer, Half Moon.
Emanuel Musser, farmer, College twp.
‘W. H. Noll, merchant, Pleasant Gap.
His honor, Judge Furst, then insruct-
ed the jury about the grave duties
which they were expected to perform,
of giving the case their entire and un-
divided attention. A human creature |
was on trial for his life aud it was the
duty of the jury to be separate from the |
world during the trial. Accommoda- | he noticed marks as if there had been
tions for the jury had been provided at |a struggle. These tracks, which were
the Brockerhoff House, and the jury |
should consider and observe the Court's | distance above the body, and then left
instructions and not hold any communi-
| the tracks about the place where the
cations with any one but the Court.
By disobeying th=se instructions the
trial might fail and the costs ofa new
trial be inflicted on the county. You
must not hear any conversation in this
case, and if any one should speak ofit
isyourduty to inform the Court. You
are not to read any daily or weekly pa-
pers during the trial.
As a body the jury is made
up of intelligent and upright
men. In fact every effort was put forth
t> procure men of good sound judg-
ment and discretion. The preliminary
work attendant upon such a case being
gone through with the case was opened
on the part of the commonwealth by an
address, before the jury, by ex-Judge
Orvis in which he recited the in-
structions given by the bench after
which he gave a brief history of the
crime and of the geography of the com-
munity in which it was committed.
In the course of his remarks he stated
that the prosecution intended to prove
thatthe blood found on Andrew’s shoe
was not that of a chicken but that of a
mammal. 3
Court adjourned until two o’clock
p. m.
WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON.
‘When Court opened for the afternoon
session, the room was packed as full of
people as was possible to get it. From
the time of adjournment of the morning
session people stood about the doors and
vard of the Court house in hopes that
they would be able to procure seats.
Many of them were disappointed how-
ever as they were crowded clear out of
the line even after they had gotten into
it. The proceedings were taken up
where they left off in the morning and
witnesses called by the commonwealth
as follows :
Mrs. Mattie Meeker was the first wit-
ness called. It wasin her service that
Clara Price had been employed previous
to her death. She stated that Miss Price
was going on seventeen years of age, but
was very large and muscular for her
years. In her statement she said that
Clara had lef her house at half-past
eight, in the morning, expecting to re-
turn before four o'clock, but that was
the last she saw of her alive.
James Marsteller, Supt. of the Lehigh
Valley Coal Co., at Show Shoe, was
next called and testified that he discov-
ered the body of the dead girl lying by
the road-side. He said that he told his
driver to get out and see what was the
matter with the girl, whereupon it was
discovered that she was dead though
quite warm and had evidently been
dead but a short time. As soon as this
discovery was made they drove on to
the river and reported the circumstance
to some people there, who returned with
them and identified the body, which
was lying face downward, with her
hands crossed on the breast. Her bask-
et was at her elbow and the appearances
indicated that she had started to run
back towards Pine Glen when she was
attacked ; the position of the body and
the condition of the clothes, showed that
she had evidently fallen while running.
Her hat was lying about thirty feet from
the body and it appeared as though its
position indicated the place at which
the struggle began, as the tracks back-
ward were seen only fromjthe hat to the
place where the body was found.
‘Witness was then dismissed.
‘Wm. Oswalt,hisdriver,on the morning
of the 27th ot November, was called and
corroborated Marsteller’s testimon y.
The only blood noticed by these two
witnesses was about the girl's mouth.
Both stated that they saw no blocd
whatever on the ground about the body.
George Hodallar, the man who went
back with Marstellar and Oswalt, to the
body, stated that he was at work at the
Karthaus bridge when Manrstellar and
Oswalt came to him and told him of
what they had seen up along the pike.
He went up the road and found the body
as reported to him. He reported hav-
ing ferried two hunters across the
river from the Clearfield to the Center
side and that both carried guns. Heal-
so ferried two peddlers from the Center
to the Clearfield side about an hour
later, another peddler, was ferried
from the Clearfield to the Centre side
sometime after ten o’clock. This one
went down towards the pike but took a
path over the hill. This’ witness testi-
mony was interupted quite frequently
by objections on the part of Col. Spang-
ler for the defense. Witness stated
that he had told Jacob Price, the father
of the murdered girl, of her having been
found and identified by some one who
had come down.
Squire Andrew Rankin, was called
and stated that he had held the inquest
over the body of the dead girl and gave
a detailel account of the way things
looked upon his arrival at the place.
His statement only verifies the accounts
given by preceeding witnesses, except
that be noticed blood about the eyes and
and impressed upon them the necessity ears of the victim, alsosaw a fresh track
leaving the road sta distance of
about forty-feet below the body, but
that it again came out of the woods at a’
point above this, and that it was there
thosé of a man, went up the road a short
it again. The squire felt positive that
struggle occurred, were those of Miss
Clara Price and of the person who had
left the road below the place. At the
place, where the man’s tracks left the
road, above the body, there was one
particular impression in the mud which
was evidently made by the left foot of a
person wearing a shoe from which the
sole had been cut, and that the track
was the same as those seen near the
body of the girl. Witness displayed
the hat which was found by the road-
side. The place where the bullet had
torn away part of the brim was plain-
ly tobeseen. The coat was also shown,
and little blotches of mud were visible
upon the shoulder of it. The bask of
her dress showing the place where the
bullet, that pierced the pulmonary ar-
tery, had gone through, and the corset,
which she wore, showing a slight mark
of blood at the top were, also produced,
After a rigid cross examination relative
to the description of the tracks, and
their measurments, which he stated to
be about ten and a quarter inches long
being unable to notice any difference in
their width, Col. Spangler tried
to mix the evidence, but the story of
witness was the same as given
at the preliminary hearing.
David Price, the girls father,
was then called. The only testi-
mony given by him was his identifica-
tion of his daughter's clothes, during
which he showed no signs of grief what-
ever, though the questions put to him
must have been very painful indeed.
This witness was not cross-examined
and Court adjourned until nine o’clock
Thursday morning.
THURSDAY MORNING.
‘When ths old Court bell rung out
the hour of nine this morning the room
was well filled but everything appeared
gloomy, even the counsel for the defense
showed signs of worry and doubt. By
ten minutes past nine the jury had been
brought in and seated, shortly after
which Andrews dressed ir a black frock |
suit and wearing a standing collar and
a gorgeous tie came into Court. He
seemed very much pleased with him-
selfand chatted and laughed with the
people near him but as the proceedings
began, he became interested and showed
more signs of attention than he has
done at any time during the trial.
His attorneys seized every oppor-
tunity for hurried consultations.
Dr. Neveling, a physician, of Kart
haus, Clearfield county Pa., was the
first witness summoned, and testified
that he was called to the body at
about 12.830 p. m. He stated that after
a coroner’s jury had been empanneled,he
measured the distance which the girl
had evidently ran from the place where
the struggle began, to the place where
she fell, and that it was one hundred
and six feet. Evidence showed that
this distance must have been gone over |
by her at a very rapid pace. The
tracks went on gpast the body
on the road for about fifty two feet
where they turned abruptly to the
left and went into the woods. It was
at this point that the left foot track
was so plainly visible in the sand of
the ditch at the side of the road, across
which the man had evidently gone.
Dr. Neveling stated that in his ex-
amination, he turned the body over
and found no wounds on the head,
but that he found a bullet hole in her
ear, after which he examined her under-
clothing which showed marks of blood
and evidnce of a struggle. After taking
the body to the home of her parents,Dr.
Neveling made a further examination,
in which ha found that the ball which
had caused death had gone through the
lung and pulmonary artery, lodging
against the sternum. The ball was
recovered and displayed by the wit-
ness. He further testified that at the
post mortem he had found evidences,
1n the presence of some other parties, of
an attempt at rape, though he was un-
able to to tell positively just how the
wounds about those portions of the body
had been inflicted,
Cross examined: The Dr. knew that
it was just 12-30 when he started from
his office because he had looked at his
watch shortly before. Found no blood |
whatever on the ground, all the blood |
he saw was on thebody. The Dr. became !
slightly mixed in his evidence about
the location of the tracks and dis- |
tance of the man’s track from the |
body. |
Col. Spangler tried hard to break
witnesses evidence but without material
success. Witness testified to having
shown the place to surveyor Ray and
Colonel Mullen. i
W. S. Loy, of Burnside township, '
was called and coroborated Dr. Nevel-
ing’s testimony. The stick, with which :
the measurments of the foot were made
was here shown. The foot being ten
and a quarter inches long, while the
heel was two and three quarter inches
in length. Loy testified that he saw a
peddler come from the Clearfield to the
Centre county sida and take an old path
up towards Jac. Walker's. Witness
stated that he saw the peddler go up
at about half past ten or there-abouts.
Upon cross-examination the witness
simply restated his former remarks.
George Hodollar was recalled and
made statements which were somewhat
contradictory to those made by him at
a previous examination. * In bis state-
ment last night he said that he could
cross the river in five minutes but this
morning his statement was that he
could not cross in less than seven or
eight. If this was the caseit made his
bringing the peddler to the Centre side
at a time pretty close to teno’clock.
S. D. Ray, of Bellefonte, the sur-
veyor who madz a survey of the place
in December, was next called and
showed a draft on which he had drawn
all the important points in that sec-
tion of the county. Two charts were
displayed by him, one of which
was made on a scale of forty rods
to the inch the other fifteen feet
to the inch. Both drawings showed
the direction of the tracks and the place
at which the body and hat were found,
also points along the pike where An-
drews had been seen by different people.
He stated that the distance from where
the body was found through the woods,
to the place where Andrews came upon
the men in the woods, was 406 rods, and
that the distance to the place where
Andrews again came upon them while
eating dinner, was only 14 rods. The
cross-examination did not bring out any-
thing more than the mere restatement
of distances, though it worked hard to
shake the testimony of the surveyor re-
garding the location of the numerous
paths about the place.
Thomas Pitts was called but did not
answer.
Michael Watson jr. was then called
and stated that, while working near the
Karthaus bridge, he heard five shots,
very close together, which he thought
came from the pike about where the
body was found. Witness had not a
watch but thought it was near ten
o'clock. Did not hear of the murder un-
til about an hour afterwards. Was
about two hundred yards above the
bridge on some timber when the shots
were heard-
Joseph Smith, the next witness, a res-
ident of Karthaus, stated that while
working near the “Horse Shoe” mines
on the morning of the 27th,he heard five
shots fired very close together. He
thought that the time was about ten
o'clock. Had his idea of the time of
day by the time it took ‘him to make
trips to the bridge, as he was hauling
timber.
John Felton, of Wineburn, Clearfield
county, a brakeman on the Beech Creek
railroad, whose run is between Gorton
Heights to the Viaduct, testified that
they left the Viaduct with a train of
coal on Tuesday afternoon at 1-44 and
that Andrews rode with them to Gor-
ton Heights where he left the train. He
stated that Andrews had told him, that
he was going to Gillandtown and from
thence to Karthaus. Stated that he no-
ticed that the prisoner’s shoe was badly
“busted,’’ that is the sole was torn from
the upper. In cross-examination wit-
ness thought that it was the right shoe.
THURSDAY AFTERNOON.
The afternoon session opened with a
large number of ladies present. Before
the examination of witnesses was re-
sumed, James Hamill Esq. read the re-
port of the Register of the county atter
which the sheriff offered deeds for ac-
knowledgement.
This being done Harry Similar, a de-
tective of Philipsburg this county, was
called and testified to baving gone to
Brisbin, to Andrew’s home, where he
procured the shoes which the prisoner
wore on the day he was seen near * Kar-
thaus.
The shoes were then shown and we
could see that the sole was entirely gone
from the left one.
He expressed them to Commis-
sioner Henderson at this place,
who testified to having received the
shoes from the express agent here,
after which he delivered them
to District Attorney Meyer, who then
went upon the stand and testified that
he had had the shoes in his possession
until they were delivered to Prof. Pond
of the Penna. State College. Mr. Meyer
noticed the blood stains on them and
took them tothe College for analization.
Prof. G.G. Pond was then called,
and said that he had observed blood
upon both shoes given to him.
On further examination under the |
glass he discovered five spots |
on each shoe. After these spots
were found and proved to be blood
by chemical test, he proceeded to |
find out whether it was chicken blood !
or that ofa mammal. The Profs;
then explained the process by which
blood was that of a mammal. The de-
tense will try to prove that the blood
found on the shoes was that of a chick-
en which Andrews had killed on the
night before he was arrested, but Prot. |
Pond clearly demonstrated that it
cou'd not be that of a bird, on account
of the shape of the corpuscles found.
In every test they were found to be
dish shaped and not oval with the nu-
cleus which characterizes those of the
bird. Further tests were made by size
and weight of the corpuscles all show-
ing that the blood found could not pos-
sible be that of a fowl.
Cross examination: Defense tried to
raise a point on the possible inaccuracy
of the micrometer used for measuring
' the corpuscles but without effect, as the
Prof. explained to the jury how he had
tested the accuracy of his instrument
before the observations were made:
Witness would not swear that the blood
was that of a human being, though if
asked to decide whether it was chicken
or human blood he was ready to say
that it was human.
Dr. Formad was called and
stood aside until the prosecution
had shown that one shoe had
been delivered, by Mr. Meyer,
to Dr. Formad, the Professor of Bae-
teriology in the University of Pennsyl-
vania and physician to the Coroner of
Philadelphia.
Dr. Formad was then recalled and
stated, thatit was a very easy matter
to distinguish between the blood of
birds and mammals by the shape alone.
The Doctor had. had the one shoe in
his possession since the 15th of Janu-
ary, and returned it to the district at-
torney just before he was called upon
the stand. He swore that in his ex-
amination he found at least one hun-
dred and fifty thousand corpuscles in
the blood, he took from the shoe, four
hundred of which he measured; also
taking photographs of same, which
were shown side by side ‘with pictures
of corpuscles of his own blood and that
from a chicken. The [photographs of
the corpuscles from the shoe and those
of blood from witness's veins, showed
that the two were exactly alike, while
that of the chicken corpuscles was dis-
tinctly oval in shape ;and showed the
characteristic nucleus. Witness would
not swear that it was human blood, but
said that it was exactly identical with
human blood, and if he was to decide
between the two he would say, posi-
tively, that it was human blood. The
Dr. said that the mud and rain, to
which the shoes must have been ex-
posed, during the day, would have had
no effect on the corpuscles, if the shoes
had been thoroughly dried, when they
were, but that if the shoes had been
continuously exposed for some time, to
the weather, putrefaction or disinte-
gration would have set in, and the cor-
p uscles would have been destroyed.
Thomas Pitts, was called again
but was sick.
Auston Eckley, a resident of
Snow Shoe, was then summon-
ed and stated, that while
delivering goods, at Gillalandtown, on
the 26th of November, the prisoner got
on his wagon and rode about a mile
with him. Witness said that the de-
fendant told him, he was going to Roop’s,
at Karthaus, but what for, he did not
say.
The cross-examination was simply a
recapitulation of what had been said.
Mrs. Annie Croft testified that An-
drews had come to her house, on the
afternoon of the 26th of November, be-
tween five and six o'clock, and that he
had stayed at her house all night, eat-
ing breakfast with them in the morn-
ing, after which he left. Witness
thought that he had left her house be-
tween seven and eight o'clock, taking
the pike towards Karthaus. She did
not see him again until he went back
past the house at a rapid walk, some
time between twoand three, at which
time he did not look at the house at all
but went past as fast as possible. Wit-
ness said that Andrews had acted in a
gentlemanlike manner while in her
house and had thanked her, for her
kindness, in the morning.
Little Jimmie Croft, the ten year
old son of Mrs. Crorft, then took the
stand and told about how he had seen
the shoes when Andrews took them off,
in their house. The child stated, how-
ever, that the sole was not entirely off
of the left shoe but that it was only
cut oft down along the side.
Herbert Bates, of Pine Glen, then
swore that he saw the defendant near
Pine Glen swamp between eight and
nine in the morning and afterwards in
the afternoon, about oae o'clock, on the
old Bu‘ter-milk road. Andrews was
then going out towards Boak’s store.
In Cross-examination, witness said
that he marked the place of meeting
by natural objects. Knew that it was
near nine o'clock in the morning be-
cause the school beyond had just
taken up.
Samuel Emerick, of Karthaus,
swore that he saw the prisoner go past
i he arrived at the conclusion that the Mulholland’s at a little after nine
o'clock, on the morning of the murder,
going towards Karthaus. In cross-ex-
amination witness was not sure that
defendant was the man he saw pass.
S. G. Schreckengaust, of Centre
Hall, who had stayed near Karthaus