They were sitting on the side of the bath
tub for a balt hour, and daring this time
Dillen took off his heavy shoes £0 as nos to
make avy noise. Presently McCallough
and Condo entered the large prison door
that goes from the dwelling part of the jail
to the corridors. They went straight to
the stairway which is in about the centre
of the lower corridor. McCullough was in
the lead and after Condo had locked the
door and put the large iron key in his
pocket he proceeded to the stairway.
When MoCullough was almost on the sec-
ond landing and Condo was on the second
step, Green and Dillen came out of the
bath room and struck Condo on the back
of the head. Dillen, ascording to his tes-
timony on the witness stand, struck the
first blow with his fist. Green then hit
him a number of times with the iron in
the stocking. They pounded him over
the head and body until helpless and then
Green reached into his pockets, secured
the keys aud threw them to Livingston who
was on the second floor, and who left the
rest of the prisoners out «f their cells.
McCullough fearing that his life was in
danger, rushed to his cell and hid. Green
then opened the big iron door leading into
the hall of the dwelling part of the jail
when the prisoners all passed through and
out the front door leading to the big, wide
world. They left Condo uuconscious and
the blood flowing from his wounds. Liv-
ingston picked up hoth irons and when
outside threw them along the jail wall on
the north side of the prison. When they
reached the rear of the jail Mrs. James Ott
and ber daughter Sarah, heard them say
that they muss all separate or they would
be caught. They were also seen and heard
hy Mrs. Thomas Faxon and other residents
farther out on the street. They then cut
across into Armor’s Gap and over the
mountain into Bald Eagle with the excep-
| tion of Constance, who struck out for Buf-
falo Run valley. After they had made
their escape McCullongh gave the alarm
over the telephone and then he and George
Kline, another prisoner, carried Condo
into the kitchen. Dr. W. W. Feidt was
quickly summoned, who found seven or
eight open wounds. The skull was fractur-
ed and it was soon discovered he could not
live. Dis. Seibert and Hayes also attended
bim. Mr. Condo lingered until Sunday
morning, July 21st, when he passed away.
His funeral took place the following Wed-
nesday at Spring Mills, and was the largest
that ever took place in that valley.
THE RE-CAPTURE.
Hardly had the prisoners escaped from
jail when the alarm was given and hun-
creds flocked to the castle on the hill.
Armed posses were at once organized and
sent out but no trace of their trail could be
The Fifth Hanging in Centre
~ County.
Green and Dillen Pay the | Penalty of Taking Condo’s
Life by Giving their Own.
Only 6 Minutes elapsed from the time the Prisoners left their Cells until
the Drop Fell
Both of the Men were Cool and Faced their Awful Fate with Remarkable
Nerve. They Spoke from the Scaffold but Talked of Nothing Bear-
ing on the Crime.
A GREAT CROWD IN BELLEFONTE.
God, this afternoon I’ and just when the
black cap was ahous being placed on their
heads both muttered, ‘‘God have mercy on
my poor soul !”” After the black cap was
put on Dillen called ‘‘Good-bye all,”” and
Green cried out ‘Good-bye, boys.”” Every-
thing being adjusted sheriff Taylor took
hold of the lever and speaking to his dep-
uties asked, ‘‘All ready, boys?” Green
evidently thought he was speaking to them
for he answered ‘‘All ready, let ’er go,”
and his last words were still vibrating on
the air when the lever was pulled and the
men dropped with a dull thud that was
heard outside the massive walls of the jail
yard. The drop fell at exactly 10:54.
The only signs of life after the fall were
a few convulsive tremors of Green’s body.
In just twelve minutes from the springing:
of the trap Green was pronounced dead
and in nineteen minutes the doctors de-
clared life extinct in Dillen’s body. Both
bodies were cut down as 11.20. They
were immediately taken in charge by un-
dertaker Hard P. Harris who prepared the
remains for burial and placed them in
caskets furnished by the county. After
the bodies were placed in the coffins they
were viewed by the physicians and juries
and pronounced legally dead. The phys-
icians and juries selected for each were as
‘*All Ready, Let er Go!’’ The last words
on earth of Ira Green had barely escaped
his lips when sheriff H. S. Taylor pulled
the lever which sprung the trap and he and
William Dillen were dashed into eternity,
Tuesday morning, thus paying the penalty
of their crime for the killing of Jerry I.
Condo, the turn-key in the Centre county
jail, on the evening of July 29th last.
It was just 10:42 o'clock when sheriff
Taylor, accompanied by deputy sheriff
Harry J. Jackson, Harry Carlisle, of Dau-
Bois, and detective Miles Swartzel entered
the jail proper to bring the prisoners out.
They proceeded to the cells of Green and
Dillen and there in the presence of their
spritual advisers, Revs. W. B. Cox and A.
Davidson, the guards and several others
read to them for the last time the death
warrant and announced to them that the
time for their execution had come. Though
their faces blanched and both exhibited
unmistakable signs of nervousness they did
not quail when their. arms were pinioned
behind their backs.
When all was ready and the march to |
the scaffold began the male guartette sang
one stanza of ‘Leaning on the Everlasting
Arms.” First in the .procession to the
scaffold was Dillen supported on either
side by his spiritnal adviser, Rev. Cox and
IRA GREEN. WILLIAM DILLEN.
Ira Green and William Dillen, from Photographs taken on Sunday April 30th, 1905.
not yet complete the execution was de-
layed almost an hour. The ministers and
choresters remained with the prisoners and
cheered them up with praver aud song.
{ Inthe meantime the lower pait of the
jail was a scene of bustle and suppressed
excitement. Early in the morning peo-
ple began to arrive in Bellefonte and by
the time all the trains were in several
thousand strangers werein town. Before
9 o’clock one solid mass of bumanity was
massed around the door on the south side
of the jail residence, all clamoring for ad-
mission. Sheriff Taylor forseeing this con-
tingency had sworn in the following dep-
uties: Cyrus Brungart, Robert Cooke,
sheriff Taylor. Green came next snpported
by Rev. Davidson and deputy sheriff Jack-
son while the other deputies, guards and
newspaper men brought up the rear. The
two prisoners walked with a comparatively
firm step and could have ascended the thir-
teen steps to the gallows unsupported. It
was just 10:48 o'clock when the march
from the doomed men’s cells began and it
was just two minutes later when they
mounted the scaffold.
Immediately upon reaching the scaffold
Rev. Cox announced that the condemned
follows:
For Dillen the jury was W. M. Cronister,
P. J. McDonell, I. J. Dreese, Chas. Eck-
enroth, L. C. Bullock, J. W. Sanday,
Oliver Witmer, Sam'l Weiser, Henr Hale,
W. R. Haynes, S. H. Bennison, F.P. Mus-
ser, Dillen’s physician was Dr. J. L. Sei-
bers.
Green’s jary was as follows: Frank Hess,
James Krebs, Bardive Basler, J. P. Se-
bring, H. F. McManaway, E. G. Jones,
John I. Curtin, Dan’l Gordon, Jno. Decker,
Jas. Schofield, Daniel Keller. Green’s
physician was Dr. R. G. H. Hayes.
LEAVING THE JAIL YARD AFTER THE EXECUTION.
men had a word to say. Dillen made one
step forward and in a voice so low he conld
not be heard tweuty fees away said: ‘I
believe the Lord has saved me and I am
‘forgiven. I am prepared to meet my God
and know that Jesus saves, I expect to take
dinner with my dear mother in Heaven.
There is a report going around that we
killed Livingstone, but it is not true.” A
one time during this brief speech Dillen
almost collapsed. He clutched his hands,
his mouth twitched and he swayed back-
wards so that it. was necessary to take hold
of him ; but in an instant he recovered
himself, finished his talk and stepped back
on the fatal trap door. Green was given
an opportunity to speak but shook his head |
in the negative. Rev. Cox then offered a
brief and fervent prayer, commending the
prisoners to the mercy of an all-wise
Providence after which both men kissed
their spiritual advisers good-bye and the.
ministers lefs the platform.
Sheriff Taylor, deputy sheriff Jackson
and ex-sheriff Robert Cooke at once began
adjusting the straps and while they were
thus engaged Green reached ap and palled
down the rope, closely examined it, work-
ed the slip-knot back and. forth shen tossed
it up on the beam while he called ous in a
firm voice, ‘‘Now gentlemen, take warning
by this and don’t do the same.”” When
the nooses were heing slipped over the
heads of both Dillen showed visible signs
of a collapse and asked for a drink of water.
This necessitated a wait of perhaps a min-
ute and a balf until a glass of water was
brought and both men given a drink,
When the officials again began to adjust
the nooses Green was heard to say ‘‘Not
too tight,” and almost immediately after
cried out, “Have meroy upon us, oh my
Dillen’s remains were later given in
charge of his brother, Lee Dillen, who took
them, on the 1.05 p.m. train to Anson-
ville, Clearfield county, the home of their
childhood for barial.
The remains of Green were taken away
by undertaker F. L. Wetzler, of Miles-
burg, who conveyed them to the home of
the unfortunate young man’s parents, near
Gum Stump, on Wallace run. It bad
been the intention to inter the remains in
the cemetery at Roland but the authorities
objected and burial was made on a little
plot of ground on Wallace run, near the
Green home, the funeral being held yester-
day morning. %
THEIR LAST DAY AND NIGHT.
From thetime that visitors were ex-
cluded from the jail, Wedoesday of last
week, both Green and Dillen appeared
0 become more or less silent and thought-
fol, owing no doubt to the fact that they
bad more time to themselves without the
detraction of strangers coming and going.
The usual religious services were held Sun-
day afternoon, in which both men joined
heartily. Monday was a day of more or
less suspense to them, owing to the fact
that they knew that a lass appeal for a
respite was pending and they had yet a hope
that someihing would intervene to gpare
their lives,at least for a time. But when
they were informed that Judge Auten had
refused to appoint a commission in lunacy
‘they knew that they must die. The young
wife of Ira Green, who made her last visit
$0 her husband on the 29th of April, did not
come back again as ber friends were afraid
the strain would be more than she could
bear. Dillen’s two brothers and his sister
‘took their final farewell of him last Sat-
urday and Monday, all returning to their
Ira Green, from a photograph taken the day af-
ter his recapture,
homes except Lee Dillen, who remained
to take charge of the body.
Monday was a listless day for the pris-
oners, the dull monotony being broken
only by the visit of the ministers until
late}in the evening when a few newspaper
men were admitted. At 9 o’clock in the
evening the men were given a lunch of
clam broth and crackers, after which they
were allowed a half hour’s exercise each
in the outside corridor, though the men
werefclosely watched by the guard who
kept near their side all the time. After
walking around awhile Dillen gathered
the other prisoners around him and led in
singing a number of gospel songs. Green
spent all his time in walking and perform-
ing acrobatic feats.
When the men were locked up for the
night Dillen was put in Green’s cell and
Green in Dillen’s. This was done as an
extra precaution against the possibility of
having anything concealed hy which they
could take their own life. They both re-
tired about 12 o'clock and slept soundly
all night. Dillen woke at 6 o'clock but
Green elept until he was aroused at 7.30.
They were given a substantial breakfast
of beefsteak and potatoes, bread, biscuit
Philip Garbrick, Lemuel Poorman, Wm.
Rider, Samuel Morrison, Hany Austin.
George Everhart, R.B. Montgomery and
Harry Schreffler. It was 9.45 before the
door was opened and the pablic admitted
and from that time until 10.30 there was
one continual stream of humanity flowing
through the office out into the jail yard, so
that the crowd present is conservatively
estimated at 750 people.
At 10.30 sheriff Taylor ordered the doors
closed and locked and calling the men
selected on the two juries took them out
near the scaffold, swore them in and sta-
tioned them in front of the crowd. He
then returned and with his deputies started
in the jail for the prisoners at exactly 10.48
o’clock, as described above.
SIORY OF THE CRIME.
When the crime for which the two men
expired upon the gallows was committed Ira
Green and William Dillen were inmates of
the Centre county jail,Green awaiting trial
on the charge of stealing a watch and Dillen
on the charge of rupe. The former at the
most, if convicted, would have gotten only
a few months in jail while the latter might
have been sent to the penitentiary for a
couple years. Both Green and Dillen
were regarded as daring and dangerous
characters and some time previous to their
escape an inkling of the fact thas they
intended attempting to break jail having
reached sheriff Taylor he bad the two men
locked up together in a steel cell while
two other men, George Henderson, in jail
for larceny, and Dominic Constance, await-
and coffee. After breakfasting they were
ing trial for arson, were locked in another
THE MARCH TO
This Plicare was taken just at the time the procession turned the corner of the jail and the
doome
B. Cox. Immediately following them are Rev.
order named.
THE GALLOWS.
men faced the gallows in reality. Leading are Sheriff Taylor, Dillen, and Rev. W.
Davidson, Green and Deputy Jackson, in the
shaved and requesting a hair cut were given
that, too. At 8.30 the saite of black furaish-
ed by the county were given the men and
they both dressed themselves, taking un
usnal pains to look as neat as possible.-
Shortly afterwards Dillen’s brother Lee and
his wife and Green’s father, his sister and
little brother went up for a final farewell,
but the hbeartrending sorrow of the oo-
casion was far too great for us to attempt to
tear aside the veil of grief and depict it for
our readers. Both men bore up bravely
under the terrible ordeal.
At 9 o'clock Revs. Cox and Davidson abd |
C. C. Shuey and Collins Johnston were ad-
mitted and held the last religious services
for the condemned men. As exactly 10
o’lock the men, through Rev. Cox, ‘sent
word to sheriff Taylor that they were
steel cell. Jeremiah Condo, of Spring
Mills, was the turnkey and on two occa-
sions he reported that Green and Dillen
had stoien the steel knives given to them
at meal time. Both times their cells were
searched and the knives recovered.
McCullough, who was in jail for tresspass-
ing. Hewas known as a ‘‘trusty,’”’ and
assisted tbe turnkey in doing chores about
the jail and {locking up the prisoners at
nights. The prisoners kept themselves in-
formed as to the movements of the sheriff
and the other officials of the jail and in
some way learned that on Friday evening,
July 20th, the jail would be practically
deserted, save for the presence of the surn-
key.' Sheriff Taylor was away at camp,
deputy Harry Jackson wens off duty at 5
-
ready but as arrangements downstairs were
o'clock and the other members of the
Among the prisoners was one Edward
Py a
William Dillen, from a photograph tuken the
day after his recapture.
sheriff's household attended a picnic at
Hecla park that day. Between Green,
Dillen, Henderson, Coostance and one
George Livingston. a daring jail delivery
was planned for that night.
About 8 o'clock Mr. Coudo as usual
went into the corridors to lock the prison-
ers in their cells, and in passing No. 8, on’
the upper tier of cells, he noticed thas the
.
1
discovered. For two days there were various
reports of their having been seen in dif-
ferent places but on tracing each report to
its source it was found to be groundless.
On Sunday, however, there was definite
word thas they had been seen in the foot-
bills of the Alleghenies, in Cartin town-
ship. A posse was at once sent in pursuit
and the men were chased back and forth
antil Teesday afternoon when they were
driven into the swamp close to Fleming-
ton, between Mill Hall and Lock Haven,
There their capture was effected by Mr,
O. E. Harvey and several others on Tues-
day afternoon, August 2nd... On thas
afternoon Harvey went to the farm of hig
son-in-law, J. B. Stiver, near that place to
INSIDE THE JAIL YARD—W
This picture was taken from the scaffold just
out a doorway in the uorth court ot the yard
which is seen at the back of this picture.
upper hinge had been sawed off and the
door parsiy hent 1u at the top. He said
noshing but lefs the corridor and went to
the office where MeCaliough was sitting
aud told him that shere was something
ewiong oo she inside. Condo went and gos
two sets of heavy iron hobbles and asked
MecCatlough to follow, stating thas the
door on cell No. 8 looked as though it was
sprung and he was going to bind the two
doors together with the hobbles so as to
prevent any trouble. It was about one hour
from the time Condo saw the cell door
sprang until he wens back again. In the
meantime Green and Dillen pulled the
upper part of the cell door back and prop-
ing it with a stick, crawled out over. They
were Dow in the corridor on the second
floor of the jail, and going down to the
first floor they secreted themselves in the
‘bath room, which is located in the corner
to the right going iu. - While still in their
cells they wrenched from the iron bedstead
two irons or braces. One of them was a
straight piece of iron abont 18 inches long
put in an old oontton stocking, and the
other was a ‘‘T’’ shaped iron about 12
inches long. Is was with these two
weapons that the awfal deed was com-
mitted.
AITING FOR THE EXECUTION.
five minutes be fore the prisoners were brought
corresponding to the ome in the south court,
ask him something about the prisoners.
His little grandson told him that the pris-
soners were down on the flat, in what is
known as Haleman’s swamp. He went
down and found that the listle fellow’s
story was true. By this tine Stiver and a
Mr. Flinigan appeared on the scene with
their gans when Mr. Harvey went to
where Green, Dillen and Henderson were
sitting and after talking to them awhile
placed them under arrest and Harvey,
Stiver and Flinigan took them to Look
Haven and placed them in charge of sheriff
Shearer. Half an hour after they were
placed in jail Joseph Rightnour with a
party of five men consisting of Phil. Gar-
brick, Rodger T. Bayard, Dick Taylor,
William Brown and James Morrison, wens
to the jail in Lock Haven and identified
them. They were then brought to Belle-
fonte over the Central Railroad of Penn-
sylvania and placed in jail. An immense
crowd surrounded the prison bus no act of
violence was committed. They never
heard of Livingston and probably never
will. The $1,000 reward offered by the
County Commissioners has not yet been
paid, as the court has not decided who
is entitled to receive it. Dominio Con-
stance, the Italian who escaped at the
same time, was re-captured ou the Bald
| Eagle mountain two weeks afterwards.
| THE TRIAL AND THEIR FIGHT FOR LIFE.
Possibly never before in the history of
{ the county was so desperate an effort made
to eave men from the consequences of their
crime a8 was made in this case. Some time
after the capture of the men aed Love
appointed H. C. Quigley as connse| to de-
fend them. Later the friends o| Green
employed Clemens Dale as special conneel
for him while Dillen’s brothers employed
ex-Judge A. O. Furst. The Common-
wealth was represented by district attorney
N. B. Spangler, E. R. Chambers and Ellis
L. Orvis. The first effort on the part of
counsel was to have the trial postponed
until the November term of court, but in
this they failed, even after an appeal to
Judge Dean, of the Supreme court, which
was refused. :
The case was called for trial Thursday
afternoon, August 25th, and she jury re.
tired Saturday afternoon, at 2:45 o’oclook,
and were out until 9:25 o'clock Sunday.
morning, when they. returned a verdict of
JERRY CONDO, THE VICTIM.
murder in the first degree. An application.