Somerset herald. (Somerset, Pa.) 18??-????, May 30, 1889, Image 1

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    Her
SOMERSET, PA., THURSDAY, MAY 80, 1880.
1
El
f!
RISHER'S BOOK STORE.
Here you run tct the full i;iiii-lrnuxl history of the
k A '..s.tp- rdl: t' t Ul T INjI It U ale, luW tl alid I omilY JUT". 'EiHltL- Cull In!) M
LOWEST WHOLESALE RATES.
Fisher's Book Store.
3LES,
ALBUMS, SUNDAY-SCHOOL TICKETS. CARDS,
MENTS. GOSPEL HYMNS. PICTURES, FRAMES,
kv McnHitip. fluse Hull tttnl !Ut. The
hinut tin, k'hi ( ourt uock w ill U- at
HEAD QUAPiT CI v S A.T
1HERR d BROTHERS.
i u; .M.t. kim's or
lies, Clocks, Jewelry, Spectacles, k
tiM'll 111
)U t l.t- II
:iUittl of tin-
LOWEST CASH PRICES
i iw- e then -J v tiMtkv i! .ntti;.M
NAiT KtN .l AkAM Rfcl.
FERNER BROTHERS'
Reliable Close-Priced Shoe Store-
petiole Congress !
a. is cm represents the Kmer-
tti! IViinle ( oinrri-ss in Kanga
t4 1'orp. ise. tori. .van and
I.lmsa double p.re one
z piai-e.1 bm k, aid llieotli
f front of i(,e ankie-lione
t is prpventing the strain .f
Ii'tibl-r on J tie a!ik'.e-l.one
C preventing the c 're Sirainst
Ksrn imle. ami .ief,v.i l.v m-
If lloltt
Sh.s- is tii
lUf Hon
i.d !
3 Ul
1
)X.G 1?
!ES FINE SHOES
L. DOUGr
K r.-sp.x-tf,iilv e: R'tcrtion 1
laroe hne of tl.e ..,
styles in U,e im.ie, .j w.. Jt
r deaiers. CALL AMi v; j.
MUXEU-HIIOTIIEKS.
LOOK SHARP!
i v ( lo f l u" Hie new ul.mt the M iis:il,.iiix1 triK now yoinp'on in Court, so to
UWBERGER MURDER andthe YODER HANGING,
1 .-I th- f't'ii -' f " information in n rnrl to Ok imirtani IhhH now r.itc im 3M'ny
f. i'..,,.- v i h!SN ! -1 I K iiii'l nil Liu-W of j-ira. HfK-tk, I.-fc.-t- I mui K
k-X- ';!'Lul Knv-itf). iittul1' ihii ft umh'1' ittil'. Site i.-. Tiua-hij.
MftmM U irnl r PnT. Kiivfi.tt-s. Ink". IVm-iK IVn. Tal'l r.il i-v.-tviIimiit in
in,-, i uv i'iU-i"irn li;y ijt- ttiul tii liif uiaaim- anil K-ntitmii Hi lor lc at
iV' Iimh-I-ithc n nttrnrme torf will t oi'ti .lnrini: Coii-1 e.-k until 11 o'clock p. ni.
mI i-.crv -. mimU;io:i BU't itlu-ltUou will Itc -hou u .11 Jul rem .lid imes di-hirmi;
! tin iMik store.
TESTA-
K!mth1 I'lu'-c of resort tor i:ou. prosit ami
FISHER'S BOOKSTOR E.
OOK SHARP!
Ml.-ilion of th" ';Vic, im-i ,l--r'ally 'I Ht'enlil.r 'o;irt litis nn-l next twt
i-.-nn.lt 1c Mock o; W il :ir or hi" loriilloi to IoihiiI ill Sirtihnnrt. lo
lt l toc-ul .ii.i lor t'.ir-.f. . Kttv tilt
t ,',ri'n' i-r in? t purrhn- nnytliinir in our
-.lui'y 'imc m lite wi uurkuiuiik.v uumiit-r, uJ
HERR BROS.
S S i G AIT E I.
Of All t.atest Styles,
Hand Weit, &.C., Ac.
Flexible Hand turned.
K.m.si- '.:it.- IJ V1. r. U Shoe. Alo. fc!.t
Viirkin b.-s. uii Leailier cismier mill iule.
. the ?Vt that we constantly keep in stock
a le and most serviceable eih. of the latest
as mvit comparison of our price withthose
1 -
Somerset Penn'a. '
Never in the annals ol Somerset County
court has greater interest been manifested
than it now witnessed. Before tne bell
had ceased ringing every seat, not only in
the boJy of the court-room, but all in
(he gallery were filled thin 'Wednesday I
morning. And then aisles and doorways
were packed by hundreds of interested
sectaUrs. who patiently stood through
the three and a half hours of the tedious
work of examining witnesses in the Vo
der robbery case.
As on yesterday, when the eight im
plicated men were marched in by the
sheriff and his deputies, everybody w as
anxious to see them. Yesterday's View
of them, and to-day's several hours of
observation of them in the court room
did not satisfy the public curiosity, as
ujwn adjournment hundreds rushed to
i the Court House vard and formed two
solid columns from Court House door to
the jail, through which the wretched
"observed of all observers" had to kus.
If, in addition to their other ways and
methods of attracting public attention
they aspire to additional notoriety, they
surely outfit to te more than satisfied
with thei marches to and from the old
jail.
During the hearing of some doz.cn or
so w itnesses for the prosecution, seemini;-
1 '
ly the most nnconceniel men in the
Court lioom were the eight men arraign
ed for committing the offense. Not once
did one of them betray the slightest evi
dence of fear or apprehension. If, as
some people used to believe, that guilt
u ill show itself in the countenance when t
confronted with imnitive evidence, then
the irresistible conclusion must be that
those eight prisoners are as innocent as
new -born babes, as no betrayal of guilt is
erceptihle in their looks or appearance.
L veil under the harrow ing details as
sworu to by Mr. Stevanus, the man
bound in ropes at the time of the rob
bery, and bv Miss Anna Itaker, the girl
working at the time at Mr. Voder's, they
all looked and acted as though they were
less interested in the case than any other
ierson iu the room. Nor did Christian
Voder's simple and straight-f'rward slory
of the terrible injuries inll ctrd upon
him by men little less than demons,
move theiu in the least degree. Though
four of them, were pointed out and
ferred to by name by several of the wit
nesses, not one of them manifested a
particle of embarrassment.
Mr. Stevanus, the first witness, and
who felt the effects of the ropes tits! j
around and about him, is an average in
telligent looking man, semingly about 4o j
years old. He gave in his testimony in t
a clear and distinct manner, and mi tiered i
no confusion on cross examination.
Miss Anna Ilaker, n not her of the lojie's '
victims, is a young lady, or more than til). on,.-,,;,! will recognize it at a
ordinary strength of character, and knew Jg!anc(. probably the m-asi astonished
what to say, how to say it, and when and t llliin of a!! who w'ill si-e this pi.lure will
where to say it. Her testimony was . , A,V.A himself .and he w ill now under
right to the point, with no break or sem-! .an,i w(lat t1(, n,..lty Jr,.a and pleas-
blam-e of rambling. In identifying her) ant..".., gentleman, who interviewed
stockings that bad been stolen she prov-; jlim f,.w jays since, with a card in
ed herself to be much more than i ,js hand, on w hich he seemed to occas
mateh for her cross-examiners. Withai J ioRa y ,tni;) the point of his lead lasncil,
she is a ra'her fine looking, modest lady j ag ;f to ctnbha.-is to some remark,
whose appearance and demeanor on the! was after.
stand made a favorable impression on the fhir artist caiiiiit the phi of Tasker
vast audience that gave her every answer j j .rm;. the hearing in the We t cor.iw
marked attention. an,l drew the Sullivans' from hasty notes
j made w hile visiting the jail.
Long before the bell rang for Court to
assemble this (Wednesday) morning, our
streets were crowded with pedestrians!
wending their w ay toward the Conrt
House, so that when the doors were;
opened they might be sure of gaining "
admittance ere it became an impo6sibili-j
ty, owing to the crowd being too great for
the room. Scarcely five minutes elflied
after the doors were thrown open until!
eei peill, n well n iui'ir
standing space was occupied, the anxiety
being to hear the trial of the MeClelland
town gang for the Voder robbery. As
soon as court was convened the prisoners
were brought in and seated around the
table of their counsel, and in front of the
judges' stand. In appearance they all
looked neat and trim, apparently con-
tent. U-wis beinghe leader, was fre-! staying with C hnstian 1 oder on the l Sth
quently consulted by the ettorneys for j of April laft ; took supper there on that
the defense in their cross-examination of late; it was after dark ; other persons
the Commonwealth's witnesses. . j were present Kilen Baker, Fanny Wil
Seate.1 at the table of the counsel for helra.Ciiristian Yoderand wrfe. Mr. Yo
the pnwecition was old man Voder ' derwassitting in the house ith thedoors
whom base, heartless and cruel wretches closed when f ar men dropped in ; tw.o
so cruelly tortured and robbed on the came in at the front door, and two at the
lth of April last. All eyes seemed to be back door ; three of them were armed
turned toard the old mKn whose long, with revolvers; they first tied me, then
snow-white hair and bearo1. and mild j tied Voder ; said they were after money
blue eye an I pleasing face render bis ap- j t'l swore they would get it ; Mr. Voder
peararice venerable, and would impress ! told them the money was in a desk ; they
one with the truthfuilness of the oft re-
neated assertion that Mr. Voder "Is at i
peace w ith all the world." He is sixty-five
years of age and when he was asked to
i lake his place in the w itness' stand he
j was sworn for the first time in his life in
ia conrt of justice, and told in a clear and
j,,. manner of the horrible torture
he underwent on that memorable occa
sion, after he had peaecahly given up all
the money he had in his possession.
Bold Bandits On Trial !
Thc
' McClellandton Gans" Face
Somerset County Jurv.
"('bristly " Toder Takes The Stand.
Damning Testimony of Witnesses.
THE COURT ROOM PACKED
SUFFOCATION I
TO
Intense Interest Taken in the Trial.
Full Report of the Evidence Produc
ed and Portraits of The Gang.
The Umberger M urder Case
Likely to be Called This
Afternoon.
liver since the story of the capture and
imprisonment of the " M Cli-!tindti)wn
0:0!''' IS til frr:!l::ilVl!K' t , ll r 1 i tl tllM
i ,, ' , , , , , .,
'lltlllllt no tmvo !otl in nlmost ilailv
receipt of requests from diiferent parts
of the county to " print the pictures of
the gang.'' The prisoners were not anx
ious to lie (lor'.rayed and refused all of
our solicitation fir their tihoto'Taobs.
j ,,t tie ,,,..,,, aU.lv, a ,lrm ,.,;ever
in newspaper enterprise and solicitous
that every reasonable retiet of its pat
rons should le grati;i I, has employed a
sjiecial artist to visit tii. jail and make
sketches of some of the more prominent
prisoners. This portrait of
Cu m:i.i i. I. i:vis
is so lifflike!iat nnv one who has ever
W El'NEHlAY MoKNIM.StSSloN.
Inintediately after the oriening of the
court the jury in the case of C. II. Hen-
ford, who was charged with violation of
the liouor laws, returned a verdict of
"inilty in manner and form as indict
ed.'' The jury was polled, and all answer
ed in the affirmative.
A motion for new trial was made, and
postponed for further consideration.
THE VoliEl: ColtlftKY CASK.
Samuel Stevanus, the hired man who
was bound ami gagged at the time of the
outrage on Christian Voder was perpe
trtfced, was the first witness railed on be
half of the Commonwealth. Wegive be
low the subtanee of his testimony :
Live in KUlick township, and was
drst went np sta;rs and commenced a
searcn or me nouse : anor mis uiey went
into the cellar ar.d ate s:ipper; one of
the robb?rs then tk Mr. Voder into
another room, afterwards took him tothe
barn ; when they brought him back they
asked him for au order for? 10). Mr.
Voder answered in voi.-e very weak,
from their having put a ripe around his
neck and drawn him up, that he could
not write. One of them pulled out a
1 vv- v,t.,;io
"'.'.i IK t
'km'
revolver and said tome "keep silent, or
we'll kill yon." They then took Youer
out saving "lets take him out and kill the
son of a bitch." When they
brought
him back Voder was all bloody. They
wanted me to tie the ladies I refused.
They then tied the women anil said
they would come back in about one half
hour and loosen us, but they didn't do
to ; they took hams, stockings ; my boys
untied me about 12 o'clock. Have seen
the four men who were at Y oiler's house
on that night twice since and could iden
tify them.
The witness being asked if ae could
identify the men now, walked up to the
prisoners and pointed out 1-ewia, Tasker
and the two Sullivans as the me u who
robbed Voder.
I saw them when they were taken to
Meyersdale for a hearing before the
"Sjuire. Lewis tied ine; one of the tSul-
Iivans staid in the room when the others
went out of the house.
The stolen articles were here
shnwn to the witness and he said that
the blocks of maple sugar were like same
that Mr. Voder had ; he had made sugar
of that kind hirulf for Voder.
( in cross-examin Ation he said that he
saw them tirst at Voder's and next at
j Meyersdale ; didn't say to Marshall Sul
livan l 'ion i recognize you; Knew mem
all when I tirst saw them ; wasn't
much scared as not to remember them :
recognie Marshall Sullivan because he
was in the house all the time; he had a
mask on but I am able to recognize him
from his general appearance and from
his talk, from the way he sat in a sto p
ing position; had hat on ; I did not say
to Marshall Sullivan I don't know you
i but said I never saw vou liefore; I recog
nize Tasker from his general apjiearance,
size, weight, etc. ; saw the whole of Lew
is' face, it was close to mine when he tied
me; recognize Jack ion Sullivan; would
swear to him with or without moustache ;
was close to him ; they all stoI around
me : didn't see the prisoners take the ar
ticles, but know they were taken that
night, also that two horses were taken ;
saw money, over four hundred dollars,
taken,
On re-direct examination be testified
that Lewis had nothing on his face;
Iewis was the lead jr.
Ullen lUker. I lived in Klklick town
ship with Christian Voder at the time
of the robbing; there were present that
evening Voder, his wife, Fannie Wilhehn,
Stevanus and mvrelf ; we were a!) in the
room and had lights lit; it was s o'clock ;
men came in, 2 in at each door; the
loorswere an opposite sides ; the doors
were closet, but not locked ; three had
revolvers and one had a club ; they tied
Stevanus and Voder with their hands
on their back ; they said they wanted
money; had cord in their pocket : they
asked Voder where the money was ; he
said it was in the desk drawer; they
went there and got silver and green
backs; I don't know how much; they
went through tne whole House; tliev
took sjinething belonging to me; four
pairs of my stockings, two handkerchiefs
and some jewelry they took; then they
took Yoder out ; three of them went out
and the other one sat on the wood box,
with a club, guarding us; when Yoder
came in lie didn't say what they done to
him; afterwards they took him ont again:
when they brought him in he had marks'
on his neck where they hung him np
and he spit blood ; they got something to
eat ; three went to cellar and one guard
ed us with club ; after they came - back
the other one went to the kitchen and
got something to eat ; they wanted Yoder
to sign an order for $VK) more ; he said
he could not, they .had used him too
rough ; after that they tied me and I"an
nie Wilhelm ; then they left at 12 o'clock
and left us all tied in the room ; I can
identify ray stockings; those stockings
were there in the evening and next
moruing they wera gone ; I knit them
and know them; I reoogniza Charles
Lewis and Jack Sullivan ; I don't iden-
i
tify any of the others; two of them had
been there on Friday evening a week
before at supper; Charles Lwis and j
Tasker were the ones that were there;
they had no masks on then ; they said
they wanted to stay all night ; Yoder '
would not keep them ; they went away
then .
Cross examined Two of them had j
masks on when they entered ; I can't '
pick those two out; the other two I
know ; I wasn't at Meyersdale and didn't
see them there ; Jack Sullivan had a
handkerchief tied over his mouth au l
part of his nose ; I recognize him by his
eyes an the upper part of his face;
I saw the money taken that was in the
desk ; I didn't see the stockings or other
articles taken, except I saw one of them
have a coverlet under his arm ; I didn't
recognize Iaker that evening, but he
was there that evening; Marshall Sulli
van was masked and I could not recog
nize him ; I never saw Lewis and Jack
Sullivan except the time of t'ae robbery
till yesterday ; I am certain Liwis and
Talker were at the house before; they
eat Btiper there; it was candle light
j when they eat supper; I was not there
when they rains in, they left by the back
door ; I was there when they left ; they
sat down to the table and eat ; they
olferd to pay but Voder would not take
pay ; I examined that bundle of stock
ings ; four pairs of them are mine ; I
knit them myself of my owo yarn and I
recognize the yarn ; it's home-made yarn
that I got at home ; the yarn of this one
pair was w hite when I git it and I col
ored it red ; I know the stripes I put in ;
that pair I just finished a few days be
fore and they had never been washed ;
I know my knitting and my stripes ; I am
not mistaken; I know my own stockings;
you can't find another pair exactly like
these ; these mittens are not mine; thev
were in this bundle also.
He-direct $iof my money was taken
from my trunk up stairs : it was in gold,
greenbacks, and silver ; I didn't see it ta
ken, but saw it in the evening, and next
morning it was gone.
Marshall Si li.icax.
Christian Voder, affirmed I live in
Klklick township; was home the evening
of the l:'th of April last; Stevanus, Miss
liaker, Miss Wilhelm and my wife and
myself were together in one room ; the
doors were shut but not 'ocked; some
men came in at the back door and some
in front; I didn't see anvthinit in their
hands ; they tied Stevanus and me ; they
had the cords in their pockets; I can't
recollect what they said ; they asked
where my money was ; they said, "Show
me where you have your money f I
showed them ; I saw them take it out; I
can't tell how much it w as ; there was no
gold in that drawer, but some gold was
missing; they searched the house; I
think 1 had $:!l in twenty dollar gold
pieces, and some other gold pieces, and
I that was gone next morning: after search-
ing the hor.se thev took me to another
room, laid me on the bed, and then ap-
piiea snmcttiing to me aim to my throat
to make me tell whether I had anv more
money ; they then burned my thumbs
with a candle: then they took me to the
barn, into the feed room, anil they hung
me up ; they didn't say anything ; they
hanged me with a rope up to a beam ;
they hanged me fiiMt by putting the rope
in my mouth; (witness shows the jury)
I lilvy ,,une.i me p al(0ilt a foot; after
j they left me down they took me to the
house first and then took me out and
i,ung me again ; (shows by putting rope
Lround his neciO they pulled me np
I about a foot ; I didn't know anything
j it while I was np ; before they
l,R me no the Li.t time I said "It
me alone ; I never done anything against
you;" then one said, "I think it's the
best plan to burn the barn and all, so no
body else would find out what became of
him;" they let me down then and I
laid down and kn nothing of what
took place for a gd while ; I think they
set the hay on fire; it looked so to me;
then they took me to the house again ;
I didn't know anything at all for a good
while after they hanged me; then they
took me in the house and asked me to
sign an order for $ Vt and I told them I
could not, I was too weak ; I think they
tied the women.
Two men lead me out to the barn by
each arm : I was born in lS2:!,on the 20th
of August ; they wanted me to give the
order to any man that had money ; any
man from whom they could get it; next
morning I missed bacon, four hams, one
pillow case, and it looked as if some sug
ar was taken, and a demijohn was miss
ing:'shows moulilsl these are my sugar
moulds ; this sugir looks like mine ; there
were chestnuts in the sack and next
morning the wick and chestnuts were
gone; a pillo-.v slip of that size, in the room
j where the siw.ir was, was gone next
i morning; I had a demijohn like that;
i the two ray horses were gone next
! morning: thev left between 12 and 1
t
j o'clock ; w e were all tied when they
'left.
j When tiA had me in the room on the
j bed, they said "We will put a bullet
i through your head and cut your throat,
! if you don't tell Oa where there is more
money.
Cms examination. The sugar moulds
were not taken ; the soirar looks like
mine; I have a demijohn like that; I
can't say positively the demijohn is