doors ‘from She MMEXERXKMK home of th€"mar’he was going to see. Pér-
sons who had heard Armstrong fall rushed outside but Eunter and Graham
had already fled, Armstrong's unconscious bedy was taken to a pharma-
cy and his family notified, They went to Camden and returned to Phila
delphia with Armstrong who died in his home without regaining consciou
ness, The man whose initials were cared in the hammer and hatchet was
suspected and taken into custody but released when he proved an alibi,
Hunter became a suspect when it became known that he owned so much in-
surance on Armstrong's life and that he was supposed to have accompa-
nied Armstrong to Camden. Even though he was arrested, there was litt]
to tie him with the crime until Graham was taken into custedy and quesé
tioned, Graham told the full story of the murder and testified against
Hunter at his trial where he was convicted and sentenced to die, The
/ casecwas appealed to the Court of Errors and Appeals mainly on the
grounds that the trial court had lacked jurisdiction because Armstrong
had actually died in Philadelphia; that the note in which ‘rmstrong
had notified his wife that Hunter was accompnaying him to Camden
should nét have been admitted in evidence as hearsay; and that Mrs,
Graham should not have been allowed to testify as corroboration of
her husband's testimony, The conviction was affirmed and when the
Governor declined to extend executive clemency, Hunter was hanged in _
the center of the main corridor of the court house at Camden on
January 10, 1879, Two days before his execution, he sought to commit
doors ‘from She MAEXERXKME home of tiré"man*he was going to see. Peér=
sons who had heard Armstrong fall rushed outside but Eunter and Graham
had already fled. Armstrong's unconscious bedy was taken to a pharma-
cy and his family notified, They went to Camden and returned to Phila
delphia with Armstrong who died <in his home without regaining consciou
ness, The man whose initials were cared in the hammer and hatchet was
suspected and taken into custody but released when he proved an alibi,
Hunter became a suspect when it became known that he owned so much in-
surance on Armstrong's life and that he was supposed to have accompa-
nied Armstrong to Camden. Even though he was arrested, there was litt]
to tie him with the crime until Graham was taken into custody and ques4
tioned, Graham told the full story of the murder and testified against
Hunter at his trial where he was convicted and sentenced to die. The
case «was appealed to the Court of Errors and Appeals mainly on the
grounds that the trial court had lacked jurisfliction because Armstrong
had actually died in Philadelphia; that the note in which ‘Armstrong
had notified his wife that Hunter was accompnaying him to Camden
should nét have been admitted in evidence as hearsay; and that Mrs,
Graham should not have been allowed to testify as corroboration of
her husband's testimony, The conviction was affirmed and when the
| Governor declined to extend executive clemency, Hunter was hanged in
the center of the main corridor of the court house at Camden on
January 10, 1879, Two days before his execution, he sought to commit
doors ‘from the MMKXEXXEKE home of tlé"man*he was going to see. Peér=
sons who had heard Armstrong fall rushed outside but Eunter and Graham
had already fled, Armstrong's unconscious body was taken to a pharma~
cy and his family notified. They went to Camden and returned to Phila.
delphia with Armstrong who died in his home without regaining conscioud
ness. The man whose initials were cared in the hammer and hatchet was
suspected and taken into custody but released when he proved an alibi,
Hunter became a suspect when it became known that he owned so mich in-
surance on Armstrong's Life and that he was supposed to have accompa-
nied Armstrong to Camden, Even though he was arrested, there was litt]
to tie him with the crime until Graham was taken into custody and quesi
tioned, Graham told the full story of the murder and testified agains:
Hunter at his trial where he was convicted and sentenced to die, The
case was appealed to the Court of Errors and Appeals mainly on the
grounds that the trial court had lacked jurisdiction because Armstrong
had actually died in Philadelphia; that the note in which itrmstrong
had notified his wife that Hunter was accompnaying him to Camden
should nét have been admitted in evidence as hearsay; and that Mrs,
Graham should not have been allowed to testify as corroboration of
her husband's testimony, The conviction was affirmed and when the
Governor declined to extend executive clemency, Hunter was hanged
the center of the main corridor of the court house at Camden on
January 10, 1879, Two days before his execution, he sought to commit
Sm ae Loy. se ‘before
a Rema ad Mi Atay Nn Side
suicide by severing an artery in his leg with a piece of tin but the
flow of the bloodd was stopped. A huge crowd had gathered outside
the jail’ on the morning of the execution and the corridor in the
wourt house where he was hanged was filled to overflowing. The vul-
gar noise and jests from the crowd could be clearly heard while the
minister was counseling with Hunter, When time came for him to go
th the gallows, he was overcome with fear and weak from the loss of
blood and it was necssary for him to be carried there, He was
supported until the weight which was designed to pull him upwards was
released and it was then found that he was so tall and the wright
not heavy enough that his feet still touched the ground. Three depu-
ties then grapped the weight and pulled it until Hunter was suspended
in the air and strangled to death, The doctors said that even though
his neck was not broken, he probably did not suffer as Oe was uncone-
scious at the time of the execution,
NATIONAL POLICE GAZETTE, 1-18-1878, page 6, column 1 Jredeutlh fy fy
9 McDADE 16
",,HANG BY THE NECK..." by Teeters, page 161
RALEIGH OBSERVER, Raleigh, Ne G, 1-11-19
\O NEW JERSEY LAW REPORTS, 1,95
4 tome il be ae :
suicide by severing an artery in his leg with a piece of tin but the
flow of the bloodd was stopped. A huge crowd had gathered outside
the jail’ on the morning of the execution and the corridor in the
wourt house where he was hanged was filled to overflowing, The vul-
gar noise and jests from the crowd could be clearly heard while the
minister was counseling with Hunter, When time came for him to go
th the gallows, he was overcome with fear and weak from the loss of
blood and it was necssary for him to be carried there, He was
supported until the weight which was designed to pull him upwards was
released and it was then found that he was so tall and the wright
not heavy enough that his feet still touched the ground. Three depu-
ties then grapped the weight and pulled it until Hunter was suspended
in the air and strangled to death, The doctors said that even though
his neck was not broken, he probably did not suffer as he was uncon=
scious at the time of the execution,
NATIONAL POLICE GAZETTE, 1-18-1878, page 6, column 1,ueclertlb ‘fy
9h McDADE 146
",, HANG BY THE NECK..." by Teeters, page 161
RALEIGH OBSERVER, Raleigh, N. C., 1-1L1-189
lO NEW JERSEY LAW REPORTS, 195
suicide by severing an artery in his leg with a piece of tin but the
flow of the bloodd was stopped, A huge crowd had gathered outside
the jail'on the morning of the execution and the corridor in the
wourt house where he was hanged was filled to overflowing, The vul-
gar noise and jests from the crowd could be clearly heard while the
minister was counseling with Hunter, When time came for him to go
th the gallows, he was overcome with fear and weak from the loss of
blood and it was necssary for him to be carried there, He was
supported until the weight which was designed to pull him upwards was
released and it was then found that he was so tall and the weight
not heavy enough that his feet still touched the ground, Three depu-
ties then grapped the weight and pulled it until Hunter was suspended
in the air and strangled to death, The doctors said that even though
his neck was not broken, he probably did not suffer as he was uncon=
scious at the time of the execution,
NATIONAL POLICE GAZETTE, 1-18-1878, page 6, column i (ieslertlh fy
49h MeDADE 16
",, HANG BY THE NECK,.." by pect eren any 161
RALBIGH OBSERVER, Raleigh, Ne Coy 189
40 NEW JERSEY LAW REPORTS, 195
de by severing an artery in his Lag with « place of tin Dut the
SEES ra a, LAE, ae 6 stm telat
bi ‘MeDAO 16 7 ties ‘Re
IE bie, nate
EiSteerit oats ben
* ll
TUNTER, Benjamin F,
Hunter, a middle-aged white man, was a member of an old and respected
Quaker family living in Philadelphia, Pa, Hunter, who had invented
and held the patent on a back log boiler, was semi-retired and lived
primarily off of various investments, One of the men who owed him
. money was John M, Armstrong, the hleyear-old proprietor of a music
printing business in Philadelphia, who was indebted to him for $8,000
As collateral for this loan, Hunter was the owner of life insurance
- policies totaling $26,000 on the life of Armstrong, Some of Hunter's
inves tments had gone bad and in January, 1878, he was in need of
money. Armstrong was unable to repay the indebtedness and on Jan,
28 Hunter informed him that he had learned that a man in Camden, N. J
who owedoArmstrong money had a substantiel bank account and suggested
that both of them go there that night and attempt to collect the debt,
Armstrong both sent a note to his wife and told his son that he and
Hunter were going to Camden, In the meantime, Hunter had procured a
hatchet and hammer and carved the initials of the man who ‘rmstrong
was going to see on the handles. He arranged with Thomas Graham, a
young man who was also indebted to him to wait in an alley for them
to pass in Camden and to bludgeong Armstrong to death, Everythring
went according to schedule and ‘rmstrong was attacked a few KXHEKX
“ies Be -
HUNTER, Benjamin F.
Hunter, a middle-aged white man, was a member of an old and respected
Quaker family living in Philadelphia, Pa. Hunter, who had invented
and held the patent on a back log boiler, was semi-retired and lived
primarily off of various investments, One of the men who owed him
money was John M, Armstrong, the ll«year-old proprietor of a music
printing business in Philadelphia, who was indebted to him for $8,000
As collateral for this loan, Hunter was the owner of life insurance
policies totaling $26,000 on the life of Armstrong, Some of Hunter's
inves tments had gone bad and in January, 1878, he was in need of
money. Armstrong was unable to repay the indebtedness and on Jan,
28 Hunter informed him that he had learned that a man in Camden, N. dj
who owed» Armstrong money had a substantial bank account and suggested
that both of them go there that night and attempt to collect the debt
Armstrong both sent a note to his wife and told his son that he and
junter were going to Camden. In the meantime, Hunter had procured a
hatchet and hammer and carved the initials of the man who Armstrong
was going to see on the handles, He arranged with Thomas Graham, a
young man who was also indebted to him to wait in an alley for them
to pass in Camden and to bludgeong Armstrong to death, Everythring
went according to schedule and ‘rmstrong was attacked a few KXHEKX
HUNTER, Benjamin F,
Hunter, a middle-aged white man, was a member of an old and respected|
Quaker family living in Philadelphia, Pa, Hunter, who had invented
and held the patent on a back log boiler, was setti-retired and lived
, primarily off of various investments. One of the men who owed him
money was John M, Armstrong, the l-year-old proprietor of a msic
printing business in Philadelphia, who was indebted to him for $8,000
As collateral for this loan, Hunter was the owner of life insurance
policies totaling $26,000 on the life of armstrong, Some of Hunter's
inves tments had gone bad and in January, 1878, he was in need of
money. Armstrong was unable to repay the inaebtetness, ens on en
28 Hunter informed him that he had learned that a man in Camden, Nz J.
who ovedcArmetrong money had a substantial benk account and suggested
that both of them go there that night and attempt to collect the debt,
Armstrong both sent a note to his wife and told his son that he and
Kunter were going to Camden, In the meantime, Hunter had procured a
hatchet and hammer and carved the initials of the man who !rmstrong
was going to see on the handles. 3 a:
fing man who was also indebted to hin te ait in an clisy for then
i sipesaviel camden cia ta Dludgeorm Armotrong to death, Everythring
went according to schedule and “rmstrong was attacked a few MXMOKK
ete bin fer #800
CC BY-NC-SA 4.0