chief witness against shem at their trial and all were convicted and
sentenced to hang, As the proof against Zechman was very meager,
the judges ordered a new trial against him in spite of the fact that
Wise testified that he was involved in the plot. Drews and Stichler
. were hanged in N ov., 1879, but the execttions of Brandt, Hummel
and Wise were delayed by an appealg Both Brandt and Hummel main-~
tained until the very end that they were innocent but Wise not only
confessed, but said from the gallows that all were guilty. They
were hanged in the-jail yard at Lebanon on May 13, 1880,
A HISTORY OF HANGINGS FOR HOMICIDZ IN LHBANON COUNTY by Hon. Ge
Thomas Gates. Published by Lebanon County Historical Society, 1971.
Vol XIV, Nos 66 oe 219-221
chief witness against hem at their trial and all were convicted and
sentenced to hange As the proof against Zechman was very meager,
the judges ordered a new trial against him in spite of the fact that
Wise testified that he was involved in the plot. Drews and Stichler
were hanged in N ov., 1879, but the execttions of Brandt, Hummel
and Wise were delayed by an appealg Both Brandt and Hummel main-
tained until the very end that they were innocent but Wise not only
confessed, but said from the gallows that all were guilty. They
were hanged in the-jail yard at Lebanon on May 13, 1880.
A HISTORY OF HANGINGS FOR HOMICIDE IN LEBANON COUNTY by Hons Ge
Thomas Gates. Published by Lebanon County Historical Society, 1971.
Vol XIV, No. 6. Pages 219-221
2
chief witness against shem at their trial and all were convicted and
sentenced to hang. As the proof against Zechman was very meager,
the judges ordered a new trial against him in spite of the fect that
Wise testified that he was involved in the plot. Drews and Stichler|
were hanged in N ove, 1879, but the execttions of Brandt, Hummel
and Wise were delayed by an appealg Both Brandt and Humnel main-
tained until the very end that they were innocent but Wise not only
confessed, but seid from the gallows that all were guilty. They
were hanged in the jail yard at Lebanon on May 13, 1860.
‘A HISTORY OF HANGINGS FOR HOMICIDE IN LEBANON COUNTY by Hon, G.
Thomas Gates, Published by Lebanon County Historical Society, 1971.
Vol XIV, No. 6. Pages = 221
ranch in te jal ped Se
ied y Loarn Cmty iran Sri, 197
BRANDT, Israel, HUMMEL, Josiah and WISE, Henry
Brandt, a l5-year-old white man, had been trained as a tailor, but af-
ter he lost his left arm in an accident he became a tavern keeper and
in 1878, was running an establishment in Indiantown Gap, lebanon Co.,
Pa, He and three of his customers, Hummel, the 33-year-old W ise and
e7~year~old George Zechman, all miners, insured 6)- year-old Joseph
Raber who was impoverished and lived in a cabin nearby for $8,000,
stating thatkthey had agreed to provide for the old man for the re-
mainder of his life and provide him a decent burial. They then hired
a butcher, George Drews, to kill Raber in such a way as to make the
death appear accidental, Brandt agreed to pay Drews $300 of his share
‘of the insurance money and said that tee each of the, other conspira-
tors would do likewise. On the night of Dec, 7, 1878, Drews and a
man named Franklin Stichler who had had hired to help, threw Raber
from a plank bridge ofeF Indiantown Gap Creek and held him under the
water until he died, The death was ruled accidental and murder would
never have been suspected had not Drews kicked out a son-in-law who
was an Army deserter and had knowledge of the plot and he went to the
authorities, The four conspirators as well as Drews and Sticher were
all arrested and charged with the murder, Drews! son-in-law was the
BRANDT, Israel, HUMMEL, Josiah and WISZ, Henry
Brandt, a )5-year-old white man, had been trained as a tailor, but af-
ter he lost his left arm in an accident he became a tavern keeper and
in 1878, was running an establishment in Indiantown Gap, Lebanon Co.,
Fa. He and three of his customers, Hummel, the 33-year-old W ise and
e}-year-old George Zechman, all miners, insured 6)- year-old Joseph
Raber who was impoverished and lived in a cabin nearby for $8,000,
stating that&they had agreed to provide for the old man for the re-
mainder of his life and provide him a decent burial, They then hired
a butcher, George Drews, to kill Raber in such a way as to make the
death appear accidental, Brandt agreed to pay Drews $300 of his share
‘of the insurance money and said that tm each of the, other conspira-
tors would do likewise. On the night of Dec. 7, 1878, Drews and a
man named Franklin Stichler who had had hired to help, threw Raber
from a plank bridge ofe# Indiantown Gap Creek and held him under the
water until he died. The death was ruled accidental and murder would
never have been suspected had not Drews kicked out a son-in-law who
was an Army deserter and had knowledge of the plot and he went to the
authorities, The four conspirators as well as Drews and Sticher were
all arrested and charged with the murder, Drews' son-in-law was the
BRANDT, Israel, HUMMEL, Josiah and WISE, Henry
Brandt, a lS-year-old white man, had been trained as a tailor, but af.
ter he lost his left arm in an acc:
tors would do likewise. the night of Dec. 7, 1878, Drews and a
man named Franklin Stichler who had had hired to help, threw Raber
from a plank bridge ofe Indiantown Gap Creek and held him under the
water until he died, The death was ruled accidental and murder would
never have been suspacted had not Drews kicked out a son-in-law who
jas an Army deserter and had knowledge of the plot and he went to the
authorities, ‘The four conspirators as well as Drews and Sticher were
all arrested and charged with the mrder. Drews! son-in-law was the
SYStad aed beet ile the mea
