Part 2 of 4. On 28 April 1881, the trial of Henry Romberger and Frank Romberger for the murder of Daniel Troutman began in Dauphin County Court, Harrisburg. Here follows the reporting on the trial from the Harrisburg Telegraph, 28 April 1881 through 2 May 1881.
Note: The Harrisburg Telegraph spelled the surname “Romberger.”
For all other posted parts of this series of 4 articles, see: First Trial of Henry Romberger, etc.
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IN THE GIBBET’S SHADOW
PROGRESS OF THE TRIAL OF THE ROMBERGER COUSINS
For the Murder of Daniel Troutman – The Jury Completed and the Hearing of Witnesses Begun – Doings on the Second Day of Trial.
At the conclusion of our report yesterday afternoon eight jurors had been selected. In a half hour afterward the other four were agreed upon. The jury as sworn is composed of the following:
- Jacob Painter, farmer, of Lower Swatara Township;
- Jacob Agney, laborer, of Steelton;
- Henry Summey, farmer, of Middle Paxton Township;
- Charles P. Greenawalt, stonecutter, of Hummelstown;
- Benjamin Romberger, gentleman, of Berrysburg;
- James Hipple, supervisor, of Middletown;
- Ira Nissley, farmer, of Susquehanna Township;
- J. J. Miller, carpenter, of Williams Township;
- B. F. Meyers, publisher, of Harrisburg;
- Peter Bowman, gentleman, of Millersburg;
- Thomas Finn, miner, of Wiconisco;
- Walter S. Fortney, salesman, of Middletown.
The usual oath was administered to each juror.
The case for the Commonwealth was opened by ex-District Attorney Hollinger. He defined the different degrees of murder, related carefully the details of the murder of Mr. Troutman, and told the jury what the Commonwealth expected to prove.
The first witness was Dr. J. J. Reed, of Uniontown, who testified to being called to Troutman’s house directly after the murder was committed, and, with Dr. B. H. Leimbach, making a post mortem examination of the body. Troutman’s death was caused by hemorrhage from the bullet wound.
Dr. B. H. Leimbach was called and testified as to the post mortem. He produced the ball taken from Troutman’s body. It is an ordinary sized pistol ball.
John Shadel of Tower City, testified that Henry Romberger had borrowed a gray mare and carriage from him at noon on November 14; the team was not returned at eleven o’clock that night when he retired, but in the morning, mare and carriage were back.
John Shibely, residing near Lykens, stated that about five o’clock on November 14th he saw a carriage drawn by a gray mare pass his house and Frank Romberger get into it; he did not see who was driving.
Mary Shibley also saw Frank Romberger and had seen him in Lykens on Sunday, November 14,; witness was going down toward Shibely’s when Frank passed her; shortly afterwards a closed carriage drawn by a gray horse passed her; near Shibely’s the carriage stopped and Frank Romberger stepped in; this was between 5 and 6 o’clock in the evening.
At half-past six the court adjourned until this morning at 9 o’clock.
This Morning’s Session.
The court assembled at 8:30 o’clock. The jury reassembled at 8:30 o’clock. The jury were brought in in a body from their comfortable quarters at the Bolton House, looking none the worse for their night’s confinement. The examination of witnesses was immediately commenced.
Joel Shadel, the first witness, was recalled and identified the Henry Romberger in court as the Henry Romberger to whom he hired his gray mare on Sunday, November 14, 1880. The witness was positive of the date, and presented a book in which he had charged Henry with the hire of the mare on the 14th.
Miss Frances Romberger is acquainted with Frank Romberger. On Sunday, the 14th, between five and six o’clock, she saw a carriage drawn by a gray horse driving below Lykens. It was Henry Romberger; in front of Shibely’s house the carriage stopped and Frank Romberger got in. The carriage then drove towards Loyalton. The cross-examination rather strengthened than weakened the direct examination.
Joel Rubendahl first heard of the Troutman murder on Monday, November 15. On Saturday he went to Lykens and stayed over night. On Sunday evening, about 5:15, as he was driving from Lykens, he came up to a closed carriage with a gray horse.
Harry Snyder was driving on the 14th of November. He met a closed carriage drawn by a gray horse about two miles below Lykens. He did not know the occupants of the carriage, but recognized the horse as belonging to Joel Shadel of Tower City. Under cross-examination he said he passed the carriage about 5 o’clock. It was not yet dark. At the time he passed the carriage he said to his wife: “There goes Shadel’s mare. I wonder where she is going?”
John Deitrich knows Henry Romberger and Frank Romberger, and has known them for four or five years. He met them the night Troutman was killed, driving in a closed carriage drawn by a gray horse. He said to his companion at the time, “There goes a Tower City horse.” He said he wondered to himself who was in the carriage, and, looking in, he saw Henry Romberger talking to Frank. The witness acknowledged he had no business to look into the carriage, and if the occupants had hit him over the head for his impertinence he would have been rightly served, which acknowledgment raised a laugh in the court room. On cross examination he said he met the carriage about five o’clock. He had been visiting a neighbor named Newbold. He passed Shadel’s tavern, but did not have any drinks that day. At the time he looked in, Harry Snyder’s carriage was in sight.
Charles Yohe knew Henry Romberger and saw him on the 14th of November. Henry was driving the gray mare that formerly belonged to Brosius and at that time to Joel Shadel. There was another man in the carriage with Henry.
Charles Weiss heard of the Troutman murder on Monday, November 15th. He was at Uniontown on the afternoon of Sunday, the 14th. That evening he met a closed carriage, drawn by a gray horse, about three miles from Uniontown. The carriage was going towards Uniontown. He didn’t see who was in it.
Daniel Herman created more confusion in court for his statement that he would give his testimony in German. George W. Barnes was finally sworn as interpreter. Mr. Herman said he came along the road from Lykens to Uniontown on November 14. John Boyer was with him. They passed a closed carriage drawn by a gray horse about one mile from the gap. This was about dusk. The witness could not tell who or how many were in the carriage, but there must have been more than one as he heard talking therein. The closed carriage after passing through the gap followed us about a mile and then went towards the right. The road to the right leads to the upper end of Uniontown. On cross-exmanination he said he met the carriage about seven o’clock and it was moonlight.
John E. Boyer was along with Daniel Herman, the preceding witness, whose testimony he corroborated. He said the moon was very bright when he met the closed carriage. He knew it was the 14th because he went to Erie on the 15th, and when he returned a week later he heard of the murder and then looked in the almanac to see what date he met the closed carriage, and found it was the 14th.
Peter Bubb lives in Northumberland County on the road leading from Uniontown to Klingerstown. He heard of the Troutman murder at two o’clock Monday morning. He saw a white horse and a closed carriage pass his house Sunday night going towards Klingerstown. On cross-examination witness said he saw the carriage pass about seven o’clock on Tuesday evening.
Elias Bush knows where Daniel Troutman lives. They lived about one and a half miles apart. The witness lives along the road between Troutman’s house and Uniontown. He heard of the murder an hour after it occurred. He heard a party drive by his house on the night of the murder. They had a closed carriage and a gray horse. He saw two men in it. This was about 7:15 o’clock. The carriage went towards Troutman’s. He didn’t know the men in it.
Ferdinand Wagner lives at Mahantongo, about one-half mile from Troutman’s. He was in Jake Mosser’s field on the Tuesday when Troutman was buried. He saw there the track of a light wagon where the road turns up into the field. Carriages did not usually go through the field, which is about one-quarter mile from Troutman’s.
John Mosser lives at Mahantongo, about three-quarters of a mile from Troutman’s. Somebody drove into his field about twenty rods from the creek, as he could tell by the wagon track. The entrance to the field was through bars, and he found the bars down. The public road passing his field does not go to Troutman’s but leads to the creek. A private saw mill road crosses the creek. The bridge over the creek was down. The track going through the field made by one horse and a buggy.
William Hoffman is the executor of Daniel Troutman’s estate. He is acquainted at Tower City. It is about ten miles from Tower City to Lykens; about three miles from Lykens to Loyalton; about four miles from Loyalton to the gap; about two miles from the gap to Uniontown; and about four or five miles from Uniontown to Troutman’s. There was a bridge over the Mahantongo Creek near the saw mill – a sort of temporary structure. Troutman lived near the mountain, up the creek, four or five hundred yards from the bridge. Troutman’s house was one-and-a-half stories high. The upper floor was in one room and the lower one two. On cross-examination the witness said it was about twenty-four miles from Tower City to Troutman’s along the road over which the Commonwealth alleges the Rombergers traveled. The roads are good and hard.
George Troutman is a son of the murdered man. He testified that on Wednesday before the murder Henry Troutman came to his father’s house and wanted to borrow $50 in money. His father said he couldn’t loan any then as he didn’t have it. Henry replied that he would like to have the money. Henry told the witness to tell his brother and sister to go down to singing school on Sunday evening next. The brother and sister are older than the witness. Henry said the brother and sister should go down to the singing school because he (Henry) would be there. When the murder occurred, this brother and sister were at the singing school. When they came back his father was dead. On cross-examination, the young witness said he was not near his father when Henry told him to tell his brother and sister to go to singing school. The witness told them that Henry wanted them to go to singing school. The witness was working in the field the Wednesday Henry came to borrow the money with his mother and father. All three stopped working when Henry came came up and asked for the money, but when he told the witness to tell his sister and brother to go to singing school the father and mother were not there – the father had gone to the stable and the mother to the house.
Daniel Boner knows Henry Romberger. Romberger was present at a constable’s sale the witness held in Northumberland County on October 16, 1880. The sale realized $261.57 which money belonged to Daniel Troutman. Henry Romberger was by when the witness took the money to give it to Daniel Troutman. On cross-examination the witness said he as constable sold the property at the instance of Daniel Troutman and paid the money to Troutman at the squire’s office.
Mrs. Elizabeth Troutman is the widow of the murdered man. She testified her husband was killed November 14. Her larger children, Lincoln Troutman and Kate Troutman, were at singing school. George Troutman and Lizzie Troutman, the small ones, were in bed. They slept in the attic. Mrs. Troutman said she went to bed about eight o’clock. The doors were shut. Her husband’s custom was to lock the doors, but she did not know whether the doors were locked on this Sunday evening. She knows though the doors were latched. Her husband fell asleep soon after he went to bed. Then she fell asleep. Two men came into the house and awakened her. She heard thhem whispering in the kitchen. The men came into the room, one stood by the stove and the other by the bed. They called “Dan.” Her husband didn’t hear. She then pushed him and said: “Some one is calling you.” He raised up and said: “What is your name? The answer came back: “It makes no difference.” At first the talk was in Dutch. Her husband wanted to get out of bed, but the men wouldn’t let him. He tried to get out, but they pushed him back. When her husband got up and tried to go away from the bed the men pointed their revolvers at his breast. They then asked him for money and he replied that he had none. They said he had money belonging to other people and they must have it that night. Her husband then jumped back and got his gun and said: “Clear out.” The one with the revolver then backed. When the men got outside one went towards the window in the west side of the house, and the other went in the other direction. Son after she hears two shots close together, and the other went in the other direction. Soon she heard two shots close together. Then she heard a moan; and going to the window she saw her husband lying in the garden. She then went out, and seeing it was her husband lying in the the garden. She then went out, and seeing it was her husband, ran back into the house and locked the door. As she ran in she saw one of the men at the corner of the house. She was afraid they would shoot her too, Afterwards she went out and ran up the garden, when one of the men said: “There she goes; we must go after her.” She ran over to Giese’s fence, where she cried “murder.” Gieses answered her cry, and Mrs. Giese, Mr. Giese and their son went along back to her home. When they got to the old man he was still lying in the garden moaning. Mr. Giese asked her husband as soon as they got there what had happened. He did not answer. After looking if any one was in the house, they carried the murdered man and put him in bed. Then Mr., Giese aid he would go home and look after his children, and did go. When she first saw her husband lying in the garden his breast and hands were bloody and his breath was short. After being put in bed he groaned and tossed about. In her opinion her husband died one-half hour after he was shot. He spoke first about five minutes after he was put in bed, and about five minutes after this he spoke a second time, and then immediately died. Mrs. Giese said, “Well, Dan, don’t you know who shot you?” He said “Yes; Hen Romberger shot me.” Then she asked: “Do you know who the other one was?” He replied: “No; he was a stranger.” Then Mrs. Giese said to Mr. Giese: “Now you ask him.” Mr. Giese asked the same questions, and Troutman gave the same answers. After her husband’s breath grew short and he could not talk any more and in a few minutes he was dead. When the two men came into her room she saw them, but not plainly enough to recognize their faces. One had the figure of Henry Romberger and wore an overcoat. He stood by the stove. The one who had the pistol and demanded the money stood by the bed. The demand for the money was first made in English; then the men whispered together and the demand was made in German. Mrs. Troutman was cross-examined at great length. She reaffirmed her direct testimony in every particular. In addition she said that when her husband first got out of bed he went to the window for several moments and stood with his back to the men. The men stood still. Her husband then jumped upon the bed and took down his gun, saying: “Now clear out.”
At this stage of the cross-examination a recess for one hour was taken.
This Afternoon’s Proceedings.
The court reassembled at two o’clock, but it was twenty minutes later when work began, by recalling Mrs. Troutman to the stand to continue the cross-examination, which was concluded in a few words and without eliciting anything of bearing on the murder.
Mrs. Mary Giese lived about forty rods from Troutman’s. The first thing she heard on the night of the murder was a loud shot, followed by a low shot. Then she heard a cry and heard Mrs. Troutman call “Giese! Giese!” She said her husband went along with Mrs. Troutman to the latter’s house. Mrs. Giese then described the scene at the Troutman’s house, corroborating Mrs. Troutman’s testimony in every particular.
During the examination she testified the following colloquy took place: Mrs. Giese and Mrs. Troutman were talking about the murderers, after Mr. Troutman had been carried into the house. Mrs. Giese asked Mrs. Troutman if she didn’t know the men. Mrs. Troutman answered: “It was Henry Romberger.” She said, “What, Henry Romberger!” Mr. Troutman replied, “Yes.” Her husband then asked the same questions of Mr. Troutman and received the same answers. Immediately after Mr. Troutman died. Mrs. Giese was not cross-examined.
Mrs. Troutman was recalled for cross-examination. She said that when she found her husband lying in the garden his gun was on the ground there or four feet away. She did not know who brought the gun into the house, but she knew it had been left in the garden until morning. Afterwards she corrected herself and said the gun had been taken away by some men.
George Giese is the husband of Mrs. Mary Giese, and lives about forty rods from the Troutman house. His testimony was strongly corroborative of that of his wife and Mrs. Troutman. Mr. Giese’s cross-examination was very short and of no importance.
Lincoln Troutman is a son of Daniel Troutman, the murdered man, The night of the murder he was at singing school. He got home about 9 o’clock. His father was dead then. His father’s gun was kept above the bed on the girder. The witness had loaded the gun the day before with No. 34 shot. On cross-examination he said the gun had been found in the garden after the murder but he did not touch it.
John H. Martin lives at Lykens. On the night of November 14, he was up rather late. He was about retiring when he heard a wagon coming. The wagon stopped and a man got out and walked up towards where Frank Romberger lives. This was about eleven o’clock on Sunday night. The carriage was closed up and was drawn by a gray horse. It came from the direction of Loyalton, and after the man got out the carriage went up the road towards Williamstown and Tower City.
Lewis Kniley Jr. lived at Wiconisco. He saw Frank Romberger on Saturday, November 13, at Schoffstall’s Saloon and had a conversation with him about pigeon shooting. Frank had a revolver, No. 32 calibre. He saw Frank, on Sunday, down the road, near Shiebly’s. He saw him (Frank) on Sunday, Frank told him about Troutman’s murder on Monday morning. He knew the pistol was No. 32, because Frank told him it was. The witness was here shown a No. 32 cartridge and said it was about the size of those Frank showed him.
Thomas Hockley, a police officer, identified a No. 32 cartridge, and on comparing the cartridge with the ball found in the murdered man’s body, said they were of the same size.
David Williard was constable of Uniontown Borough at the time of the murder. He arrested Henry Rumberger and took him before the justice. At this point Mr. Muench objected to further examination, and asked that the jury be allowed to retire while the question of the admissibility and competence of the proposed testimony was discussed. The court ordered the jury to retire, and as this report closes the question is being argued.
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From the Harrisburg Telegraph, 29 April 1881, via Newspapers.com.
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