William Hummel and the Montgomery Murders of 1899

William Hummel

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The small town of Montgomery in Lycoming County was thrust into the national spotlight on Thursday, November 23, 1899, after a chilling discovery was made under a haystack. Wrapped in bloodied burlap were the bodies of a young widow and two small children. The bones of another child, just a mere infant, were later found under a manure pile in a horse stall. Suspicion immediately fell upon a temperamental rag peddler whom the widow had married just one week earlier. This is the story of William Hummel, the cold-blooded killer who committed one of the ghastliest crimes in the history of Pennsylvania.

Nobody around Montgomery seemed to know much about the fellow who lived in the simple wooden house at the edge of town, in the locale known as Black Hole Hollow. All they knew was that his name was Hummel and that he was around 50 years of age, and that he eked out a meager living as a peddler of junk and rags. For some reason or another he had become infatuated with a 30-year-old widow named Sarah Frances Yeagel Delaney, whose husband, Oliver, had died in August after being kicked to death by his horse. It is anyone's guess what Sarah saw in an illiterate man of simple means who was two decades her senior, but after a brief courtship the two were married on November 10th.

 
William Hummel and his new bride occupied Hummel's simple four-room farmhouse about a mile outside of Montgomery, sharing the home with Sarah's three children-- John, aged 7, Olive, aged 5, and an infant daughter named Florence.

William and Sarah had been married for just a few days when folks around Montgomery noticed the Hummel home appeared to be unoccupied. It was unlikely the newlyweds had gone away on a honeymoon; as a part-time employee of a Williamsport junkman, Hummel barely earned enough to get by, and since Oliver Delaney's untimely death had come so suddenly it was doubtful that Sarah had been left much of an estate. Since Hummel was something of an outcast in the community, no one bothered to visit the house. It wasn't until November 23 when one of the neighbors happened to be passing by and saw something that caught his attention.

John Mock, a laborer on the nearby Meixel farm, was passing a field when he saw a scrap of burlap laying in a field. As a farmer himself, Mock feared that the burlap would get caught up in the binder whenever it came time for the owner to harvest his grain, and so he did what any good neighbor would do-- he picked up the debris and disposed of it. The burlap was evidently stained with blood but Mock thought nothing of it at the time; virtually everyone in town had to slaughter their own chickens and pigs. After disposing of the trash he went on his way, feeling that he had done his good deed for the day.

A short while later another local resident named Hiram Wertman passed by the spot where Mock had dumped the trash, but unlike Mock, he grew uneasy at the sight of the blood. He had heard stories about the mysterious rag peddler, and he immediately coupled this with the unaccountable disappearance of the Hummel family. He fetched a friend, Jerry Kemery, and the two men took the bloody burlap to Constable William E. Meyers. Like Wertman, the constable was also made uneasy by the sight of the blood.

Meyers, Kemery and Wertman decided that they ought to investigate the matter, and the three men went to the spot where the burlap had been found. After a brief search they discovered the body of a young boy beneath a small stack of hay, about twenty-five feet from the public road. After removing more hay they found the body of Sarah Delaney Hummel, clad in her nightgown. There wasn't a drop of blood on the gown, but her face was a battered mess, bearing a deep gash above the left eye. About ten feet away they found five-year-old Olive beneath a scrap of burlap. The right side of her head had been crushed so violently that death must have come instantly. From the condition of the bodies, it would appear the victims had been dead for two weeks.

The three bodies were turned over to Undertaker Zellers and word of the discovery was given to Coroner Goehrig, who immediately empaneled a jury. Meanwhile, County Detective Munson explored the house and found blood splattered across the upstairs walls and mattresses.

The Hummel house

Word soon spread that Florence, the newborn daughter, had not been found. Had she been kidnapped, or was her body still hidden on the farm waiting to be found? The residents of Montgomery had no desire to wait and find out. Convinced that the killer could have been none other than William Hummel, neighbors formed a posse and shortly after one o'clock in the morning the angry mob went off in search of Hummel armed with guns, rope, and an appetite for revenge. They were going to lynch him on the spot, if they could find him.



The Capture of William Hummel



Hummel was last seen on Thursday morning, several hours before the burlap was found, at a Montgomery barbershop getting a shave. This gave Constable Meyers hope that the suspect was still somewhere in the vicinity, and word around town was that Hummel would be caught and hanged before the weekend was over.

At around 6:30 on Saturday morning, November 25, William Hummel was sitting down to breakfast with John Russel and his family at their farm in Allenwood. Without notice, Constable Meyers stormed the house, accompanied by Jerry Kemery, George Derr and Harry McCormick, all of whom were brandishing revolvers. As soon as Hummel recognized the constable, he jumped to his feet and proclaimed his innocence. He continued to protest as Constable Meyers shackled his wrists and read the warrant charging him with murder.

Unfortunately, history fails to record just how Constable Meyers was able to find Hummel so quickly, but this was a remarkable display of policework, considering Hummel's capture took place long before telephones and automobiles were commonplace (there were less than 600,000 telephones in the entire country in 1899, and only a handful of cars in the entire world). At any rate, the constable hauled Hummel back to Montgomery, where he pleaded not guilty before Justice of the Peace S.J. Bardo. He was also taken to Zeller's undertaking parlor to view the bodies.

Hummel showed no emotion whatsoever when the cloth was pulled away from the lifeless remains of his wife and two step-children. He even went so far as to argue that the bodies were of different people entirely. But when a neighbor by the name of Walter positively identified Sarah's body, Hummel said, "Hmm, it does look a little something like her, doesn't it?" Hummel was then taken to the train station and escorted to the Lycoming County Prison in Williamsport.

An ugly scene unfolded at the depot when the constable arrived with Hummel. Bottles and rocks were tossed at the peddler, amid chants of "Lynch him!" and "Get a rope!" by dozens of irate residents of Montgomery. A similar outcry was raised when the train arrived in Williamsport, and newspapers report that Hummel was cursed and spit upon all the way from the train station to the prison.

On November 25, the bodies of the victims were laid to rest in the Stone Church Cemetery in Montgomery. Pastor Whileley officiated the services, which were attended by hundreds of mourners and curiosity seekers.

The Peddler Tells His Story


After a thorough grilling by District Attorney Kaupp and Detective Munson, the accused killer finally agreed to tell his story, in which he claimed that Sarah and the children had been killed by someone named Harry Smith. Hummel's version of what happened comes from the December 1, 1899, edition of the Sunbury Gazette, which reads:

"Last Thursday night a week ago I and my wife made sauerkraut. After we finished my wife took the three children upstairs and put them to bed. She returned to the lower floor, and then we had something to eat. While enjoying the lunch a stranger drove up to the home and was admitted after rapping. He and my wife appeared to be acquainted. He requested her to go with him to his home at Kelly Cross Roads, Union County, where he said his wife was sick, and he wanted my wife to nurse the woman. My wife agreed, and it was arranged that she could take the children along. I was told the man's name was Harry Smith. My wife dressed herself up finely in a brown dress and neglected to dress the children, whom she put in the wagon in their night clothes."

According to Hummel, he had given his wife $9.50 with which to make some purchases, and it was his belief that Smith had killed her for the money. One wily Williamsport newspaper reporter who was taking notes pretended to know a Harry Smith from Union County and offered a totally imaginary description of Smith off the top of his head. "Yes, that's him exactly!" replied Hummel, falling into the trap.

Meanwhile, the search for the infant continued. Bones were found in an ash pile on Hummel's property. It was widely reported that these bones were of the missing Delaney child, although reports were also circulating that they may have been those of a woman from New Columbia who was also missing and who had once been acquainted with William Hummel. The bones were later revealed to be those of an animal, and the allegedly missing woman was found safe and sound.

Lycoming County Prison, circa 1903. The building is now a live music venue known as The Cell Block

As news of the heinous murders spread throughout the country, details about the alleged killer began to emerge, and these details created a fascinating character sketch of William Hummel. Hummel was born in Montoursville in 1849 and when the Civil War broke out, he enlisted in a regiment from Lycoming County. After the war he returned to Montoursville and married, but soon deserted his wife and set out for Nebraska. His wife attempted to follow him to Nebraska, but was never seen or heard from again. Hummel claimed that she had been killed in a trainwreck.

He eventually returned to Montoursville and married again, but once again left his wife for the frontier. He claimed that, while in Kansas, he was robbed and drugged, stuffed into a barrel, and shipped back to Pennsylvania on a freight train. This claim was investigated by a local newspaper reporter and was revealed to be a lie, although the reporter did uncover additional evidence which implicated Hummel in a string of robberies at Loyalsockville.

Mrs. Cal Shaffer, who lived next door to Sarah and Oliver Delaney before the latter's death, came forward with some interesting revelations. According to Mrs. Shaffer, William Hummel had visited the Delaney home numerous times in the months prior to Oliver's death, presumably in an attempt to seduce Sarah. On the first night after Oliver's death Hummel threw a rock through the window after Sarah refused to let him in.

Sarah Delaney Hummel and her children

And Then He Tells A Different Story


On December 6, the case took a strange turn when Hummel told the District Attorney that his children were alive and well, and living with a man named William Smith at 243 East Mine Street in Hazleton. A police dispatch was sent to Hazleton and the claim was investigated. Surprisingly, there was a man named Smith who lived at the given address, along with three children who perfectly matched the descriptions of Olive, John and Florence Delaney. Smith, of course, denied having any knowledge of Hummel or his wife, and it has never been revealed how Hummel knew William Smith (if he ever knew him at all).

As for the mysterious Harry Smith, the Kelly Cross Roads man whom Hummel initially claimed killed his wife and stole the $9.50 he had given her, County Detective Munson ran down this lead and was surprised to learn, from multiple credible sources, that there had been a vagabond by that name living in the vicinity recently, but he could not be located-- not even after the county commissioners put up a reward for his capture. Suddenly, it appeared that the rag peddler might have a viable legal defense.

While all of this was taking place, the overseers of Clinton Township, who had buried the victims at the expense of taxpayers, seized Hummel's house and five acres of land. This was later sold at auction. This did not seem to phase Hummel, however; according to Dr. Haag, the prison physician, he had packed on twelve pounds since being placed in jail, and appeared to be in fine spirits.




The Finding of Baby Delaney


On Thursday, January 18, 1900, the remains of Sarah's infant daughter Florence were found in a burlap sack beneath a manure pile in Hummel's stable in Black Hole Hollow. Her head had evidently been bashed with a blunt, heavy object. Shortly after one o'clock in the morning Sheriff Gamble and Deputy Sheriff Smith removed the baby from its pitiable grave, as a large crowd flocked to the scene. The remains were taken to Undertaker Zeller's establishment and displayed. Hundreds came by buggy and train to see the dead child with their own eyes.

There is a strange side note relating to the discovery of Hummel's fourth victim. For over a month a Spiritualist medium from Williamsport, Mrs. E.J. Demorest, had been trying to convince anyone who would listen that the body of Florence Delaney would be found wrapped in rags and buried under the floor of an outbuilding south of Hummel's house. She made her appeal to Lycoming County authorities one week before the body was found-- in the exact spot where she said it would found. It is interesting to note that Mrs. Demorest had also made another prophecy, this one involving the untimely death of a prominent Reading politician who would die in a peculiar manner from a malady of the throat. Two days after making this prediction, Congressman Ermentrout choked to death in a Reading restaurant.

No Hope This Side of the Grave


In February of 1900 Hummel's attorneys, Horace Shale and J.F. Strieby, filed a change of venue petition to have the case tried in Sunbury, claiming their client would not get a fair trial in Williamsport. This was a very common tactic used by defense attorneys, as Northumberland County had a reputation for letting killers go free. An astounding 118 murders were committed in Northumberland County during a twenty-one year span between 1887 and 1908, resulting in only one conviction.  Conversely, of the 29 murder trials held in Lycoming County history up to that point, nineteen resulted in convictions. Hummel's attorney knew that if the case were moved to Sunbury, there was a better than 99% chance his client would be acquitted.

Unfortunately for Hummel, this strategy failed and on Wednesday, March 7, the murder trial opened in Williamsport with Judge Metzger presiding. On the first day of the trial District Attorney Kaupp called Dr. C.E. Heller to testify. Heller, who had performed the post-mortem examination of the murdered wife, presented Sarah's skull as evidence. This seemed to greatly fascinate the defendant. The Philadelphia Inquirer reported:

Hummel showed much interest in this, leaning forward, stretching his neck and dodging around side to side to get a view of it.

The trial came to end on March 12 and it took the jury only five minutes to reach a verdict. Hummel was found guilty of murder in the first degree. Judge Metzger immediately passed sentence, calling for Hummel to be hanged. He even made a bold comment just in case Hummel or his attorneys were entertaining thoughts of an appeal.

"Your life is forfeited and you cannot hope for clemency from the pardoning power," stated Judge Metzger. "Now make your peace with God, for He has power to save you if you make the proper effort. There is no hope this side of the grave."

Hummel, who maintained his innocence throughout the trial, showed no emotion as the verdict was read and the sentence passed. But, as he was being led back to jail, he broke away from the sheriff and rushed into the crowd of spectators in an attempt to kiss one of the women.

Two days after Hummel was found guilty, the constable who captured him, William E. Meyers, was brutally attacked by five tramps in Montgomery. He was beaten over the head with clubs, suffering a fractured skull and a broken leg.



Confessions of a Rag Peddler


On March 19, Hummel finally confessed to the murders in the presence of Sheriff Gamble and a reporter from the Williamsport Sun. He stated that the killings were carried out around 3 o'clock on the morning of November 17, 1899. The night before his wife had visited friends and upon her return an argument ensued when Sarah declared that she and Hummel were not legally married since the ceremony had been performed by the Justice of the Peace and not an ordained minister.

Hummel flew into a rage, believing that his wife would end up taking all of his property and have him arrested. After hours or argument the couple retired to their bedroom, and Hummel alleged that he was awakened by the sound of his wife stealing $38 which he kept hidden inside of a downstairs clock. He located an axe and killed his wife in the upstairs bedroom, along with the baby who was curled up alongside her. Two other two children, who occupied a bed in the same room, were next. Hummel said none of his victims made a cry for help, and the entire deed was accomplished in less than a minute.

After hurling the murder weapon of the window, Hummel hauled the bodies to his wagon and took them to a spot in a field, where he buried them beneath a pile of hay. It wasn't until he returned to the house that he realized he'd forgotten about the baby, which he later buried in the horse stall.


 
Hummel Sells His Body to Showman and the Media Circus Continues


Hummel, who never attended school and was unable to read or write, had seemed content with his lot in life as a rag peddler. But now that the press had given him notoriety he appeared to relish his newfound fame. After the trial, Hummel requested that Sheriff Gamble allow him to hang a curtain over his cell so that he could charge ten cents a head for visitors to come see him. This request was denied.

The convicted killer had another reason for wanting to raise money, however. As it became clear to him that his time on earth was coming to and end (Governor Stone had set the date for the execution as June 5th) it also became clear that he was likely to be buried in a pauper's grave.

In late March a riot nearly erupted in Montoursville when it was learned that Hummel's relatives had purchased a lot in the Lower Cemetery. The idea of having a quadruple murderer buried in their cemetery did not sit well with the residents, and an emergency meeting was held in Montoursville. Over one hundred residents attended the meeting, which resulted in a lawyer drawing up a petition banning the burial of William Hummel anywhere within borough limits.

Around the same time, Hummel followed the sheriff's advice and took his mind off his troubles through physical exercise. He put on the boxing gloves and had a twenty minute bout with Deputy Sheriff Joe Smith. The following day the two men ran a footrace in the prison yard, with Hummel besting the deputy sheriff in the hundred yard dash. According to reports, Hummel trained like a prizefighter during the final weeks of his life, waking up early and working out with dumbbells and medicine balls.

Hummel's bout with Smith

But there was a darker motive behind Sheriff Gamble's plan to turn the condemned man into a fine athletic specimen-- he wanted to be certain that Hummel survived long enough to swing from the gallows. "Some people may not approve of the methods that I have adopted to fix Hummel up, but I claim it is the best possible thing that could be done," the sheriff explained to reporters. "We would not care to carry a half-dead man to the gibbet. His crime was such a fiendish one that he should be in the best of condition, physically and mentally, so that he will be able to fully appreciate the extent of his punishment."

In late May, Hummel made headlines once again, after the Sun reported that Hummel had sold his body to George H. Bubb, a local theater owner. Under the agreement Bubb promised to have Hummel's body embalmed and displayed in museums and opera houses around the country.

Copy of agreement between Bubb and Hummel

The Hanging of Hummel


Hummel proved to be a cool customer-- and a miser--- right until the end. The night before he was hanged he enjoyed a hearty meal shipped in from a local restaurant, smoked an entire box of cigars, and had a shave. When asked by the sheriff why he preferred to have a fellow inmate give him the shave instead of a professional barber, Hummel replied, "If I send out for one of those barbers he'll charge me fifty cents. You go ask Danny Orr if he'll do the job."

Two hundred people crammed into the prison yard on West Third Street the morning of June 5 to watch the execution, while thousands more crowded the rooftops of neighboring buildings. The Philadelphia Inquirer reported that some citizens earned a tidy profit by charging curiosity seekers admission to their roofs. The owner of an adjacent stable went so far as to erect a grandstand on the roof of his stable, with the best seats selling for the princely sum of five dollars. Those who could not afford admission had to resort to climbing telegraph poles. The Inquirer reported more than a few people watched the execution while sitting on the cross bars.

Hummel gave a long-winded speech lasting ten minutes before he was led to the gallows by Sheriff Gamble. At 10:58 Sheriff Gamble sprung the trap. Hummel's neck was broken and he died instantly. His body was immediately carted off by Mr. Bubb, who had it embalmed by Undertaker S.L. Gage and had it displayed later that afternoon at the Lycoming Opera House. Bubb had also signed a deal with the owner of the Muncy Opera House to have Hummel exhibited there the following week.

The citizens of Williamsport, however, raised such an outcry after the first exhibition (which was held at 3:30 at the opera house) that the mayor ordered the chief of police to shut down the theater and have the body turned over to Secretary Brecker of the Y.M.C.A. The Y.M.C.A. then released the body to Hummel's brother-in-law, Joseph Moon, who buried it on his farm in Black Hole Hollow, in an unmarked grave in sight of the house where the murders took place.

Lycoming Opera House, which was destroyed by fire in 1915

By March of 1901 the residents of Clinton Township had collected enough money to erect a gravemarker for the Delaney family. The marble monument, which was dedicated on Memorial Day, is still legible today. It reads:

Oliver D. Delaney, Died August 13, 1899. His wife, Sarah Frances; Children-- Johnny W., Oliver F., Florence H. The wife and three children met death November 16th, at the hands of William Hummel, the second husband.