Hidden History: Original 1880s gallows displayed at Snyder County Historical Society

Oct. 24—MIDDLEBURG — A macabre 19th century historical artifact beckons to visitors of the Snyder County Historical Society in Middleburg, a reminder of death from years gone by.

The 141-year-old, 16-foot pine gallows of the Snyder County Jail may not be hidden inside the society's library and museum at 30 E. Market St., but the 1880s instrument of execution — complete with noose and shroud — and the historical society headquarters are not well-known throughout the county. The original gallows have been on display since 1994 when David and Deborah Kline purchased them at a public auction and donated them to the society.

"It's creepy in here when you're by yourself, especially when it's dark outside and you hear noises," said Society President Esther Klinger.

Society librarian Janet Walters said local schools bring students for field trips.

"You can almost see the fear in their eyes," Walters said when the students see the gallows. "They get quiet and stare at it. They know what it is. The original rope and shroud make it even more scary."

When visitors come to the society, Klinger said people are "amazed" that the gallows are there.

"We can't promote it enough," she said. "People don't know what a gem they have in their own backyard. Not just this (the gallows), but all the artifacts. We wish people would realize what is to be found here."

History of the jail, gallows

The first Snyder County Jail, which still stands in Middleburg at 113 W. Main St. as a residential brick building, was constructed in 1865 and used until 1886. The gallows stood in the backyard where people bought tickets to see public hangings.

On the night of Dec. 7, 1877, native German couple John and Gretchen Kintzler were murdered in their Troxelville cabin. Jonathan Moyer, Uriah Moyer, Emanuel Ettinger and Israel Erb were all found guilty of first-degree murder in the subsequent trials.

"There are conflicting stories and the full story will probably never be known," wrote Paul Lantz in the 1995 publication of the Snyder County Historical Society Bulletin. "Probably Kintzler was shot, then bludgeoned to death with a piece of wood, and the wife, having seen what was happening, was also fatally beaten."

The killers returned to the cabin the next night and ransacked the home, looking for money, Lantz wrote.

"Then they stacked the bodies inside and set the cabin afire," wrote Lantz. "All that was found of Gretchen was the radius bone from one arm, and there were some skeletal remains of John."

Ettinger took his own life in his jail cell by taking strychnine poison. Erb's sentence was commuted to life imprisonment and he died of natural causes on May 1, 1891. Only the Moyer brothers — first Jonathan on March 24, 1882, and then Uriah on March 7, 1883 — were executed by hanging, Lantz wrote.

At only 27 years old, Snyder County had yet to hang anyone and was forced to build the gallows for the Moyers. J.F. Stetler and Brother, of Middleburg, constructed the pine gallows for 2 cents per board. The total for construction and associated costs was $28.28, according to Lantz.

Description of the gallows

The Snyder County Tribune on March 8, 1883, contained a description of the gallows, noting it "consisted of four upright posts, six feet high, mortised into cross pieces at the bottom with two upright pieces in the center, on top of which is a cross piece to which the fatal noose is attached."

It further reads, "The platform, on which the condemned man stood, is six feet from the ground, and is composed of two parts by means of a strong spring, and are fastened up to prevent accidents, by props, which are removed as soon as the Clergymen, Sheriff, and assistants leave the unfortunate man standing upon the drop, which alone intervenes between him and eternity. The platform is reached by means of eleven steps, which it must be a difficult feat for a man to execute to mount."

Sheriff David Reichley allowed 144 people to witness Jonathan's execution, according to Lantz.

The manila rope with noose, which was 5/8th of an inch in diameter, was purchased from W.F. Bobb, of Allegheny, one of three professional noose tiers in the U.S. The original rope was 35 feet long — a minimum of 21 feet was required for the hanging. Because of the second hanging to come, the sheriff would not allow the usual custom of cutting the rope up for souvenirs, according to Lantz.

Prompted by popular demand the next year, Reichley issued 400 tickets for Uriah's hanging, according to Lantz.

The jail yard, having only room for 200, was packed. People were perched on ladders to witness the hanging, according to Lantz.

"They didn't have much entertainment in those days, no computers or TVs," said Walters. "There were crowds there to watch."

Uriah took six minutes to die. Nine doctors measured the temperature of his hands and his pulse in one-minute intervals, according to Lantz.

"In 20 minutes, Sheriff Reichley placed the body in the coffin and had it carried out onto the sidewalk in order that those outside who did not get to see anything could view the corpse," Lantz wrote.

Auction after auction

After the hanging of Uriah Moyer, the sheriff stored the gallows in his daughter's barn, never to be used again. When her personal property was sold at public auction, the gallows fell into private hands. It had been dismantled and stored for years as a pile of knotted timber; some of the disassembled wood was sawed and used as joints under a porch, according to Lantz and newspaper reports.

It showed up again in 1970 when Marvin "Dick" Haines bought it at a public auction for $400 from Raymond Tharp, of Middleburg. Tharp's wife was Reichley's daughter, according to newspaper reports.

When Haines's widow sold his property at a public auction at their farm in Mount Pleasant Mills on Sept. 5, 1994, the gallows were reassembled using references from old postcards and faded numbers scratched into the smooth wood. They replaced the collapsible floor, a set of steps and a noose because those original pieces were lost or damaged over the years, according to newspaper reports.

Beavertown Block Company owner David Kline, of Beaver Springs, bought the gallows for $8,800 and donated them to the Snyder County Historical Society, according to newspaper reports.

Klinger, who was not associated with the historical society in 1994, said she was present at the auction.

"People were very interested in the gallows," said Klinger. "It's a part of history. Wow. you can't imagine being in that time and it happening. People bought tickets. That was kind of gruesome."

Addition and displayed

In 2000, Hepco Construction Inc., of Selinsgrove, was contracted for a $361,238 project to add a second story to the historical society, bringing the total floor space to nearly 10,000 square feet. It was used to house the gallows, a Civil War room and the library.

The original steps of the gallows are missing. Replacement steps were constructed by Timothy L. Berger, of Mount Pleasant Mills. The shroud is believed to have come with the gallows and the rope was left in the attic of the original jail and presented by former owner Faye Peters to the society, said Klinger.

The exhibit has the original noose sitting on the base of the gallows. A replica noose hangs as it once did. The shroud sits on the steps.

Also displayed are several related documents in frames: the original 1882 invoice to build the gallows, an admission ticket for the hanging of Uriah Moyer from 1883, maps of the property, and articles about the gallows. A sign sits on the steps that reads "Sorry. No demonstrations."

While the gallows are ominous, Klinger and Walters said they haven't had any paranormal experiences. Other than a few inexplicable loud noises and mannequins in war uniforms displayed around the museum, everything is normal.

"It's creepy," said Walters. "Otherwise, we just ignore it."