John Earls, The First Execution in Lycoming County, 1836

In 1835, John Earls poisoned his pregnant wife, repeatedly.  After she gave birth, he administered the final doses of arsenic, killing her with their newborn in her bed.  Earls was the first to be executed in Lycoming County.

Nov 1835

John Earls was born March 16 1802, in Loyalsock Township, Lycoming County. In 1820, Earls was engaged to be married to Catherine Thomas, but his mother and one of his sisters objected to the union. During this time, Earls went to the fair at Harrisburg, and by his account "was married to Anne Jackson. The marriage was made inconsiderately, and was consummated while I was attending a fair at Harrisburg."

Earls marriage to Ann lasted just two months.  After their separation, Earls renewed his intimacy with Catherine Thomas.  He married her in the spring of 1821.

The couple then moved to Milton, where they lived for 13 years.  Earls "followed the business of a boat man, waterman, and fisherman".

In March of 1834, John & Catherine moved to the Muncy Dam area. "Muncy Dam at that period was a hotbed of lawlessness; counterfeiting and horse-stealing being two of the outstanding accomplishments of this group of rivermen and fishermen." 

Muncy Dam was built across the river at Muncy Creek Township. This dam provided the water that was needed to fill the canal along a stretch that began at Port Penn and ended at Sunbury.

There Earls met Maria Moritz, and almost immediately entered into an affair with her.  He became "passionately attached" to Moritz, and began to plan the demise of his wife.

Catherine was aware of the affair, and Earls frequently told his wife if she could hug and kiss like Maria Moritz he would love her a great deal better. 

In August of 1835, Earls went to Mr Sheffley of Lewisburg, where he purchases white arsenic, telling Sheffley that he wanted it to destroy rats.

Earls then cut the skin of an apple and placed some of the arsenic inside.  Catherine ate the apple, and became very sick, but recovered by the next day.

Earls then went to John Carter, a druggist in Northumberland County, and purchased another quantity of arsenic, telling Carter that he wanted to destroy minks and muskrats, in his business as a fisherman.

This time he placed the arsenic in a tumbler of sweet cider.  "This was two or three weeks before her confinement".  Catherine was again very sick, but again recovered the next day.

In October of 1835, Earls again purchased arsenic, this time from Bruner and Dawson in Muncy. In his confession, he said that he thought the "time of her confinement" would be a good time to poison her, as her sickness could be blamed on having just given birth.

He placed some of the arsenic in fish, and the rest in a chocolate drink. Earls then went upstairs where his wife was confined, and watched her consume the poisoned chocolate.

When Catherine began to vomit, she asked for mint tea.  Earls added more arsenic to the mint tea.  

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THE ARREST

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October 1835

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ESCAPE ATTEMPT

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"In removing the rubbish from the court house cellar a few days ago at Williams- port, John Piatt discovered a relic in the shape of handcuff bracelets which were used to secure John Earls, the first man hang in Lycoming county 43 years ago for the murder of his wife by poison near Money Dam in 1830. The cuffs about the wrists were made like an ox-yoke. Earls was a stalwart man, and after he had made an attempt to escape from jail these handcuffs were made to serenade him better. The cuffs were made --of half inch iron, and the connecting rod of inch iron thirteen inches long. The whole weighed about ten pounds. Everybody within a radius of fifty miles of Williamsport and thirty years old, has heard of the execution of John Earls." - The Selinsgrove Times, Sept 10 1879

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THE TRIAL

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"There were 57 witnesses called in the case. Three of Earls’ seven children, Mary Ann, aged 15; Susannah, aged 14; and Samuel, aged 11, were called. These witnesses testified that Earls had mistreated his wife on more than one occasion; that he had dragged her out of the house by the hair; and locked her in the cellar in cold weather. On another occasion, he had shoved her into the watering trough of Solomon Mangus. There was testimony that he had bought “ratsbane” or white arsenic on the day of the last general election. There was also considerable testimony, on the part of the commonwealth, as to Earls being frequently seen with Maria Moritz under compromising circumstances."

https://www.lycolaw.org/about/sketches/07

The Jury returned their verdict in an hours time.

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FOUND GUILTY

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“Of all crimes, that of willful and deliberate murder is perhaps the most foul and unnatural. Of all means by which a deed so dire can be committed, that of poison evinces, perhaps, the most cold-blooded deliberation. Of all persons who may be subject to this crime, the wife of your bosom — the mother of your children — the partner of your lot — whose name and whose civil existence was merged into your own, should have been the last to be thus destroyed in the hour of unsuspecting confidence. Of all occasions for a deed so dreadful, the selection of that period when she was prostrated upon her bed of confinement, with the newborn babe in helpless infancy at her side, manifests ‘a heart the most regardless of social duty and fatally bent on mischief’. Of such a murder, and with such attending circumstances, a jury of your country have pronounced you GUILTY.” - Judge Lewis

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THE CONFESSION

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CONFESSION 

OF 

JOHN EARLS, 

WHO WAS EXECUTED AT WILLIAMSPORT, TUNICA, MAT 24, 1836

FOR THE MURDER OF HIS WIFE BY POISON

{Published for the benefit of his orphan children.}

Made the twenty-first day of May, A. D. 1836, in relation to the murder of his late wife, Catharine [Thomas]  Earls

" I was born near Williamsport, in Loyalsock township, Lycoming county, and to the best of my  knowledge I was thirty-four years of age upon the sixteenth day of March,  1836. 

I was married to Ann Jackson, in the month of June 1820, at Harrisburg, by the Rev. Mr. Lochman — we lived together about two months, in Fishing creek valley, in Perry county, Pennsylvania; we then separated. 

I was under a contract to marry my late wife, Catharine Earls, before my marriage with Ann Jackson, and the agreement was interrupted and broken, on account of the opposition of my mother and one of my sisters. 1 was  married to Ann Jackson during this interruption of the agreement. The 

marriage with her was made inconsiderately, and was consummated while I  was attending a Fair at Harrishurg, 

After I had separated from my first wife, I renewed my intimacy with Catharine Thomas, and married her in the spring of 1821. We moved to Milton, in Northumberland county, about harvest time of that year; we never lived happily together. I continued to live in Milton, for thirteen years. 

In March 1834, I moved with my family to the Muncy dam. I always followed the business of a boat man, waterman and fisherman. 

Shortly after I settled there, I became acquainted with a young woman of that neighborhood, named .Maria Moritz. This acquaintance grew into an improper intercourse between her and me — and I became passionately attached to her. On this account I began to meditate the destruction of my 

late wife. We lived very unhappily together, on account of my intimacy with Maria Moritz. I had it in view for several months before her death, to get clear of the encumbrance of my marriage with her, by taking her life. With these wicked and murderous intentions I purchased white arsenic of  Mr. Sheffley, of Lewisburg, in Union county, in the month of August 1835;  1 told him I wanted it to destroy rats. I put a small part of this arsenic in an apple ; by cutting the skin and putting it in the apple with a knife. My wife ate the apple, and soon became sick and vomited. She recovered shortly afterwards. She took it in the evening — and appeared to be well next day. I abandoned the design of taking her life in that way, and was alarmed at the reflection upon the subject. 

Subsequently the design to do this cruel and wicked act was again considered and cherished by me. I bought another small quantity of" arsenic of  John S. Carter, a druggist in Northumberland; I told Mr. Carter that I  wanted to use it to destroy minks and muskrats, in my business as a fisherman. I purchased this also with an intention to give it to my wife. I put  a small quantity of it in a tumbler of sweet cider, which had been recently  brought home. This was two or three weeks before her confinement, in the evening; in about half an hour, perhaps longer, she became sick — she 

vomited a good deal— she seemed well enough the next day. Some of the

arsenic 1 lost by carrying it in my pockets. 

I continued to meditate the taking of the life  of my poor Wife in order  that I might indulge my attachment to Maria Moritz. Upon the day of the  general election, in October 1835, 1 purchased white arsenic again of Bruner  & Dawson in Muncy. I am not certain what I paid for it, but I rather think 

it was 12 1/2 cents. I used some of this by putting it in a fish at the fish basket in the afternoon of the day in which my wife took the rest, as stated  by my little son Samuel in his testimony upon my trial — his statement is  correct. After I came home, my mother was preparing a supper for my 

wife — she poured out a bowl full of chocolate for that purpose and placed it  on the stove. I ate my supper with my children, and then while my mother  was getting readv to take the supper up stairs to mv wife, I PUT THE  ARSENIC INTO THE CHOCOLATE AS IT STOOD UPON THE 

STOVE. I took the candle and lighted my mother up stairs with the supper so prepared by myself, to take the life of my unsuspecting wife. I sat upon a chair by her, at the foot of the bed on which she lay, while she ate the poisoned supper of chocolate.  The statements of Miss Sechler and of  my daughter Mary Ann, in their respective evidence upon my trial, are correct as nearly as I can recollect. 

When my wife became sick, and began to vomit from the effect of the arsenic, which she had taken in the chocolate, mint tea was prepared for her  by my daughter Mary Ann and myself; I PUT ARSENIC IN THE  TEA ; it was so put in that my daughter did not know of it. My wife tasted  it, and said it was bitter. Mv mother and I then made another cup of the  same kind of tea for my wife ; I ALSO PUT ARSENIC IN THAT,  but it was so done as that my mother did not know it. She tasted that 

also, and said it was just like the other. The testimony of the witnesses, as  to her sickness and death, is correct so far as I know the facts. I went  for our neighbor, Mrs. Callahan, as quickly as I could, because I began to be alarmed at the consequences of the act I had done. 

The mint tea, which Mrs. Sechler in her testimony stated was upset at  the fire, and which she saw running towards her on the floor, VMS intentionally upset by me, but was so done as to have the appearance of accident ;  she was right in her suspicions in relation to that matter. 

I had kept myself partly intoxicated for some months before I committed this worst of all the bad act of my life, being infatuated by my attachment  to Maria Moritz. 

My poor old mother ha? been suspected to have been a party in this horrid and cruel murder. I here state, as a duty I owe to the world, to my  mother, and to my Creator* that she was entirely innocent and ignorant of the act; 1 have stated that my mother advised me to drown my deceased  wife. This she never did do ; I made the statement to my late counsel and other persons, hoping that suspicion might rest upon her, and that the public would consider me innocent. On one occasion my mother said to me if Catharine Was out of the way I might get Maria Moritz.. 

No human being was concerned with me in concocting, contriving, or executing this cruel deed ; and the only exciting motive that urged me to take the life of my wife, was the unhallowed and ill-fated attachment I had formed for Maria. Although frequent domestic quarrels arose between my wife and myself, yet those for nearly two years past were in consequence of the 

attention which I devoted to Maria Moritz. 

Before we removed from" Milton to Muncy dam, and after we removed there, my wife as occasionally intoxicated, which formed another source of our domestic unhappiness. I have, in some of our quarrels, struck my wife with my hand, and injuriously beaten her ; but I did not knock her down  and draw her over the door of the stove rake, as testified to by Susan M'Callaster on my trial: she was mistaken in that statement. 

My affection for Maria Moritz was far greater than for any other woman 

I ever saw; when absent from her I was extremely miserable. This attachment, for many months previous to the death of my wife, disturbed all tranquility of mind, and drove me almost to madness; it tormented me by  day, and made me sleepless at night. 

It was the desire of enjoying the society of Maria Moritz, and of marrying her, that induced me thus wickedly and feloniously to take the life of my wife at the time I did ; and her confinement seemed to me to be the favored hour of destroying her witheut suspicion. 

I often proposed to Maria that we should elope together from this country, and that I would then marry her ; but she refused to leave the neighborhood where she then resided, and I became satisfied I could not marry her so long as my wife was alive ; and while in this unfortunate state of mind, I 

conceived the horrid idea of taking her life by poison"  JOHN X EARLS. 

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EXECUTION & BURIAL

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At the sound of the 3'oclock bell that was to signal the sheriff to drop him he grabbed the post and had to be forced to let go. He was buried at the prison but disinterred the same day to be dissected.

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More Local Stories & History

https://susquehannavalley.blogspot.com/p/history.html

The Gallows

An Index Of Hangings in The Central Susquehanna Valley

https://susquehannavalley.blogspot.com/2021/01/the-gallows-in-central-susquehanna.html

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READ MORE
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Murder In Muncy Creek is a 375 page true crime story based on the trial and execution of John Earls, written by a descendent.
 https://amzn.to/3u8EXNN

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A 200 page book was printed and bound, covering the trial in depth, in the 1840s.  It can be read online here: https://archive.org/details/28331020R.nlm.nih.gov/page/n73/mode/2up

The Sunbury Advocate ran a 4 page edition on March 5 1836, printing the trial testimony word for word.

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The first murder trial in Lycoming County in which there was a conviction was that of John Price for the murder of an Irish man named Miller, near Muncy Dam, about February 1830. The murderer was convicted and imprisoned for a short time. (However, Meginness, in his Book of Murders, says he was found not guilty.)  The second was for John Earls, who murdered his wife in 1835.

June 8th 1836

September 1879