Valley Girl Views: The Sunbury Pool Hall Murder, 1913 - The Last Hanging In Northumberland County

34 year old Harry Miller was robbed murdered in the pool room he operated out of the basement of the Masonic Lodge Building, on February 11th 1912.

David Everett and Fred Nye traveled by train from Shamokin to Sunbury on February 10th 1912. As they were enroute to the passenger station to return home to Shamokin, they passed the Masonic Temple, where Harry E. Miller operated a poolroom and bowling alley in the basement.

The next day, Harry Miller, described as a cripple in local reports, did not appear at the breakfast table. His sister, Mrs. Jenetta Stine, was concerned and went looking for him. She found him in the pool hall he operated in the basement of the Masonic Hall, lying in a pool of blood with his trouser pocket turned inside out, a gaping bullet wound in his throat. The cash register had been emptied.

It was estimated that between $75 and $80 had been taken. Another newspaper reports that the take was "Eight[y] dollars from the contents of the chewing gum and slot machines."

$80 in 1913 is equivalent of about $2,300 today

When Nye and Everitt, who had been unemployed, purchased shoes and clothing soon after the murder, they quickly became suspects.

According to Nye, he gave Everitt a quarter to to into the pool room for cigarettes. When Everitt returned he told Nye he had robbed Miller. Everitt spent the night at Nye's home, and the two divided the proceeds of the robbery.

Also according to Everitt, Nye was the one who went into the pool hall, and Nye gave Everitt $31 as his share of the loot.

Everitt was arrested in Hazelton, and on the train from Hazelton to Mt Carmel, he confessed, "clearing himself of the actual murder". When Nye was arrested, he said only "Prove it."

The two men were tried separately, with Everitt's trial occurring first.

Everitt was convicted only of voluntary manslaughter, with a sentence of a "few years" in the eastern state penitentiary. Judge Cummings censured the jury for their findings, stating he believed a mistake has been made.

Everitt's prison record shows that he had spent 20 months in Huntingdon Reformatory for stealing horses, as a youth. He served just 8 years for his involvement in Millers murder. Everitt was released from prison in February of 1920.

Nye's trial was next, and his jury was not as lenient. They convicted him of murder, and he was sentenced to be hanged.

With Nye "in the shadow of the gallows", attorneys visited Everitt in the Eastern State penitentiary and asked him to give any evidence that might aid him. Everitt then confessed to the murder.

Everitts confession, although not universally believed, may have helped Nye to obtain a new trial, if Nye hadn't been involved in another scheme from his jail cell.

A new law had been passed that all executions were to be by electric chair, but the law was passed after Nye had been sentenced. His hanging would be the last in Northumberland county. The gallows the county had borrowed from Schulkill County to hang Marcavage in 1908 and Polachinus in 1912, had not been returned, but instead purchased and stored a the jails basement. They would be assembled in the Sunbury Jail yard one last time, for Nye.

While Nye's mother was gathering names on a petition for leniency for her son, her son was cooking up another scheme.

County officials foiled the plan, when they saws and files were found in the cell of Fred Nye. Pock, one of those involved in the scheme, then lost his nerve and confessed. Their plan had been to wait until Anthony Neary, the Mount Caramel turnkey, was away from the jail. The one of the men would ring the bell, and when Barr opened the door he was to be knocked unconscious. The men on the inside of the jail would then turn off the light and open all of the cells, releasing all of the prisoners.

Had it not been for this plan, Nye would have had a better chance of having his sentence commuted to live imprisonment. When asked what would e done if Barr could not be overpowered, Nye replied "Well, then kill the old -------- if necessary." The State Secretary from Harrisburg gathered testimony of the planned attack, and "it was undoubtedly used against him when his case was before the pardon board."

The Danville Morning News Nov 21 1913

Twenty year old Fred Nye was hung on December 3rd, 1913.

Although not open to the public, James Griggs of Port Trevorton accidentally witnessed the hanging. He was with his brother and father at the prison, to purchase socks, which were made by the inmates. Looking from a window in what was then the jail barbershop, young Griggs witnessed the hanging.

Newspapers reported that Nye's last gestures on the gallows were directed to a friend who apparently was not present. "He looked intently at the faces before him, called the friends name and waved his hand, but there was no response."

Nye is buried in the Shamokin Cemetery.

"After it had been announced that the funeral of the late Fred Nye, who was hanged on the gallows for the murder of Henrry Miller, should he held on Saturday, sudden changes were made in the funeral arrangements yesterday afternoon and this morning the body of the boy was buried in the Shamokin cemetery. Services were held at the home in Sunbury last night with the Rev. O'Royle, of the First Reformed church, officiating. This morning the body was taken to Shamokin on the 10.00 o'clock train and taken to the Shamokin cemetery directly upon its arrival. After interment had been made services were held in the Reformed church by the Rev. Dr. C. B. Schnader. This was done, to avoid the gathering of a large crowd Neither the authorities nor .the family intended the funeral should be held as per schedule. If the funeral had been held when it was announced thousands of people would have been present to see the body. Friends of the family contributed many flowers."

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Harry E. Miller, was born January 1878, the son of William Henry & Fredericka [Shull] Miller. His sister, who found him the morning after he was murdered, was Jenetta Miller, who married William W. Stine. In the 1900 census, Jenessa & her husband lived in the home of her father, on Market Street in Sunbury, along with her brothers Charles & Harry.