GLEANED FROM THE BLUE EYED SIX BOOK BY Edna Carmean: A true story from the late 19th century about four men who insured the town hobo and then hired a humble butcher and local ruffian to murder him so they could collect the insurance money…. all six having blue eyes!

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The system of justice moves forward for the three remaining members of the Blue Eyed Six, Israel Brandt, Jesiah Hummel & Henry Wise. Their partners in crime Charles Drews and Franklin Stichler are dead & George Zechman got off scot-free. What would happen to them? Henry Wise thought he got a get out of jail free ticket but did he? Brandt and Hummel clung to a thin hope that an appeal which was filed on their behalf to the Supreme Court would be approved giving them a re-trial, or as a last-ditch effort they prayed for grace from the Pardon Board. Time would tell and the clock ticked on.

A chance meeting would move the decision on Wise forward. District Attorney Adams, an outspoken young man would be accosted by a reporter while waiting at the train station. In response to a question he said, “Zechman’s acquittal is to be regretted. We had a clearer case against him than the first trial, and I fully believe that he was in the conspiracy. He was the lucky one of the gang.” When asked about immunity for Wise he said, “That rumor is false. Wise stood his trial and was convicted. When he sent for us to make a statement he was informed that this could not possibly affect his case in the eyes of the law. If he turned State’s evidence before his trial, perhaps the law would have felt it a duty to interfere, but it will not do so now. He will be sentenced in December.”

As the DA predicted, in the first week of December Wise was sentenced. With Wise standing before him in a neatly clad black suit Judge Henderson said, “Henry F. Wise, you were convicted of murder. Have you anything to say why sentence should not now be passed upon you?” Wise appeared calm and his voice was loud and distinct. “I have,” he said. “and I will show that the evidence against me was incorrect. May I have a Testament?” The Testament was provided. Wise opened it and raised an accusing finger. “I would like to show that Christ was condemned an innocent man, and it is much easier to condemn a sinful man.” He took from his breast pocket a written statement in which he had dissected the evidence and contradicted all the parts harmful to him.

The judge scanned it quickly, then said, “There is nothing new here. The evidence in your case has all been heard and carefully considered. Put all such from your mind and place your trust in Him who has all power to forgive.” He paused a moment and then said solemnly, “The sentence of this Court is that you, Henry F. Wise, be taken back to the jail from whence you came, from there to the place of execution within the jail yard, there to be hanged by the neck until you are dead and may God have mercy on your soul.”

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Christmas came and went. Then in the second week of January 1880 the Supreme Court met in Philadelphia to hear the appeals of Brandt and Hummel and it’s decision was announced a month later. It affirmed the decree of the Lebanon County court. There would be no new trial. Likewise, when the attorneys for the remaining three Blue Eyed Six argued their case before the Board of Pardons in the month of March the board could find no reason to interfere in the death sentences. Governor Hoyt fixed the day for execution, naming Thursday the 13th of May and sent the death warrants to a new Lebanon County Sheriff, Simon Crall. On the last day of March Crall went to each prisoners cell and read to them the death warrants. There was no more hope.

As their day of reckoning approached, two of the men Brandt and Wise sought to make public their statements of faith. Brandt, who had earlier scoffed at the idea of accepting spiritual guidance, showed at last some stirring of religious fervor in a poem he wrote and gave to a reporter from the Harrisburg Independent. Brandt’s poem had no title but read: Verse 1: O loving wife and children dear; I love from heart you all; But I am here in jail secure; Hemmed in by lock and wall; But here I sing and pray; O Jesus take me o’er the way; Forgive me all my sins. Verse 2: Yes, Israel I was christened, Jesus’ name I see; In him I’ve found all comfort; O precious blood for me; Holy home I wish to go; My faith in Thee alone I show; For You will be my Savior. Verse 3: On God and not on mortal man; To build my hope I must; To gain my life’s salvation; With all my soul I trust; And when my walk is ended here; O take me to you Savior dear; O God Thy will be done.

Not to be outdone, Henry Wise described his last meeting with his wife to the same reporter as follows: “My dear wife left me with a sorrowful heart and great sobbing but I did not shed a tear. I said Glory to Jesus and she gave me her hand and word and kisses that she will take the word of Jesus today. So I trust her that she is praying to God for forgiveness of her sins at home and I am praying here for me and for us all, and trust that we soon may meet in that happy home above where we may never part again and praise our blessed Jesus forever and ever. Brother and sisters, do not forget me, my dear wife and eight dear loving children, in your prayers before the Lord.”

Face to face with the inevitability of morning and the waiting gallows, the three men spent their last hours in preparation for death. The YMCA (Young Men’s Christian Association) group came and held a service in each cell. Then Brandt expressed a wish to become a member of Salem Lutheran Church, and its pastor, the Reverend Trabert, received him as a member in his cell. Hummel was already a Lutheran and the two men took communion together. Pastor Trabert remained with them until after midnight. Wise had been baptized by immersion in Rausch Gap Creek in 1871 by the Reverend Israel Hay of the Church of God. Hay came to his cell to administer to him the Lord’s Supper and the rite of foot washing. After that Wise seemed completely happy and confident that his sins had been forgiven.

The morning of May 13 dawned bright and sunny which was a sharp contrast to the cold November day on which Drews and Stichler were hanged. Birds sang and the air was sweet with the scent of lilacs and apple blossoms. Pastors for the three men were on the scene early in spite of having left the prison after midnight, and they stayed with their charges until the end. The prisoners, looking quite fashionable, wore white shirts and fresh paper collars with new suits which had been made for them by a Lebanon tailor. Their lapels were adorned by Lily of the Valley flowers provided a Miss Agnes Hartman of Lebanon. A few minutes before ten, Wise was visited briefly by Brandt and Hummel who told him they forgave him for what he had done against them. Wise replied that he had done nothing that required forgiveness and his visitors left. They never spoke to each other again.

Wise had requested time to make a speech from the gallows and when Brandt and Hummel heard of it they protested, so an agreement was made for Wise to go the gallows first, give his speech and then the others would be brought out. It ended up being anticlimactic for when Wise was perched on the platform with clergy on either side of him he simply said, “I want you to know that we are all guilty as I testified. That is all I have to say.” His clergy continued and led the gathering in a hymn and the reading of Psalm 32 then closing with a prayer. Wise took part in everything, praying and singing more fervently than the ministers. After another hymn was sung by the crowd, the sheriff emerged from the jail with Brandt and Hummel. They were accompanied by two Lutheran pastors who read from the Lutheran Book of Prayer as they walked. On the gallows, neither Brandt or Hummel spoke to Wise and he gave no sign of recognizing them. They all knelt for a brief prayer after which the ministers shook hands with the prisoners and left the scaffold.

Sheriff Crall came up the steps and asked Brandt and Hummel if they had anything to say. They merely shook their heads in the negative. Then as the three men stood in a line facing the crowd their legs were tied together, their arms pinioned behind them, the ropes were adjusted around their necks and the white caps drawn over their faces. As Crall walked down the steps he struck the spring, the trap door opened, and the men dropped with a thud to the end of their ropes. They hung still and unmoving in spite of the fact that all had died of strangulation. No necks were broken, the knots had slipped. The fragrant flowers of Lily of the Valley in their lapels hung limp and drooping.

The crowd dispersed quietly and soberly. The case of the Blue Eyed Six had ended!

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LOBO COMMENTS: I began these blogs on the Blue Eyed Six almost a month ago on September 19th thinking it would be a simple thing. After an estimated 60 hours of writing not to mention all the reading, I have learned so much! I knew that two of these men were in my family tree but could not have told you which ones for the life of me. After scouring through my Uncle Wayne Anspach’s book, and then being given a copy of Edna Carmean’s book as well (by my twin brother Bruce) my mind is now indelibly imprinted with each man’s face and story. When I’m out in the community, most recently at the Levitz Park Apple Festival, I continue to meet people who say, “I’m related to one or even two of the Blue Eyed Six!” As a Christian, and student of God’s Word for over 40 years, I am fascinated by the thread of religion (man’s efforts to reach to God) and true Faith in Jesus (God’s way to reach man) which is clearly seen in this story. For me, the age-old fascination of their story of evil and murder was enlarged to also include the story of a faithful God who continues to pursue the sons of Adam until their dying day, in order that they might receive new life through His message of love and forgiveness which Jesus accomplished on the Cross. As a poet once said, “God sent his singers on the earth, with songs of gladness and of mirth. That they may touch the hearts of men, and bring them back to heaven again.” Walk with the King today and be a blessing!

Brian A. Wolfe – Worship Leader & Writer

Prison Angels: We know that mankind is capable of some of the most horrible sins and crimes against their fellowmen. In the 21st century the ugliness of man’s sins continue to streak across our TV screens week in and week out. The Bible, from practically day one, reveals the fallen nature of man in all of its ugliness as it shows that Cain, the firstborn son of Adam, murdered his brother Abel because of jealousy. The prophet Jeremiah said it correctly when he said, “The heart of man is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked.” (Jeremiah 17:9 NKJV). And yet, the Lord Jesus Christ as He was being crucified on the Cross, having two condemned men hanging on the right and left of Him, gave opportunity for them to place their faith in Him before their death. One did, one did not. It didn’t matter their crime, their religion or their good works. All that mattered was where was their faith. Was it in the Son of God or was it not?

Chuck Colson (pictured above), after serving his time in prison, became a Prison Angel and went back there to do what Jesus did, give fallen men the opportunity to turn from their sins and trust Jesus for forgiveness and find new life, eternal life. The chaplains in the time of the Blue Eyed Six did the same thing. The accounts of the chaplains endeavoring to encourage and reach the souls of the prisoners is heart warming. They began their work as soon as the men were incarcerated and continued it right up onto the gallows. They were there in love and mercy doing the work of Jesus in order that the free gift of salvation could be received by the condemned men. It would be up to each prisoner to receive the grace and forgiveness of God, humbling themselves in true repentance and as it were casting themselves at the foot of the Cross where they could by faith find forgiveness and trust in the Savior for eternal life. Did they become true believers? You be the judge as you read the accounts of the work of the Prison Angels and the responses of Drews and Stichler.

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THE EXCECUTIONS of DREWS and STICHLER: (from the “Blue Eyed Six” by Wayne H. Anspach) When the day arrived, at about 9 o’clock in the morning, four ministers of the Gospel entered the jail. The corridor resounded with the echo of prayer and praise first in the cell of each man alone. In Stichler’s cell the holy sacrament of communion was administered and afterward Stichler offered up a very fervent prayer manifesting full consciousness of his condition and showing a peaceful frame of mind. While this was going on Drews had gone to visit his other companions and gave them a final farewell. When he came to the “squealer” Henry Wise, he expressed his discontent at what Wise had done, but nevertheless he spoke the words to him, “I forgive you.”

After this, solemn and impressive services were held in Drews cell, both the condemned men being present with the addition of another minister. Here prayer and praise worship continued from about 10 o’clock to the arrival of the sheriff who announced all was in readiness for the execution. They sang the songs “Grace Be With You”, “Soon Be Over There” with others calculated to inspire thoughts of the other world. Drews and Stichler joined heartily in these impressive services. At 10:45 a loud voice rang through the corridor, intended as a general notice to prepare for the execution. The service ended with one of Moody and Sankey’s hymns about trial and temptation, the sentiment of which was explosive and the effect apparent. The sheriff got them ready to move and while the procession was being formed they all sang, “O Lamb of God, I come” (today’s hymn “Just As I Am”) and the march to the gallows was begun, with the sheriff and his deputy at the head and two ministers walking in front of the inmates and three behind them with one reading an invocation and the prisoners repeated each line as they walked. Ascending the steps of the platform the condemned men stood for a few moments with hands folded and showing no signs of fear. More service were conducted as a minister read the 14th chapter of Job as a light rain began to fall.

Stichler continued to mutter silent prayers invoking the grace and mercy of the High Court above. Another hymn was read and the two prisoners joined in singing. Another prayer was offered as Drews and Stichler knelt on the platform with their eyes looking heavenward with Stichler’s fixed gaze as if seeking to penetrate the veil of the future. It was a scene long to be remembered and visibly affected many who stood by. The court-house clock struck the hour of eleven as they all joined in repeating the Lord’s Prayer. To close the service a minister read the hymn, “A Fountain Filled With Blood from Emanuel’s Veins”. (LOBO COMMENT: As a worship leader, I believe this was a powerful worship service. The hymn they used to close is one of my all time favorites, known today as “There Is A Fountain”. Here are just a portion of the powerful words: “There is a fountain filled with blood, drawn from Emanuel’s veins, and sinners plunged beneath that flood, lose all their guilty stains. The dying thief rejoiced to see that fountain in his day, And there may I so vile as he wash all my sins away.” )

Drews and Stichler’s legs and arms were pinioned by stout straps. Stichler, who was the last one bound, being engaged in silent prayer all the while. The rope was first adjusted around Drews’ neck and the white cap drawn over his head, and as they were performing the same operation on Stichler, Drews cried out, “Frank, now we go to heaven, now let go, oh, Father, help.” Both men trembled all over like Aspen leaves for a moment before the fatal blow was struck and they shot through the trap launching them into eternity. Neither struggled except a slight drawing up of the feet of Stichler. Their bodies were placed in very plain coffins, furnished by the Directors of the Poor. Drews was buried in the military section of the Mt. Lebanon Cemetery and Stichler in his mother’s garden in the backyard of his father’s house in Indiantown Gap.

NEXT UP: The end of Brandt, Hummel & Wise!

Blue Eyed Six & The Faith – Chp 15 (The End)

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THE BIBLE: For with You is the fountain of life; In Your light we see light. For the Lamb who is in the midst of the throne will shepherd them and lead them to living fountains of waters. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes. And He said to me, It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will give of the fountain of the water of life freely to him who thirsts. (Psalm 36:9; Revelation 7:17; 21:6 NKJV)

GLEANED FROM THE BLUE EYED SIX BOOKS BY Edna Carmean & Wayne H. Anspach: A true story from the late 19th century about four men who insured the town hobo and then hired a humble butcher and local ruffian to murder him so they could collect the insurance money…. all six having blue eyes!

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ZECHMAN’s RE-TRIAL was held November 7, 1879. It was amazing that George Zechman slipped the hangman’s noose but he did. He was seen as a member of “the four” many times at Israel Brandt’s hotel. He was even at the creek after Raber was drowned. He also met with the insurance man to sign the death proof forms in order to collect his money! So why did he get off? The legend passed down through the years is hat he hired a slick lawyer and guess what? He did! Sixty-four year old Francis Wade Huges from Pottsville was hired and the country bumpkin attorneys of Lebanon County were just no match for this formidable court adversary. He was reared with cultural advantages which conferred a stature denied the sons of the Pennsylvania Dutch dirt farmers. He started studying law at seventeen, was admitted to the bar when he was twenty, and had a highly successful law practice. He also served eleven years as deputy attorney general and was white-haired and handsome and exuded a powerful courtroom presence.

Henry Wise who was the first to confess to the crime was the Commonwealth’s star witness against Zechman and ended up being Attorney Hughes first victim. Hughes picked Wise apart like a vulture over a roadside skeleton. Wise testified that he told Charles Drews and others on many occasions that he didn’t want Raber drowned but through the piercing questioning of Hughes, it was revealed that no one but Wise ever could substantiate that statement. It apparently never happened and as that statement was disproved Wise’s whole testimony against the others began to unravel and the thought that Zechman may be innocent began to take hold. Hughes also proved that though Zechman might have purchased insurance on Raber, which was legal, he was never seen encouraging Stichler or Drews to commit the crime like the others were. Other than the word of the other defendants, no one testified that Zechman was in on the plotting of Raber’s death.

Here’s an example of Hughes argument in the courtroom from Edna Carmean’s Blue Eyed Six book: Francis Wade Huges approached the twelve men in the jury box and surveyed them silently for a few moments. An impressive figure with his keen dark eyes, white hair and solid bulk, he dominated the room like an actor in his favorite role. His resonant voice and immaculate diction added to the effect. “You have no right,” he said quietly, “to rely on the testimony of Henry wise. He is a convicted accomplice, and he testifies here to save his own neck! I have tried many men accused of crimes, and I never asked a jury to convict a single man upon the evidence of an accomplice unless he was corroborated in every material instance.” Huges raised his right hand in a fist and looked along the line of jurors. “There is no human eye,” he thundered, “and I suspect not even the All-Seeing Eye, that ever saw Zechman in communication with Drews. You have not a single iota of testimony showing that Zechman ever spoke to Stichler or Drews prior to the murder of Raber.”

Others testified for and against Zechman but the above argument was the most powerful and so it prevailed. On November 13, 1879 eleven months after the crime was committed, George Zechman was found not guilty. Zechman’s attorney gave a shout of joy and burst into tears and threw his arms around Zechman’s shoulders. Zechman stood motionless without any change of expression. He was dismissed from the court room and was met out on the street by his wife and a group of friends who drove him to his home in the mountains, and to the obscurity he had ardently desired during his long months in the public limelight. Local legend in subsequent years says that he lived a tormented life and had excruciating boils break out on his body time and time again until he met his Maker just 7 short years later, dying at the young age of forty-seven.

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Once Zechman’s trial was over the wheels of justice moved quickly forward for Charles Drews and Franklin Stichler. In the afternoon, after Zechman was freed, Sheriff Deininger visited Drews and Stichler in their cells to give them bad news. Their lawyers were unsuccessful in getting them a reprieve from Governor Hoyt. A telegram was received from him that stated he would not interfere with the executions and so they would be hanged soon after 10 o’clock the next morning! Stichler said, “I am ready.” Drews said, “Let it be so.” Then added, “Just one thing Sheriff, do a good job.”

NEXT UP: PRISON ANGELS!

Blue Eyed Six & The Faith – Chp 14 (Prison Angels)

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THE BIBLE: Seek the Lord while He may be found, Call upon Him while He is near. Let the wicked forsake his way, And the unrighteous man his thoughts; Let him return to the Lord, And He will have mercy on him; And to our God, For He will abundantly pardon” (Isaiah 55:6-7 NKJV)

FROM THE BOOK “THE BLUE EYED SIX” BY Edna Carmean:  A true story from the late 19th century about four men who insured the town hobo and then hired a humble butcher and local ruffian to murder him so they could collect the insurance money…. all six having blue eyes!

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CONFESSIONS: After George Zechman was granted a new trial, the other men requested the same but were refused. They all had professed their innocence but after two weeks of mulling their fate the pressure and the strain continued to build.

Henry Wise, known as the hymn-singer, was the first to crack. The Commonwealth attorneys spent two hours closeted with Wise but nothing was made public. Nevertheless, word spread like wildfire through the jail and the town that Wise had made a complete confession implicating the other men but exonerating himself. The court convened two days later and the room was jammed to the full. All the prisoners but Zechman filed into the room with Henry Wise bringing up the rear. Wise was noticeably shaken while the others remained hard faced and stern.

District Attorney Adams moved for the sentence to be announced on all but Wise. The prisoners were asked if they had anything to say about why the sentence of death should not be pronounced. The prisoners each responded. Drews: “Nothing, I am not guilty”. Hummel: “I have nothing to say at present.” Stichler, who trembled as he spoke: “I am not guilty, and I did not get justice here.” Brandt: “No, not now, but when the time comes, then I’ll tell.”

Judge Henderson said, “We have patiently considered and re-considered everything that has been advanced in your defense. Your cause has been zealously guarded by most able counsel. You are judged guilty of murder in the first degree and its punishment is death. It is wisdom to punish crime and has Divine sanction. We commend you to the mercy of Him who will hear the cry of the penitent and cleanse the guilty of all unrighteousness. It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man.” (LOBO: Wow! You would never hear that kind of pronouncement in court today!) The judge continued, “It is considered by the Court, that you be taken by the sheriff to the prison from whence you came, and then to the place of execution within the walls of the jail yard of Lebanon County and there be hanged by the neck until you are dead, and may God have mercy on your soul.” From that point on the team spirit of the Blue Eyed Six was breaking up. Zechman’s new trial was set for November and he was suspicious of Henry Wise since the judge didn’t pass sentence on him. The other five were convinced that Wise had made a deal with the judge by giving damaging information about them.

Charles Drews was the next to make a move and called for the Commonwealth attorneys and his story was printed in the newspapers. His testimony implicated the other five men as he told his winding tale from the first day going to Israel Brandt’s hotel the previous summer when Brandt, over a mug of free beer, asked him to drown Raber and he ended with the details of how Stichler, who he had asked to do the drowning, tossed Raber into the cold Indiantown Creek. He said that he didn’t even see Raber’s struggles and had not gone into the water. He also told of an earlier plot with other characters at Kitzmiller’s dam which was not carried through. When the DA asked him it there was anything else he said, “If you hang me you will hang an innocent man!”

Franklin Stichler was next as he called for his attorney, the Commonwealth attorney Gobin and the sheriff, plus a reporter from the Courier newspaper. When asked why he wanted to talk now he replied, “Because there is no hope for me. I know it. Nothing more can be done. I only want to tell the truth and have it known,” as tears ran down his face. Like Drews, he started at the beginning and told of meeting with “the four” conspirators at Brandt’s hotel when they revealed to him their plot. The next time he heard about it was when he was coming back from Harrisburg and ran into Drews, Peters and Raber returning from Kitzmiller’s dam, where they had a plan to drown Raber but didn’t follow through. Stichler went on to further implicate Peters as he revealed that he had gone to Jonestown to buy chloroform or ether to use on Raber but they ended up not using it. Then he gave the details of the afternoon of the drowning including that Drews had assisted by pushing on his shoulders in order to help him hold Raber under the water, which is in fact what Peters testimony  had described. He finished with, “I make this confession because there is no hope for me and I want to tell the truth. This is a correct history of the affair and I am perfectly willing for it to be published.”

Israel Brandt was now ready to talk. There was considerable excitement in the town when this became known since he was considered to be the ringleader of the Blue Eyed Six. He was taken to sheriff Deininger’s office where his and the commonwealth council and one reporter was present. Brandt’s confession was more devious than the plan he designed in the first place! Of course it was everybody else’s fault. Wise was the mastermind who brought Raber, the insurance man and the doctor to his hotel to examine Raber. He was not involved at all, he was just a spectator! The insurance man owed him money and offered a policy on Raber in order to pay him back. He said, “I know nothing of a conspiracy to put Raber out of the way.” He described his involvement after the drowning, sending for the doctor and the coroner as acts of a good neighbor. He further accused Wise of forging his name to letters. He finished with, “I stake my eternal salvation upon the assertion that I know nothing of this conspiracy. I never offered Drews one cent or anything else to drown Raber.” (LOBO: So much for a confession!)

Hummel’s statement was brief. “I know nothing more of this thing except the policy of insurance which I got from Henry Wise. I bought it as others buy policies in that neighborhood. I didn’t have anything to do with the drowning, as sure as there is a God in Heaven!”

LOBO COMMENT: Who do YOU think was telling the truth? If you’ve been following this closely and recall all of the other testimonies it appears to me there is a bit of truth and lies in Drews and Stichler’s confessions, but I think Brandt and Hummel were totally fabricating! Of course Drews didn’t want to admit to pushing on Stichler’s shoulders in helping to drown Raber, which made him a direct accomplice in the murder. Stichler I believe was jealous of Peters who now had Lena all to himself, so he tried to implicate him and smear his reputation. A confession is not a confession if it is not true, period. The Lord knows the heart of every person, and it is best to tell the truth and nothing but the truth, so help you God!

Next: A Retrial Granted

Blue Eyed Six & The Faith – Chp 13 (Zechman Re-Trial)

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THE BIBLE: I acknowledged my sin to You, And my iniquity I have not hidden. I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,” And You forgave the iniquity of my sin. And they stood up in their place and read from the Book of the Law of the Lord their God for one–fourth of the day; and for another fourth they confessed and worshiped the Lord their God. (Psalm 32:5; Nehemiah 9:3)

There is an astounding truth about our Heavenly Father that you may be surprised to know. He searches for you! His gaze is constantly upon earth. He looks in every nook and cranny of this planet searching for one or more or thousands or millions of creatures who will reflect his glory. Animals can’t do that, yes they can be awesome, cute and loveable but cannot reflect God’s glory. Creation can be breathtaking and reflect the immensity and power of God but not His actual glory or His image.

If not animals or creation then what? I’ll tell you what, or rather who, it’s His crown achievement, you and me! We are the only ones in creation who can reflect God’s image and his glory. Genesis tells us, “So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them” (Gen 2:7 NKJV). We also read in 2 Chronicles 16:9 (KJV), “For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth to show Himself strong on the behalf of those whose heart is perfect toward Him.”

The evidence is clear! God is looking for you! You probably say, “I’m a basket case! How can I reflect God’s glory?” Yes you are, and I’m glad you asked! There’s another truth that is amazing and that is God “draws” us to Himself. Jesus said, “No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him” (John 6:44 NKJV). So He’s looking AND He’s drawing like a magnet! Unfortunately, due to our first parents fall from grace, God’s image in them (and so in ours) was marred, and the path to God was blocked. Therefore we don’t have the access or the capacity of showing His glory without His redeeming help and that’s why Jesus came to earth.

The prophet Isaiah put it this way, “Seek the Lord while He may be found, Call upon Him while He is near. Let the wicked forsake his way, And the unrighteous man his thoughts; Let him return to the Lord, And He will have mercy on him; And to our God, For He will abundantly pardon” (Isaiah 55:6-7 NKVJ). If you have an inkling of interest in spiritual things God is drawing you. Actually, you wouldn’t have gotten this far in this blog if you didn’t! You are a candidate for God to show Himself strong on your behalf. The Psalmist said, “Whom have I in heaven but You? And there is none upon earth that I desire besides You. My flesh and my heart fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever” (Psalm 73:25,26 KJV).

So if you have taken that critical step of faith to trust Jesus to forgive you of your sins and make you His child, then you are set to become a reflector of God’s glory for all the world to see. Your life will shine, your home will shine, your workplace or school will shine. Check this amazing verse by the Apostle Paul, “Whenever someone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image.” (2 Corinthians 3:17-18 NLT). As we grow in faith by “reflecting” the Lord through reading, memorizing and meditating on His Word, we are changed into His image and His face shines through us. That’s just incredible!

If you’re not sure you have taken that vital step of faith read my blog entitled Guaranteed Reservation in Heaven! for a clear presentation of how to receive the free gift of salvation.

God is looking, God is drawing, so seek Him today and rejoice in Him when you meet!

More faith building messages here: New Blog Index

FROM THE BOOK “THE BLUE EYED SIX” BY Edna Carmean:  A true story from the late 19th century about four men who insured the town hobo and then hired a humble butcher and local ruffian to murder him so they could collect the insurance money…. all six having blue eyes!

LOBO COMMENTS: In previous chapters I covered the backgrounds of all six men and the beginning of the trial, including personal testimonies of witnesses and arguments of the Prosecution. So for the sake of brevity I will summarize the defense’s arguments and the various legal maneuverings that occurred from that point forward. I mentioned earlier that having the trial just four quick months after the murder was rapid justice. I may have spoken a bit too soon. I’m sure that the end of the trials and final dispositions of the  Blue Eyed Six wrapped up much quicker than it would ever have happened in the 21st century, but in the 19th century the necessary time was still taken to be sure the defendants had access to, and pursued all of their options before any sentence was carried out.

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THE TRIAL CONTINUES: The Defense counsel called a doctor to the stand who testified that in his opinion, since there were no defensive marks on the body of Raber,  he could not have been forcibly drowned. Upon expert cross-examination by the prosecution it ended up that the doctor agreed that if the assailant only took hold of Raber’s shoulders, and since he was wearing a coat, there would be no defensive marks and so his testimony was a help to the prosecution rather than the defense!

Then it was necessary that the strongest witnesses, Joseph and Lena Peters, must be shown to be liars in order to try to put aside their damning testimony. So other family members (Lena’s older sister Molly and younger brother Penrose) were called to the stand and their testimonies totally contradicted what Joseph and Lena had said. They claimed Joseph and Lena were drunk the afternoon of the drowning, asleep in the upstairs bedroom of the Drews home until at least 9 o’clock pm that night. They never awoke long enough to peer out that window at the time of the drowning. Witnesses were also paraded in front of the 12 men jury that would all say Joe Raber was seen that day acting very giddy with an obvious case of vertigo and assuredly must have just fallen off that narrow plank and drowned in just 17 inches of water.

The problem with these two arguments was that there was at least half a dozen witnesses from the community who testified seeing Joe & Lena down by the creek in the 7 to 8 o’clock pm timeframe and if Joe Raber had vertigo how could he have walked 6 miles that day from out in Fishing Creek Valley, as one witness testified seeing him there, without collapsing along the road somewhere along the way? Plus, a man who falls into just 17 inches of water should be able to easily stand up rather than just lay there.

Then a replica of the window from the Drews home was presented and the window panes were all covered with pitch since they argued that the upstairs of the house was often used to smoke meat. But a Commonwealth witness testified that from the path in front of the Drews home he could clearly see through that window and see light shining through the roof of the house where a shake shingle was missing.

Day 5 & 6 were taken up by a back and forth between the Defense and the Prosecution which seemed to go on forever and finally the insurance agent was called again to testify, but the Defense was not successful in turning him to their side in order to build their case. At the conclusion, on the sixth day at 3 o’clock on the 24th day of April, the case was given to the jury to consider the six blue-eyed men’s fate. The judge indicated they would adjourn until 9am the next morning or until the ringing of the Court House bell. At 8:30 am the next morning the Court House bell rang out and the citizens rushed from all directions to the court-house to get a seat.

The judge called the jury in and asked for the verdict. A burly farmer in the front row stood up and said firmly, “Guilty in the first degree”. The Defense attorney asked that the jury be polled and each man was asked the question separately for each defendant and so the same phrase was heard seventy-two times in the tense courtroom, “Guilty in the first degree”.

The Lebanon Daily News reported the next day, “There is not another case on record, either in this country or in England, where six men were found guilty of murder on one indictment.” This gave the Defense team an idea so in mid-June they filed a motion for new trials which would separate Drews and Stichler from the other four defendants who, in their opinion, should have been charged with second degree rather than first degree murder. They also claimed to have evidence there were mistakes made by the court in that a juror had spoken to someone before the trial and admitted his mind was already made up that they were all guilty even before hearing the evidence. They also questioned whether there was sufficient evidence to connect George Zechman to the conspiracy.

On August 4th Judge Henderson dealt with these matters. He said to a full court room, that the prisoners could have been tried separately but had elected to be tried as a group. Plus the jury was polled and each juror had already ruled in the first degree against each defendant. Then the surprise announcement was made concerning George Zechman. The judge stated, on searching the testimony, he could not find an act or declaration of this defendant which fixed upon him beyond a reasonable doubt a complicity in this murder. Therefore, he was granting a new trial to George Zechman!

Up next: Confessions and Sentencing

Blue Eyed Six & The Faith – Chp 12 (Confessions)

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THE BIBLE: Then they said to one another, “We are truly guilty concerning our brother, for we saw the anguish of his soul when he pleaded with us, and we would not hear; therefore this distress has come upon us. The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, by no means clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children and the children’s children to the third and the fourth generation.” (Genesis 42:21; Exodus 34:6-8)

When I was growing up we often went to my grandparent’s house on my mother’s side. This quaint home was a very interesting place. In the early years there was no inside bathroom, even though there was running water for the kitchen sink, and the only source of heat was a Morning Comfort cook stove in the kitchen/dining area. If you stayed overnight in the winter grandma would warm a brick in the cookstove oven and then wrap it in a towel and place it between the cold sheets at the foot of your bed. Pop, as grandpa was called, ruled the roost with dictatorial fervor. You just didn’t get in his way, sit in his chair, use his drinking cup, move his fly swatter or break a myriad of other rules if you wanted to live!

Grandma, or Maggie as she was called by her friends, knew how to handle Pop and she was an angel sent from heaven. I know of no other woman in my life who changed the course of history as she did for her family. She did it with a quiet but undying faith in her Savior and an unconditional love for the people around her, sometime in very trying circumstances. She was a worker and she knew how to serve and was a picture of humility. For the purposes of this blog I will switch to calling her Maggie as Gus would have called her. Who was Gus Anderson? He was just one more poor soul that Pop brought home for Maggie to serve, which she did so well for anyone who stepped into her humble abode. I remember Gus as a slender softspoken and kind man who wore one of those fedora hats and was kind of hunched over in the shoulders.

Gus hailed from New York City and came to the area with his family and he was already somewhat advanced in years. For some unknown reason his family left and he remained. Having no place to live, a small rectangular shack, which might have been a train car in bygone years, was provided for him by a kind neighbor, and it was just across a small field from where Maggie lived. Maggie and Gus became buddies. When it was butchering time farmer Elliot would call on Maggie and Gus to come help with some of the tasks we would call “dirty jobs” today. Like scrubbing the coarse hair off of a pig after it had been dipped in scalding water. Or how about scraping the insides of the intestines clean so that they could be used to make sausage? This was Maggie’s specialty and for these menial tasks she and Gus were rewarded with a plenteous supply of meat.

Gus and Pop got along real well too, especially when Pop was ready to “tie one on” and that was often. Maggie didn’t participate but the clean up job always fell to her and she never complained. As Gus’s age advanced he became ill with cancer and this was in the days before the treatments we have today. Gus had no family, but praise God he did have Maggie as she stepped in and took care of him in his dying days. She’d walk across the field and deliver meals to him, tidy up his house, wash his clothes and talk to him and encourage him in his weakness and solitude. As Gus became less and less mobile she would be his nurse and do for him the things that only nurses have the stomach to do until the day he died. Maggie knew how to serve and to love others just like her Savior did.

The funny thing is she never boasted or complained about what she had to do for Gus. I just learned this story from my uncle (her son) the other day at least 50 years after the fact. But I’m sure when she stepped into the gates of heaven back in 1989 she was met with a chorus of praise and a welcoming word from her heavenly Father, “Come on in Maggie, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me.” (Mt. 25:34-36 NKJV)

Is there a Gus Anderson in your world today? Serve him like Maggie would.

To start my day I read the Psalms which is an amazing book of the Bible. I use the “30 Plus Plan” reading a total of 5 Psalms (you can check out that plan in my blog of August 13th.)

So today I read these words: “Sin whispers to the wicked, deep within their hearts. They have no fear of God at all. In their blind conceit, they cannot see how wicked they really are. Everything they say is crooked and deceitful. They refuse to act wisely or do good. They lie awake at night, hatching sinful plots. Their actions are never good. They make no attempt to turn from evil.” (Psalm 36:1-4 NLT) 

This is like watching the latest news or reading the newspaper! This Psalm unfortunately is a snapshot of the culture we see today in America. Everyone is wringing their hands about the violence in our society, the selling of baby parts by Planned Parenthood, the unchecked rioting and property destruction in major cities, the senseless taking of life by psychotic gunmen in our theaters, schools and colleges and I could go on! When a nation ignores God, like America has, there will be consequences.

The scourge of abortion over the last 4 decades cannot help but put a huge scar on the soul and conscience of our nation. The Bible says that in the end times things will get worse not better and those end times may be closer than anyone knows! But before I leave you too depressed, this same Psalm goes on to say: “How precious is your unfailing love, O God! All humanity finds shelter in the shadow of your wings. You feed them from the abundance of your own house, letting them drink from your river of delights. For you are the fountain of life, the light by which we see.” (Psalm 36:7-9 NLT)

So there IS light shining in darkness, there IS a God who provided shelter at the Cross of Jesus who IS the only fountain of life. He calls us to come to Him in faith believing and when we do, we find all that we need to be lights in an increasingly dark world. Starting today lets pray for revival in our land and be people who show the love of Jesus to a lost and dying world.

The Pilgrims came to this land for religious freedom so they could spread the message of Jesus and give God all the glory. As America grew the pulpits were aflame with the preaching of righteousness, and circuit riding preachers criss-crossed the land calling people to faith and opposing all evil. Our founding documents included a reverence for God and our laws were taken from His Holy Word the Bible. State after state followed suit and in their founding documents a recognition of our Creator and a desire to honor Him and give Him glory was evident.

But unfortunately, after time passed the pulpits of America grew cold and the preaching of repentance and faith in Jesus was gradually replaced with a system of works. The original lie of Satan, that man could work to be like God and earn a place in heaven began to take hold. Satan and his demons worked efficiently to create all kinds of perverse avenues for the sons and daughters of Adam to corrupt their fallen nature even further and insulate them from the Good News that Jesus saves.

God’s Word and prayer was taken from our schools and the secularists re-interpreted our constitution which originally intended to keep the government out of the church, to instead mean that there should be NO evidence of Faith in our government! Liberal judges followed this perversity and began to strike the Faith out of public life while seated in the very halls where our Founders chiseled in stone the 10 Commandments and other Holy passages for all to see! Our presidents take the oath of office with their hand on the Bible and even the inscription in the top of the Washington monument declares “Glory to God!”

To make matters worse today, the pulpits of America for the most part have remained cold and silent. There is practically no calling of the people to turn in repentance and find new life in Jesus. Those who are believers and could share the Good News are for the most part silent about their faith. They are intimidated by the spirit of Satan who is the god of the world in which we live. Satan has succeeded in silencing the true church and we are paying the consequences.

Jesus said that Satan was a murder and a liar from the beginning and the carnage we see around us is a result of man believing Satan’s lies that WE can be notorious, WE can be something, WE can be famous, WE can get the glory that only belongs to God, just like Satan did in the beginning of time.

Jesus said that without God as Father, a person’s father is the devil, and the desires of their father they will do. He went on to say that Satan was a murderer from the beginning, and did not believe in the truth, because there was no truth in him. (John 8:44) These killers across America are driven by Satan and should not be lauded or worshipped but should be pitied, for they have believed the lie and are trophies of Satan’s success in his mission to eliminate for them, any chance of giving glory to God.

We are reaping the unholy whirlwind of a nation and a church who has turned from God. We have turned from the way of truth, from the way of forgiveness and healing. Our nation and leaders must turn back to the Faith of our founders. The holy foundations must be rebuilt. When our churches once again become “Saving Stations” preaching righteousness and repentance and faith in Jesus, then and only then will God once again get the glory He deserves and the healing of our land will begin.

If my people who are called by my name will humble themselves, and pray and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sins and heal their land. (2 Chronicles 7:14)

FROM THE BOOK “THE BLUE EYED SIX” BY Edna Carmean:  A true story from the late 19th century about four men who insured the town hobo and then hired a humble butcher and local ruffian to murder him so they could collect the insurance money…. all six having blue eyes!

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DAY THREE: The trial of the Blue Eyed Six continues in the Lebanon Court house. A host of witnesses were called by the prosecution. Here are just a few highlights.

Jacob Kreiser: He lived 1/2 mile from the scene of the drowning. His testimony matched the testimony of the first witness Josiah Nye. He was a teamster who hauled coal to his customers which took him by Brandt’s hotel on a daily basis. He often saw “the four” at the hotel.

William Nye: Josiah Nye’s testified seeing all six men at Brandt’s on a regular basis, while riding his horse. Upon further questioning he fainted!

Elijah Stichler (Frank Stichler’s uncle) and neighbor to Brandt: Over heated objections from the defense was allowed to tell his story. As part of an earlier scheme Drews had offered him $100 to help kill old Joe Raber. He proposed that Drews and Elijah would take Joe fishing to Kitzmiller’s dam and go out on the water on a flat bottom boat. Drews would throw the old man into the water and Elijah would pole the boat over him to keep him down. Then they would jump in the water and go report to a neighbor, Michael Kohr, that they tried to save Raber but were unsuccessful. Brandt had also talked to him about the scheme and said their first plan was to chloroform Raber but he decided drowning was better. Elijah said on the day they were to drown Raber, Drews came to his door but he made an excuse of being sick and didn’t go along.

Michael Kohr: This witness lived close to Kitzmiller’s dam and testified he knew all six defendants and that in late November Brandt and Hummel stopped at his place and before leaving they stood by the dam for some time looking at the boats.

Jacob Kreiser & Charles Geib: They both testified they saw Joe Peters and his wife Lena with the crowd at the creek between 7 and 8 o’clock on the night of the drowning.

Lafayette Kreiser: He testified that the day after the drowning he saw four of the defendants, Stichler, Brandt, Hummel & Wise together behind Brandt’s shed. He could not hear what they were saying but he knew they were talking about money. He saw them behind the shed again on a day that Schweinhard, the insurance agent, was there.

Armand Weaver: The Coroner was called for the Commonwealth. He gave his testimony in a loud and assured voice. Early in the morning of December 8th he said, two of the defendants, Israel Brandt and Josiah Hummel appeared at his house to report the drowning. They had already secured a team for him to make his trip to Indiantown Gap. Weaver took Brandt to the home of a Dr. Alwine who accompanied them to hold an inquest on the body of the drowned man. He said Brandt was quite drunk and while they were on the way he told Weaver that he and others had the victim insured. He said he would give the Coroner $20 to file a good report so they could get their insurance money without any trouble.

Joseph Peters: He was recalled to re-hash the conversation he had with Drews in the mountain while chopping wood. He affirmed that Drews offered him money to participate in the drowning of Raber and that he refused. “I told him, that it wouldn’t do no good to drown Raber that they would find it out, and he said that nobody would find it out, that nobody would care. He was an old man who lived in the mountain and nobody would care if he would be worked out of the way.”

George Schweinhard: The insurance man was recalled to testify about circumstances at Brandt’s house when the proof of death documents were made out for the various insurance companies. “They were all there,” said Schweinhard, “except Zechman. We were talking in the side room and Stichler was laying on the bar in the bar room. After we finished making out the proofs, Stichler called Wise, Brandt and Hummel by name and said he wanted to see them so they went outdoors.” He then heard Stichler say, “I must have it today. I can’t wait any longer.”

Schweinhard stepped down and the Commonwealth rested its case. It was almost 11 o’clock at night. Court was adjourned.

NEXT UP: THE DEFENSE!

https://lobochronicles.com/?s=blue+eyed+chp+11

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THE BIBLE: Lord, who may dwell in your sacred tent? Who may live on your holy mountain? The one whose walk is blameless, who does what is righteous, who speaks the truth from their heart; whose tongue utters no slander, who does no wrong to a neighbor, and casts no slur on others. Guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long. (Psalm 15:2; 25:5)

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