| - - |- - - LIVES Crime. AND A HISTORY OF witH A TRUE STATEMENT OF THEIR | DE Cº Sº V C Fºº ºx N. L. THEIR ºn TRAVELS Flight and Capture, A ND COE OF THE M A lºt lºº. º º º º % N º º º {NS | º º NNN º º N º wº - - º % ºft|º º º --- | º ISAAC ROSEN WEIG. * º MARKS MURDERERS. LIFE OF ISAAC ROSEN WEIG. ISAAC ROSENWEIG was born in Cracrero, Rus- sia, February 23d, 1866. He is the oldest of a family of ten children. At the age of five years he was sent to school where he was kept until fourteen years of age. Isaac went to live with an uncle in 1881, a harness maker by trade. In 1882 his uncle went to Berlin, Germany, where Isaac remained nearly three years, during which time he learned the German language. In August, 1885, he accompanied a cousin to Paris, France, and during his two years sojourn there, he acquired the French language, which he speaks freely. In the fall of 1887, for some unexplained reas- on, he hastily packed his effects and vacated the position he held in Paris and shipped for South America, locating at Cyenne. It was several weeks after he landed in the capitol of French Guiana before he procured work, and his limit- ed means being nearly exhausted, he was obliged to accept a position on a railway, where he spent about fourteen months, saving from his earnings $218.00. In the spring of 1889 he returned to 2 Cracrero, Russia, to visit his immediate rela- tives, with whom he remained about four months. In September, 1889, he took passage to New York, where he procured a position in a Peddlers Supply House, where he first met with Harris Black, with whom he afterwards formed a co- partnership under the firm name of Harris & Charley. Isaac Rosenweig received a good education in the common English branches, and in his wanderings has learned three different languages all of which he converses freely. His weight is about 160 pounds, five feet eight inches tall, sandy complexion, Roman nose, dark hair, and sharp searching eyes. In meeting with him and conversing, one would judge him to have been well bred and accustomed, in his early days, to refined society. His parents are both living. His father is a well-to-do glue manufacturer. LIFE OF HARRIS BLANK. HARRIs BLANK was born in Rushland, Rus- sia, October 18th, 1865. When but six years old his father died, leaving his mother with limited means to support and bring up a family of seven children, four girls and three boys, of which Harris was next to the youngest. His school advantages were very limited, yet like all Hebrews, he was required to learn to read At the age of nine years he commenced to 3 r assist in the support of the family by earning three Rubles per week and his board. He worked for many different persons and various vocations at increased wages until he attained the age of fourteen years when he engaged with a manufacturer of cut tobacco in Wasseno, with whom he remained four years, having saved by strict economy in our money about $70. In 1883 he married Silon Epstein, of Rush- land, and in April, 1884, went to London ac- companied by his wife, when he engaged in cutting tobacco by hand and making cigaretts, at which he was an expert. He was engaged in London four years and three months, when a cousin of his persuaded him to come to New York. After deciding upon this adventure he sent his wife and two children to her home with her parents, there to remain until he should be able to have her join him here, and in July, 1889, he landed in New York. While buying some goods in a Peddlers Supply Store he met with Isaac Rosenweig with whom he formed a copartnership under the firm name of Harris & Charley. THE KILLING OF MARKS. The Story of the Crime Gathered at Different Times as Related by Rosenzweig in the Aſearing of Blank. We had been peddling for several weeks be- fore the things that I have decided to tell you, transpired. 4. - º We commenced doing business under the firm name of Harris & Charlie, with a poor rig and ~ a small stock of goods. During the month of January and February, 1892, the times were º . hard for us and our capital was nearly used up. Yet we could secure goods on sixty days' time from some Jewish firms in New York. We carried a small assortment of clothing, dry goods, notions and cheap jewelry. We knew that Jakey Marks had been home in Towanda and would soon start over his established route with a fresh supply of goods. We met him near Forkston on the road the day previous to the day that he was killed, and found out sure that he was going up the moun- tain the following day. We knew where he was going to stay that night for Jew peddlers have their regular places of stopping when they can make it convient, so after we had planned 2. to rob him we procured lodgings at the next house. On the morning of March 18th, we º 2. - started out and after a short time overtook him on his way up the mountain. We had pre- pared ourselves with some whiskey. One plan 3. was that when we overtook him, was to have him drink with us until he was drunk, then we would rob him of his box of jewelry, with º which Rosenweig was to go to New York. There was a heavy body of snow on the ground - which made traveling hard work. After we overtook Jakey and offered him some whiskey, he refused to drink with us but we both took a drink from the bottle. We com- menced to fool around in the snow, finally 5 Rosenweig and Jakey started on up the moun- tain road and Blank took to his rig. Blank’s horse fell down in the snow and in its struggles to get up became tangled in the harness and was thrashing around when Jakey Marks came run- ning back to assist in getting the horse on its feet again. While Marks was thus lending a helping hand Rosenweig took the box contain- ing the jewelry and threw it out by the side of the road and covered it with snow, and started Jakey's horse on up the road a few feet and stopped for Jakey. Again Jakey was asked and urged to drink, which he refused to do, and they started on when Jakey looked around in the sleigh, missed the box of jewelry and asked for it. Rosenweig denied having any knowledge of its whereabouts when Jakey seeing the snow had been piled up mistrusted the game and started to examine the spot. While in the act of doing this Rosenweig pushed him over and Blank came up, as Jakey got up and started for the box Rosenweig shot him in the back and Jakey called for help, Blank then caught him and held him and Rosenweig fired the second shot hitting him in the head near the ear, Jakey did not speak again, struggled for a short time and all was over. The wound in the head bled profusely and we tried to stop it with an old handkerchief, so as not to leave marks in the S11OW. - To dispose of the body occupied our first at- tention. Near the spot there was a sluceway under which we tried to push the body but failed. Near by was an unoccupied house to 6 which Rosenweig went to but failed to get in- side as the doors were securely fastened. We then placed the lifeless body in the bottom of Marks sleigh and Rosenweig drove on up the road, Blank following with his rig until we came to an old well near the road to which we went for the purpose of throwing the body into that, but looking around we discovered some men shoveling out the road a few rods away. After seeing these men we returned to our rigs and drove on up the road until we came to an unoccupied barn. We then took a box, placed the body in it, covered it with an old bed quilt we had used for a horse blanket and carried the box into the barn where we left it and hastily returned to the rigs, Rosenweig driving Jakeys rig and Blank his own. We drove late that night and slept in a barn. From the time we left the body of Marks until we reached Ransom station, we were met on several oc- casions by parties who inquired how we came in posession of Mark's rig and stock of goods. We explained that Jakey had sold out to us and was going into business with his brother in Towanda. After reaching Ransom we hastily repacked our goods in bundles and shipped them to New York, where we tried to sell them and with the proceeds procure passage to South America, where we intended to procure work in some secluded spot and remain for an indefinete time until we thought it would be safe to return to our mother country. After a short stay in New York and being unable to get our price for the 7 goods we had, we shipped them to Milwaukee with the intention of procuring a rig and ped- dling them out, but the face of Jakey Marks would seem to appear to us. We ventured out in secluded spots with great fear, we were sus- picious or everybody, a glimpse of our own shadow would startle us. After remaining in Milwaukee for three days, we concluded it would be too dangerous to operate there and we concluded to leave the goods where they were and hunt for some small busy place. We finally settled upon West Bend, Wis., about seventy- five miles west of Milwaukee. Here we rented a small store and ordered the goods we had in Milwaukee to be forwarded to our new place of business. After the goods were received we stored them in the store house we had rented, and after keeping as secluded as possible for about one week we concluded that I should take part of the money we had and go to Milwaukee and try to procure some dry goods on credit. After returning to Milwaukee and hunting up two Peddlers Supply Stores, I succeeded, after one week of hard work, in establishing a small credit in both places by showing freight bills, store rent paid two months in advance, and by paying a small sum of money. By this means we procured $565.oo worth of dry goods and notions on sixty days' time, and had them shipped to West Bend in an- other firm name. After my return from Milwaukee and the ar- rival of the goods we stored them with the others, and decided to procure a rig, load up the 8 stock and peddle. Our money was nearly ex- hausted, therefore, to procure a suitable rig our efforts was attended with some difficulty, but we finally found a man to whom we traded some clothing and a watch, and gave him $17.00 in cash, which procured for us a turnout that did very well. The bills for the goods we had purchased on sixty days' time were matur- ing and we were obliged to move away. After leaving West Bend we peddled through to Minnesota, and then back in a north-easterly direction through Wisconsin and Michigan, ar- riving in Sault St. Marie, in July. In making this trip we disposed of our cloth- ing, dry goods, notions and part of the jewelry. At this point we disposed of the rig we had purchased at West Bend, taking in payment a rifle, a check for $1 I. oo, a note for $26. Co and $1o.o.o in cash. The check and note we de- posited in the Sault St. Marie National Bank for collection, but the receipt was lost with other of our private papers. We then started for Mon- treal, where we arrived July 10th. IN MONTREAL. We engaged board at a private boarding house in a Hebrew settlement in the city, keeping as secluded as possible, yet feeling comparitively safe from any risk of being discovered. Before we left Sault St. Marie, Mich., Harris Blank sent an order to have his trunk sent from New York, where he had left it, to Montreal. We had engaged passage and was waiting for a º -- - - ---- |- - - |- |- -- |-- ----|- |- ---- - - |- - - |- ----- ----- - |- |- |- ---- |--|- |-|- |-|-|- |-|- |-|-|------|- |------ |- - |- - -|- - - ---- |- |- |- |-|- - |-|- ---- -|- |-- -- |-|- |- ---- |-- - ----- |-|- |- - - |- - - - - - … - - -> - * - * * - - * - - - - - - - - - - - - - * - - - - - - * - - - - 9 vessel which was to sail July 20. When we arrived in Canada we had quite a quantity of jewelry on hand but had disposed of all of our clothing. We disposed of most of our jewelry the first thing after we arrived in Montreal. THE CAPTURE. We received Blank's trunk from New York the 14th of July, and was now ready and anxious to go, for we were in fear that we were shadowed, therefore we wandered around the city but little after disposing of our goods. July 16th we were captured by Chief of Police Wilcox, of Towanda, and two detectives, Slau- son and Reap, from New York, and lodged in jail. After several hearings we were held and delivered to the proper officer, Charles S. Knapp, High Sheriff of Wyoming County, who came there with the necessary extradition papers and conveyed us, assisted by Chief of Police Wilcox, to the Tunkhannock jail to await trial. We were brought up for trial at November term of court 1892, but our Attorneys, Charles E. Terry, Esq., and James W. Piatt, Esq., dis- covered that the jury box had not been guarded and kept as the law required, and we succeded in getting the case put over until January term, 1893, when we were tried, convicted of the murder of Jacob Marks, March 18, 1892. Jan- uary 19 we were brought before the Hon. John A. Sittser, President Judge of the court, and sentenced to be hanged by the neck until dead, and may God have mercy on our souls. We IO were then taken to the jail and placed in seperate cells, Nos. 3 and 5. Soon after we conceived the idea of making our escape by digging around the fresh air pipe down into the cellar and from there out, but as the tools were not of the improved patterns that we were pos- sessed of our work was slow and discouraging. The tools we had consisted of an old fork, pices of strap iron that we took off of the bed slats and two wire nails. After working several nights we succeeded in removing a few pices of brick and morter, when we were discovered by the sheriff and changed to cells Nos. 4 and 6, just oppisite. Life was dear to us and acting upon the saying of Napolian Boneparte, that ‘‘Impossible is the adjective of fools,” we laid our plans and set to work, but our bungling tools had been taken from us. We soon dis- covered some hooks that were used to hold the bed steads up to the wall, and after two nights hard work we succeeded in removing and straightening them out. We then conceived the idea of escaping by removing the iron win- dow casing, enlarging the opening and squezing out and scaling the wall. After five nights hard work we were again discovered and again changed, and gave up all hopes of escape in that way. SKETCH OF JAKEY MARKS. Jakey Marks, the Jew peddler who was murdered the 18th of Manch, 1892, by Harris Blank and Issac Rosenweig, was a young man of sterling integrity. II º R Young Marks started from Towanda, his home, on the last trip he made in the early part of March, with a well selected stock of clothing and jewelry that would invoice about $1,300. He was to make his usual round trip through the southern part of Bradford caunty, through Wyoming and Sullivan counties, and return to his home in Towanda in time to celebrate, as was his custom, the Jewish Passover. This route was one he had established during the past few months, and upon which he had built up a remunerative trade and had open accounts with several regular customers. He had established regular stopping places along the chosen route, and by his square dealings, good goods at low prices, had laid the foundation for a never fail- ing route. As the time for the Jewish Passover drew near his return home was anticipated. The time for the Passover came, and Passover was celebrated. Jakey Marks was not there, it was the first he had ever missed, there was something wrong. Jakey would not miss the Passover if alive and well, and if not well and unable to be there, he would communicate the inteligence to his brother and sister in Towanda, without any failure on his part, for his last part- ing words to them was, “I will surely return in time for the Passover.” The only reasonable conclusion that could be arrived at that he should ſail to fulfill his last promise was that he had been foully dealt with. Early in April a searching party headed by his brother and brother-in-law, Maltz, started over Jakeys established route, and the last trace I 2 of him alive was lost in the lonely mountain road going from Wyoming to Sullivan counties. He was last seen by a Mr. Rosencrants and some other parties going up the mountain in com- pany with two other Jew peddlers, March 18th, in the forenoon, Mr. Rosencrants and party had heard two pistol shots shortly after they had passed the peddlers rigs, blood had been seen near the old coal road, further on up the lonely road the two rigs were seen, one recognized as belonging to Jakey Marks, but he was not driv- ing, the last hope that Jakey was alive had vanished, and from where he was seen a diligent search was made. Tracks in the snow had been seen where some one had gone to an unoccupied house, search was made, the house had not been entered, other buildings and hid- ing places were carefully examined, at last an old barn a few rods over the Sullivan county line was examined and searched by the brother of the murdered peddler. In one of the stalls of the barn was a new boot box covered with an old bed quilt, from under which were projecting two human feet. The quilt was huridly re- moved, horror of horrors, there doubled up and crowded in a small space lay the remains of the brother of the finder, in a good state of preser- vation, with his face badly disfigured by the ravages of some hungry pests, supposed to be rats Upon examination two gun shot wounds were found, either of which would have been fatal. The body which had lain in the barn 30 days º º 2- % I3 undiscovered, was removed after the legal in- quest was held, to his home in Towanda. The matter was at once placed in the hands of Chief of Police Wilcox of Towanda, to run down the murderers and to bring them to justice. Rewards from the county seats of Bradford and Sullivan counties were offered. Chief of Police Wilcox of Towanda, at once secured the services of two experienced detectives, Slauson and Reap, of New York, and the work was com- menced. The spot where last seen alive by Rosencrants and party was visited, also the barn where the body of Jakey was found. The fact was established beyond doubt, that two Jew peddlers doing business under the firm name of Harris & Charley had put up over night near the regular stopping place of Jakey Marks, that they were seen together the morning of March 18th, going up the mountain, Jakeys rig ahead and theirs following. When passed by Rosen- crants and party a short time before the fatal shots were fired, the one known as Charley was with Marks and Harris driving their rig. The murderers were known beyond a doubt. To run them down and place them securely in the grasp of the law was the work of the detectives. The fleeing murderers were traced up the mountain road, back down and on to Mehoop- any, where they lodged in a barn. They were now in possession of Marks rig and stock of goods, and seemed to be in a great hurry. They were easily traced to Ransom station, on the L. V. R. R., where they left their rigs and shipped their goods to New York. From New I4 York they were easily traced to Milwaukee, Wis. How they were traced from Milwaukee to Montreal, Canada, where they were captured and placed in durance vile July 18, is only known to dectives, Slauson and Reap. As soon as possible they were given a hearing and held for the murder of Jakey Marks, of Towanda, March 18th. After the legal time had expired that they could be held by the Canadian authorities, Charles S. Knapp, High Sheriff of Wyoming county, and Chief of Police Wilcox, of Towan- da, were dispatched to Montreal by the authori- ties of Wyoming county to settle all legal bills of expense accured from the confinement and hearing of Harris Blank and Isaac Rosenweig, and to extradite them and place them in the Wyoming county jail, there to await their trial. James W. Piatt, Esq., was engaged as legal adviser for Harris Blank, and Charles E. Terry, Esq., for Isaac Rosenweig. At November term a true bill was rendered by the Grand Jurors as indicted, and their case called on for trial, but by some technical error regarding the keeping of the jury box, discovered by the able council for the defendants, the case was hung up until January term, when a true bill was again found, and both Isaac Rosenweig and Harris Blank, was found guilty of murder in the first degree, after a long and tedious trial of several days each. They were ably defended by their council, but the chain of evidence wraped around the prisoners by District At- I5 - torney, James E. Frear, Esq., could not be broken. Their own story would have convicted them of murder in the first degree. January 19th they were sentenced by John A. Sittser, President Jud me, to be hanged by the neck until they were dead. IN JAIL. Harris Blank, alias Harris, and Isaac Rosen- weig, alias Charley, alias Solomon Rosenkranz, were extridited from Montreal, Canada, by C. S. Knapp, Sheriff, and D. M. Wilcox, Chief of Police of Towanda, and placed in cells Nos. 3 and 5, of Wyoming county jail, September 10, 1892. During their confinement they have made several attempts to liberate themselves by digging. Their first attempt was discovered soon after they commenced to operate. Their design was to remove the brick work from around the fresh air pipe, follow it down into the cellar and make their escape that way, but as soon as discovered they were changed to cells 4 and 6, on the same floor. It was soon after discovered that they were endeavoring to re- move the cement and stone work from around the window casings, which are of iron, by doing which would make a vacancy large enough to admit of their squeezing out, and by scaling the yard wall, gain their liberty. Cells Nos. 3 and 5 were repaired and the con- demed men were removed to them again. May 11th it was discovered that Harris Blank had removed the plaster and broken out the lath in I6 the ceiling of his cell. He had yet two thick- nesses of two inch oak plank securely nailed, nearly every square inch with steel wire nails driven in every angle, then 5 inches of concrete, and 1% in hard wood floor which would equal about 5 inches of solid stone, and then if success crowned his effort, he would only have been in cell No. 9 on second floor, as securely locked as the one he had recently vacated. May 1st a death watch was put over them, and all plans of escape by digging was frustrat- ed. - THE JAIL. The Wyoming county jail is a two story struc- ture, the outside walls are of heavy stone, laid in cement, 25 inches thick, and the partition walls of brick laid in cement, 19 inches thick. The whole structure is built out of stone, brick, iron and cement, excepting the floors. Therefore, fire proof. - There are 12 cells, 6 on each floor, these on the first flooor being enclosed with case harden- ed iron, which is file and saw proof. Two of the cells on the second floor have an extra heavy wooden door and all of the ceilings lined with a 5–16 in seel plate, covered with Io in of con- crete. The doors are all supplied with Yale locks, with a patent bar fastener which is con- trolled with levers from the hall in the house. Each cell is supplied with fresh air through a 4x10 inch pipe, and the whole structure heated by steam, using 13 radiators, and lighted through an improved sky light in the iron roof. . - * I7 * Although the capacity of the jail is not large, it answers all the requirements of the small - county. The structure was rebuilt by William * O Mailey, of Wilkes-Barre, in 1891, and stands as a monument for his honest integrity as a * builder. Zoº; //, ºv/ * //, //, name and by ſhe Auſ/ority of the Com- monwealth of Pennsy/vania. - -- - - STATE ARMS. --- - EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT. The Governor of the said Commonwealth, to Charles S. Knapp, Esq., High Sheriff of the County of Wyoming, or to his successor in office, Greeting : WHEREAs, at a Court of Oyer and Terminer held at Tunkhaunock, in and for the County of Wyoming, at January Term, 1893, a certain Isaac Rosenweig, alias Charley, alias Solomon Rosenorantz, was tried on a certain indictment charging him with murder, and was on the 14th day of January, Anno Domini, one thousand eight hundred and ninety three, found guilty of murder in the first degree, and was thereupon, to wit, on the nineteenth day of January, Anno Domini, one thousand eight hundred and ninety three, sentenced by the said court as follows : “That the sentence of the court is that you, * Isaac Rosenweig, alias Charley, alias Solomon 18 - Rosenkrantz, be taken to the jail from whence you came, and from thence to the jail yard, and that you be there hanged by the neck until you ? are dead, and may God have mercy on your * soul.” -> Now, therefore, this is to authorize you, the * said Charles S. Knapp, High Sheriff of the - County of Wyoming, as aforesaid, or your suc- cessor in the office, to cause the sentence of the * said court of Oyer and Terminer to be executed upon the said Isaac Rosenweig, alias Charley, * alias Solomon Rosenkrantz, on Thursday, the eighteenth day of May, Anno Domini, one thous- - and eight hundred and ninety three, between the hours of Io o'clock a. m., and 3 o'clock p. m., in - the manner directed in the seventy-sixth section of the Act of General Assembly of the Common- wealth, approved the thirty first day of March, Anno Domini, one thousand eight hundred and sixty, entitled, “An Act to consolidate, revise, and amend the laws of the Commonwealth, re- lating to penal proceedings, and for so doing, this shall be your sufficient warrant. - - - Given under my hand and the great seal of the State, at the City of Harrisburg, this the 17th - day of March, in the year of our Lord, one thousand eight hundred and ninety three, and of the Commonwealth, one hundred and seven- -. teenth. By the Governor. [se AL. ROBT. E. PATT ISON. A. L. TILDON, Dept. Sec'y, of the Commonwealth. A. - 7%e º º 3. - - Z/ Mºhºl, Pa.