Trimpey Tragedy

W. H. Trimpey Killed Tearing Down a Fence The following article was taken from the June 17, 1914 Somerset Herald. It is being reprinted here not to reopen old wounds, but to allow them to heal. It is the editor’s opinion that it is impossible to know where we are, if we don’t know where we’ve been. Henry C. Cramer Held Responsible for Crime by a Coroner’s Jury; Trimpey’s Daughter Commonwealth’s Star Witness Result of a Private Road Feud Henry C. Cramer, the well-known Kingwood blacksmith, was lodged in jail Thursday afternoon at 4:05 o’clock, charged with fatally wounding his neighbor, William Trimpey. It is alleged that Cramer concealed himself behind a maple tree and opened fire on Trimpey with a double-barrel shotgun while the latter was tearing down a fence across a private road. Trimpey was shot in the abdomen, his intestines and bladder being punctured. It is claimed that Cramer did the shooting at a distance of about 40 or 60 feet. TRADEGY ENDS FEUD The tragedy culminates a feud between Trimpey and Cramer of about a year’s standing. When Cramer purchased his 25 acre farm he had no outlet form the same except by using a private road owned by Trimpey. Their farms adjoin. Several months ago he had viewers appointed by the court and a private road of his own opened, half of the land being taken from Trimpey. The new road was laid out in such a way that at one point it crosses the old Trimpey road. The viewers awarded $25
damages. Later Cramer decided to build a fence around his new road and, of course, where it crosses the old lane the fence cut off Trimpey’s road. The Trimpey road, it is said has been used by Trimpey and former owners of his farm for 40 or 50 years. Denied access to his property via the historic old road, Trimpey became indignant and consulted attorneys as to his legal rights in the premises. KILLED ON PRIVATE ROAD Thursday morning between 7 and 8 o’clock Trimpey started out to plow his corn. Arriving at the
Cramer fence across his path he proceeded to demolish the obstruction erected by Cramer. The fence was constructed of rails. As he was taking down the second rail, Trimpey alleges, Cramer suddenly sprang from behind the maple tree and fired at him with the shotgun, the shot taking
effect in his abdomen.Trimpey was found by members of his family who heard the shot. He was removed to the house, but there was no trace of his assassin. Dr. C. J. Hemminger, of Rockwood, was summoned. He dressed the wound and immediately telephoned to Pittsburgh for a specialist, as
Trimpey’s condition was critical. EATING DINNER WHEN ARRESTED Sheriff Charles F. Hochard and County Detective Lester G. Wagner were informed of the shooting about 11 o’clock Thursday morning and immediately started for the scene of the crime in the sheriff’s car.
The officers arrived at Cramer’s home first as he was finishing a hearty dinner. He was placed under arrest but stoutly denied any knowledge of how his neighbor Trimpey was injured. Prior to the arrival of the sheriff and county detective Trimpey made an affidavit before Justice of the Peace Willis Mills, in which he declares that Cramer shot him. ‘Squire Mills also executed Trimpey’s will on Thursday morning.
Promptly following Cramer’s arrest he was taken to the bedside of Trimpey for identification. So weak from the loss of blood and shock that he could scarcely talk, Trimpey positively identified Cramer as the man who appeared from behind the maple tree and fired upon him with a shotgun. the identification was made before a half dozen or more witnesses. Cramer was then taken to the
automobile and hurried to jail. CRAMER DENIES SHOOTING “Well, I’m here; how are you all?” Cramer shouted as he walked into the sheriff’s office, escorted by the sheriff and county detective. He knew nearly all the people gathered there, but was apparently greatly excited and inclined to be boisterous. He shook hands with a number of friends and had a little chat with County Treasurer Alexander Markle before Deputy Sheriff L. Clayton Berkey made the usual record of his commitment to jail. When Deputy Berkey signified that a cell awaited him Cramer at once asked for Attorney Charles F. Uhl, who was called and held a conference with Cramer in the sheriff’s private office for an hour or more. After a talk with counsel, Cramer seemed to be greatly depressed, having suddenly realized the gravity of the charge made
against him in the deathbed declaration of his neighbor. When asked if Cramer would make a public statement, Attorney Uhl replied that the prisoner had nothing to say except that he denies shooting Trimpey. GUN IN UNOCCUPIED BUILDING A shotgun Cramer is said to have borrowed from Elmer Sanner a short time before the shooting occurred was found in an unoccupied building on the Cramer farm and brought to Somerset by the officers. The weapon contained no shells at all, either loaded or empty, but it is claimed that one barrel had the appearance of having been recently discharged. the gun will he held until Cramer is
taken into court and an attempt made to have it admitted in evidence.
Cramer is 55 years old and in excellent health. CORONER HOLD INQUEST Coroner Henry S. Kimmell held an inquest at Trimpey’s home Friday afternoon, when a jury rendered a verdict declaring that Trimpey came to his death from a gunshot wound in t he abdomen and that the gun was fired by Henry C. Cramer. the coroner’s jury was composed of Harry Weyand, Arthur Brougher, George Smith, Willis L. Mills, H. Frank Yost, and Roy M. Pletcher.
County detective Lester G. Wagner was the first witness called at the inquest. He testified that he and Sheriff Hochard arrested Cramer on Thursday. They took him down to the scene of the murder. He declared that he had no gun about the premises, but when he saw that the officers were determined to find the weapon with which he is allegedly to have killed Trimpey he told them they
would find a double-barrel shot gun in an unoccupied building on his farm. It was found standing on a window. Beside it were two shells loaded with No. 4 shot. There were no shells in the gun, but it is said that the right barrel showed unmistakable signs of having been discharged. COUNTY DETECTIVE TESTIFIES Detective Wagner said Cramer told them he had not done any shooting for several days, but on the way to Somerset he admitted to Wagner and Hochard that he had shot at a groundhog. He laid much stress, however, on the fact that he was a poor shot with a gun having missed the groundhog after firing at it twice.
Detective Wagner told of taking Cramer to Trimpey’s bedside and of the latter’s identification of the
alleged murderer. There were a number of people in the room when Cramer was pointed out by the dying man. Trimpey’s mental condition was tested by the officers who tried to confuse Trimpey by pointing to other men than Cramer. Trimpey was in possession of all his faculties, however, the detective swore, that he pointed to Cramer every time and when asked if several other men had fired
the fatal shot he shook his head. DAUGHTER IS STAR WITNESS The star witness at the inquest was Miss Lola Trimpey, the 14 year-old daughter of the murdered man. She swore she saw Cramer slinking away in some bushes near the prostrate body of her father shortly after she hear the shot that had wounded him. She said she has known Cramer ever since she has been old enough to know anything and that she is positive the man in the bushes was “Hen”
Cramer. She further declared that Cramer was moving in the direction of his cornfield, where he shortly afterward was seen plowing corn, with then-year-old Dwight Shelley leading the horse. GIRL AND MOTHER HEARD SHOT The girl testified that she and her mother heard the report of a shotgun a short distance from their house between 7 and 8 o’clock Thursday morning and immediately they heard Mr. Trimpey scream. They hurried to the private road that Cramer fenced in and found Trimpey’s body lying near the fence. The wounded man was unconscious and Mrs. Trimpey and Mrs. Trimpey ran to the house where she telephoned to Kingwood and nearby neighbors for aid. Lola remained beside her father who regained consciousness in about ten minutes. Mrs. Trimpey returned and he told the women
that “Hen” Cramer had shot him. Lola testified that her father said Cramer sprang from behind a maple tree at distance of between 50 and 60 feet, and fired without warning. Trimpey was unarmed. He had no time to get away and of course could offer no defense, she said. PREDICTIED HIS DEATH “Don’t send for a doctor,” Lola testified her father had cried when they told him that medical aid had been telephoned for, “I am dying.”
“Papa told us that ‘Hen’ Cramer shot him,” Miss Lola testified. She told how her father had described Cramer’s sudden appearance with a drawn shotgun. She said her father saw Cramer step from behind the maple tree.
Dwight Shelley, aged 10, was another witness against Cramer at the inquest. He was employed by
Cramer. On Wednesday evening Cramer told him they would plow corn the following day. Cramer said he would not need to come around until ten o’clock, the boy testified, as Cramer would go down first. The Shelly lad said he heard somebody moaning terrible as he approached the corn filed Thursday morning. As he neared the crossing of the Cramer and Trimpey roads, he said he say Trimpey and the women. Trimpey, he said, had blood on his clothing. He said he continued to the Cramer corn patch, where his employer was waiting for him. When he was some distance from the scene of the crime he said he heard a shot but thought nothing of it at the time. As the lad and Cramer were plowing corn the witness said a number of men came to Trimpey’s
assistance. Cramer looked in that direction. CRAMER WAS INDIFFERENT “What is all that delegation doing over here:” the boy said he inquired. “I told him that Will Trimpey was lying on the road down there covered with blood,” he told the coroner’s jury. Shelly said Cramer was not seemingly surprised at the reply and continued with the plowing. Finally the men got Trimpey on a board and started to carry him to the house, and the witness testified that Cramer again asked what it all meant. Again the Shelley boy told him about Trimpey having blood on his clothing.
For a second time the boy’s answer didn’t seem to affect Cramer and he continued plowing corn as if nothing had happened.
On Wednesday evening the Shelly boy said he saw Cramer near the scene of the murder. Cramer told the lad that he had been waiting for Trimpey and that he would not let him cross his new road, around which he had built a substantial fence. “Don’t tell anybody I was waiting for Will,” Cramer told him according to the boy’s testimony at the inquest. MAPLE TREE POINTED OUT Raymond Umstead, a boy about 12 years old, testified that after Trimpey was placed on a board
preparatory to his removal to the house he was raided up and the young witness ran to the maple tree behind which Cramer is alleged to have concealed himself until he was ready to shoot, so as to enable the wounded man to point out the exact location of Cramer when he is alleged to have fired the fatal shot. The distance from Trimpey’s body to the tree was “stepped” by several different parties and all agreed that the distance was just 21 “steps.” A “step” is unusually counted a yard and on this calculation the distance is 63 feet.
Mrs. Susan Sechler, who lived near the Trimpey place, testified that about half past six Thursday morning she saw Cramer walking in the direction of the cross roads where Trimpey’s body was found. She said he was carrying a shotgun and that it seemed to her that he held it in such a manner as to lead her to believe that he was trying to conceal it. TRIMPEY’S SISTER TESTIFIES The last witness at the inquest was Miss Ella Trimpey, a sister of the murdered man. She said that her brother told her that “Hen” Cramer was the man who shot him and corroborated Miss Lola Trimpey and other witnesses who said Trimpey told them that Cramer suddenly sprang from behind the maple tree.
When Cramer finished plowing his corn he went to his blacksmith shop in Kingwood where he worked until dinner. While he was at the dinner table Sheriff Hochard and Detective Wagner arrived and placed him under arrest.
District Attorney Virgil R. Saylor was present at the inquest and while in the neighborhood personally investigated the crime and the incidents leading up to it, so as to be in the best position to handle the Commonwealth’s case when the same is tried in court. DISTRICT ATTORNEY ON GROUND District Attorney Saylor was out of town when the crime was committed, but upon his arrival home Thursday evening took personal charge of the gathering of evidence against Cramer and expects to be able to convict the accused man before a jury. County Detective Wagner, acting under instruction from the district attorney, is busily working on the case and expect to have a strong chain of evidence for the prosecution when the trial takes place. TRIAL IN SEPTEMBER The Cramer case will be scheduled for trial at the regular September term of criminal court which convenes on Monday, September 14th. It is quite likely that the trial will occur in September as there now seem to be no reason in sight for a continuance.
News of the atrocious crime spread over the county like wildfire last week. That a man could be so
cowardly shot down in cold blood in a civilized community was almost unbelievable, and it was only the sacred respect for law and order of the people of the “Hexabarger” community that restrained them from wreaking vengeance on the man whom the coroner’s jury holds responsible for the murder. THREE ORPHANED BY CRIME Trimpey’s murder makes orphans of Miss Lola, who testified at the coroner’s inquest, and twin daughters, the Misses Erma and Minnie, three years old. He is survived by his widow, Ella Sechler, a daughter of Daniel R. and Susan (Gerhard) Sechler. William Henry Trimpey was a son of John S. Trimpey, of Upper Turkeyfoot township. He was 42 years of age and had followed farming for a number of years, after having worked as a carpenter. He left the following brothers and sisters: Sarah Katherine, wife of John A. Cunningham, of Connelsville; Mary D., wife of Charles H. Sechler of Upper Turkeyfoot township; Elmira, wife of William Gerhard, of Upper Turkeyfoot township; Ettie, wife of John Phillippi, of Sculton; John Wesley Trimpey, of Somerset; Ephriam B. Trimpey, of Baraboo, Wis., and Miss Ella Trimpey, of Kingwood. He is also survived by a stepbrother, George A. Trimpey, of Upper Turkeyfoot township. LARGE CROWD AT FUNERAL Funeral services were conducted at the house of the murdered man and in the Kingwood Lutheran church, Sunday morning, by the Rev. P. B. Fasold. Rev. Fasold took his text from the 4th chapter of Genesis, and compared the murder of Trimpey with the Cain and Abel incident of ancient times. the funeral was attended by people residing in a radius of several miles, there being between 900 and 1,200 present. The Kingwood church was crowded with a fraction of the crowd, and it required
a half hour for those on the outside to file in one door of the church and out another to view the remains. FORMALLY CHARGED WITH MURDER Cramer was arrested on a charge of assault and battery with intent to kill on Thursday but on Saturday County Detective Lester G. Wagner swore to an information charging him with murder, before Justice of the Peace A. Kent Miller, of Somerset. Cramer waived a hearing and was committed to jail. OBJECTED TO PHOTOGRAPHY Cramer declined to pose for a photograph when brought to jail, but on Saturday when he was taken to ‘Squire Miller’s office to be given an opportunity to demand a hearing on the murder charge he was “caught” while walking down the street by Photographer Roy M. Pletcher, operating a speed kodak. Trimpey was taken to the Markleton sanitorium for an operation on Thursday afternoon. He died at Markelton on Friday morning at 4:45 o’clock.
Trimpey was a relative by marriage of P. A. Kreger and J. B, Gerhard, of Somerset.
Cramer is a restless prisoner in jail. He has lost the buoyant spirit he displayed when brought in Thursday and conceals his feelings by singing ragtime songs.

Editor’s note: The murder trial was held in Sept. Term, 1914. Henry C. Cramer was convicted of voluntary manslaughter on 9/20/1914, and sent to prison.

There were two Henry Cramers, one, Henry M. Cramer, was married to Anna Trimpey, cousin to Wm. H. Trimpey, who was murdered. Henry C. Cramer, the subject of this article, does not appear to be related to the family. Henry died a few years after his conviction, and is buried in the Rockwood IOOF Cemetery.

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