Cambria Freeman, Ebensburg, Pa. Friday, September 25, 1908 Volume 42, Number 37 Reardon Brown at Point of Death Reardon Brown, brother of Hugh Brown and Mrs. Walter Bolsinger of the Central Hotel in this place, who has been ill for almost two years and a half of tuberculosis, the result of an injury sustained while playing football is unimproved at the Central Hotel and his death is looked for at any time. Death near Dearmin Mrs. Annie Dishong, aged twenty eight years, died about 6 o’clock yesterday morning at her home near Dearmin. Mrs. Dishong’s maiden name was Miss Edith Beard who was a granddaughter of Hiram Beard, a well known resident of Wehrum, who died some years ago. Death of Dr. Samuel O. Thomas Young Carroltown Physician Expires Suddenly on Monday Morning Dr. Samuel O. Thomas, son of Hon. and Mrs. J. J. Thomas of Carroll Township, died suddenly and unexpectedly in Conemaugh on Monday morning [end of sentence faded]. [The next four long paragraphs of this obit are completely faded and unreadable] Besides his parents, his uncle Michael Thomas of Munster Township and several other relatives, the deceased is survived by one brother, John Thomas who lives with his parents on the old homestead; Sister Patricia of the Order of St. Francis, Pittsburg; Anna, a trained nurse who recently graduated from St. Francis Hospital, Pittsburg, and Emma, who is now studying for a trained nurse at Mercy Hospital, Pittsburg, and Miss Winifred, at home. The funeral which took place on Wednesday morning is said to have been the largest that ever took place in Carrolltown. The floral tributes were elegant and profuse and included those of the medical fraternity [remainder of paragraph faded] A solemn high mass of requiem was celebrated in St. Benedict’s church at 10 o’clock by Rev. Fathers Edmund Thomas and [name faded] and after the last solemn rites, interment took place in the beautiful cemetery nearby. Kills Two Women; He’s Glad He Did It Thomas J. Johns of Johnstown Slays Wife and Her Foster Mother Declared He Just Had to Do It Ed Knee’s Sister One of Those Murdered Police Discover Greenwich Murder Locked in cell No. 9 in the county jail in Ebensburg is Thomas Joseph Johns Jr., who last Monday afternoon shot and killed his wife and Mrs. Kate Cobaugh at the latter’s home in Conemaugh. Jones was captured a short time after the killing near the Conemaugh railroad station, where he fell over an embankment and dislocated a knee. Johns purchased the weapon with which he committed the crime some time Monday afternoon at Johnstown. Dressed in his best clothes he coolly boarded a street car in Johnstown, went to the Cobaugh home on Third Street, Conemaugh, and there shot the women. Mrs. Johns was cleaning a stove at the time her husband appeared. He opened fire without a word. Two shots struck the woman, one passing through the heart and killing her instantly. Mrs. Kate Cobaugh was in the yard back of the house at the time. When she heard the shots she rushed toward the house. The murderer, with the smoking gun in his hand, met her on the rear steps. Without a word he again opened fire and Mrs. Cobaugh was shot twice. A bullet passed through her heart and lung, causing death. Frank Cobaugh, a relative of Mrs. Cobaugh, ran around the corner of the house when he heard the shots and Johns leveled the pistol at him. Cobaugh ran. Johns pursued him down the street to the bluff over the Pennsylvania tracks near the station. There Cobaugh swerved but Johns ran straight ahead. Not knowing of the steep bluff, he fell down over the embankment. He was taken into the station by several men who saw him fall and there he was found some time later by Constable Kissel. He was given a hearing by a Conemaugh justice and held for court on a charge of murder following the finding of a corner’s jury. Johns did not deny that he killed the women. He admitted it following the murder and he admits today that he killed them. He goes so far as to say that he is glad of it. Johns was jealous of his wife. He had no reason for this it is declared. He made a charge against Mrs. Cobaugh which has not been proved, nor can it be, it is said. He declared that Mrs. Cobaugh had induced his wife to leave him. For six weeks, Johns and his wife had not been living together, the husband staying at the Mansion House in Johnstown and the woman with Mrs. Cobaugh in Conemaugh. The latter practically raised Mrs. Johns. When Mrs. Johns desired a home she naturally turned to her foster mother and aided her in washing, which Mrs. Cobaugh did for a living. The accused man was brought to Ebensburg Tuesday morning. He brought with him a cheap copy of the bible; a religious novel and couple of magazines. His injured leg is bothering him considerably but will not inconvenience him for any length of time. Johns will be tried at the December term of court. Mrs. Cobaugh was a sister of Warden Ed Knee of the county jail. Death at Wilmore Mrs. Ruth D. Kirby of Wilmore, widow of the late George W. Kirby, died Monday afternoon from diseases incident to her advanced age of 87 years. Murder Discovered at Greenwich Coroner McMillen of Barnesboro is endeavoring to locate the man or men who killed Marcus Milea, a foreigner, in an abandoned hut near Greenwich. So far no trace of the murderers has been secured. The body of Milea was discovered on last Saturday evening by Peter Cobra, a fellow countryman, who went to the boarding home to spend the night before returning to Heilwood, Indiana County, from where he had come on Saturday to draw some pay from the Greenwich Coal & Coke Company. The side of the head was crushed in and there were several knife wounds. Cobra notified Coroner Dr. J. C. McMillen and the body was removed to an undertaking establishment where an autopsy was performed. Cobra and six others, all of whom had been fellow boarders of the murdered man, were taken into custody and cross-examined by Dr. McMillen but their stories satisfied the authorities that they did not know anything about the murder and they were released. The scene of the murder is an old empty boarding house owned by the Greenwich Coal & Coke company in which Milea, Cobra, Schurnovenski and eight or nine other miners made their headquarters during the summer without any arrangements whatever with the owners. During August all left but four and on September 6th another left for Heilwood, Indiana County. On Sept 7th Cobra left for Heilwood. Schurnovenski and Milea assisted him to the railroad station with his [words faded]. That was the last seen of Milea and Schurnovenski. It is thought that they returned to the house and Milea was either killed in a quarrel with Schurnovenski or was murdered and robbed.

Hi all, just an FYI - The Cobaughs listed in the Johns murder story are in my tree. Frank Cobaugh was the brother of my direct ancestor Nancy Alice Cobaugh. I have a full article about the murder itself from the T-D (or its predecessor) - if anyone is interested. Thanks, Patrick On Sun, Dec 11, 2011 at 5:50 PM, Patty Millich <[email protected]>wrote: > > > > > > Cambria Freeman, Ebensburg, Pa. > > Friday, September 25, 1908 > > Volume 42, Number 37 > > > Reardon Brown at Point > of Death > > Reardon Brown, brother of Hugh Brown and Mrs. > Walter Bolsinger of the Central Hotel in this place, who has been ill for > almost two years and a half of tuberculosis, the result of an injury > sustained > while playing football is unimproved at the Central Hotel and his death is > looked for at any time. > > > > > Death near Dearmin > > Mrs. Annie Dishong, aged twenty eight years, > died about 6 > o’clock yesterday > morning at her home near Dearmin. Mrs. > Dishong’s maiden name was Miss Edith Beard who was a granddaughter of Hiram > Beard, a well known resident of Wehrum, who died some years ago. > > > > Death of Dr. Samuel > O. Thomas > > Young Carroltown > Physician Expires Suddenly on Monday Morning > > Dr. Samuel O. Thomas, son of Hon. and Mrs. J. > J. Thomas of Carroll Township, died suddenly and unexpectedly in Conemaugh > on > Monday morning [end of sentence faded]. > > [The next four long paragraphs of this obit > are completely faded and unreadable] > > Besides his parents, his uncle Michael Thomas > of Munster Township and several other relatives, the deceased is survived > by > one brother, John Thomas who lives with his parents on the old homestead; > Sister Patricia of the Order of St. Francis, Pittsburg; Anna, a trained > nurse > who recently graduated from St. Francis Hospital, Pittsburg, and Emma, who > is > now studying for a trained nurse at Mercy Hospital, Pittsburg, and Miss > Winifred, at home. > > The funeral which took place on Wednesday > morning is said to have been the largest that ever took place in > Carrolltown. The floral tributes were > elegant and profuse and included those of the medical fraternity > [remainder of > paragraph faded] > > A solemn high mass of requiem was celebrated > in St. Benedict’s church at 10 o’clock by Rev. Fathers Edmund Thomas and > [name > faded] and after the last solemn rites, interment took place in the > beautiful > cemetery nearby. > > > * > Kills Two Women; > He’s Glad He Did It* > > Thomas J. Johns of Johnstown Slays Wife and Her Foster Mother > > Declared He Just Had > to Do It > > Ed Knee’s Sister One > of Those Murdered > > Police Discover Greenwich Murder > > Locked in cell No. 9 in the county jail in > Ebensburg is Thomas Joseph Johns Jr., who last Monday afternoon shot and > killed > his wife and Mrs. Kate Cobaugh at the latter’s home in Conemaugh. Jones > was captured a short time after the > killing near the Conemaugh railroad station, where he fell over an > embankment > and dislocated a knee. > > Johns purchased the weapon with which he > committed the crime some time Monday afternoon at Johnstown. > Dressed in his best clothes he coolly boarded a street car in Johnstown, > went to the Cobaugh home on Third Street, Conemaugh, and there shot the > women. > > Mrs. Johns was cleaning a stove at the time > her husband appeared. He opened fire > without a word. Two shots struck the > woman, one passing through the heart and killing her instantly. > > Mrs. Kate Cobaugh was in the yard back of the > house at the time. When she heard the > shots she rushed toward the house. The murderer, > with the smoking gun in his hand, met her on the rear steps. Without a > word he > again opened fire and Mrs. Cobaugh was shot twice. A bullet passed through > her > heart and lung, causing death. > > Frank Cobaugh, a relative of Mrs. Cobaugh, ran > around the corner of the house when he heard the shots and Johns leveled > the > pistol at him. Cobaugh ran. Johns pursued him down the street to the > bluff over the Pennsylvania tracks near the station. There Cobaugh > swerved but Johns ran straight > ahead. Not knowing of the steep bluff, he > fell down over the embankment. He was > taken into the station by several men who saw him fall and there he was > found > some time later by Constable Kissel. > > He was given a hearing by a Conemaugh justice > and held for court on a charge of murder following the finding of a > corner’s > jury. > > Johns did not deny that he killed the > women. He admitted it following the > murder and he admits today that he killed them. He goes so far as to say > that > he is glad of it. > > Johns was jealous of his wife. He had no reason for this it is > declared. He made a charge against Mrs. > Cobaugh which has not been proved, nor can it be, it is said. He declared > that Mrs. Cobaugh had induced his > wife to leave him. For six weeks, Johns > and his wife had not been living together, the husband staying at the > Mansion > House in Johnstown and the woman with Mrs. Cobaugh in > Conemaugh. The latter practically raised > Mrs. Johns. When Mrs. Johns desired a > home she naturally turned to her foster mother and aided her in washing, > which > Mrs. Cobaugh did for a living. > > The accused man was brought to Ebensburg > Tuesday morning. He brought with him a cheap copy of the bible; a religious > novel and couple of magazines. His > injured leg is bothering him considerably but will not inconvenience him > for > any length of time. > > Johns will be tried at the December term of > court. > > Mrs. > Cobaugh was a sister of Warden Ed Knee of the county jail. > > > > Death at Wilmore > > Mrs. Ruth D. Kirby of Wilmore, widow of the > late George W. Kirby, > > died Monday > afternoon from diseases incident to her advanced age of 87 years. > > > > Murder Discovered at > Greenwich > > Coroner McMillen of Barnesboro is endeavoring > to locate the man or men who killed Marcus Milea, a foreigner, in an > abandoned > hut near Greenwich. So far no trace of the murderers has been > secured. > > The body of Milea was discovered on last > Saturday evening by Peter Cobra, a fellow countryman, who went to the > boarding > home to spend the night before returning to Heilwood, Indiana County, from > where he had come on Saturday to draw some pay from the Greenwich Coal & > Coke Company. The side of the head was crushed in and there were several > knife > wounds. Cobra notified Coroner Dr. J. C. McMillen and the body was removed > to > an undertaking establishment where an autopsy was performed. Cobra and six > others, all of whom had been fellow boarders of the murdered man, were > taken > into custody and cross-examined by Dr. McMillen but their stories > satisfied the > authorities that they did not know anything about the murder and they were > released. > > The scene of the murder is an old empty > boarding house owned by the Greenwich Coal & Coke company in which Milea, > Cobra, Schurnovenski and eight or nine other miners made their headquarters > during the summer without any arrangements whatever with the owners. During > August all left but four and on September 6th another left for Heilwood, > Indiana County. On Sept 7th Cobra left for Heilwood. Schurnovenski and > Milea assisted him to the > railroad station with his [words faded]. > That was the last seen of Milea and Schurnovenski. It is thought that > they returned to the house and Milea was either killed in a quarrel with > Schurnovenski or was murdered and robbed. > > > > > > > > > - - - - - - - - - - > > Search for more Cambria County information on our webpage: > http://www.camgenpa.com/ > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > [email protected] with the word 'unsubscribe' without the > quotes in the subject and the body of the message >