A shocking case of murder rocked the town of Montgomery, Pennsylvania, in November of 1899. William and Sarah Hummel had been married less than a week when Hummel's farmhouse appeared to be deserted. No one saw Sarah or her three children afterward. Neighbors found evidence of blood.
Meyers, Kemery and Wertman decided that they ought to investigate the matter, and the three men went to the spot where the burlap had been found. After a brief search they discovered the body of a young boy beneath a small stack of hay, about twenty-five feet from the public road. After removing more hay they found the body of Sarah Delaney Hummel, clad in her nightgown. There wasn't a drop of blood on the gown, but her face was a battered mess, bearing a deep gash above the left eye. About ten feet away they found five-year-old Olive beneath a scrap of burlap. The right side of her head had been crushed so violently that death must have come instantly. From the condition of the bodies, it would appear that the victims had been dead for two weeks.
The three bodies were turned over to Undertaker Zellers and word of the discovery was given to Coroner Goehrig, who immediately empaneled a jury. Meanwhile, County Detective Munson explored the house and found blood splattered across the upstairs walls and mattresses.
Word soon spread that Florence, the newborn daughter, had not been found. Had she been kidnapped, or was her body still hidden on the farm waiting to be found? The residents of Montgomery had no desire to wait and find out. Convinced that the killer could have been none other than William Hummel, neighbors formed a posse and shortly after one o'clock in the morning the angry mob went off in search of Hummel armed with guns, rope, and an appetite for revenge. They were going to lynch him on the spot, if they could find him.
Although Hummel was located and had more than one story to explain the deaths of his wife and stepchildren, he hadn't reported anything before he was arrested. And it took quite some time to locate the remains of Sarah's infant daughter Florence. Before the investigation was over, details emerged that caused one to think Hummel might be responsible for the deaths of Sarah's previous husband and the first of Hummel's three previous wives as well. And the story didn't stop even after Hummel was executed. Read the bizarre tale of William Hummel at Pennsylvania Oddities. -via Strange Company