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The Crime
Ira Green and William Dillen were inmates of the Centre county jail, Green awaiting trial on the charge of stealing a watch and Dillen had been charged with rape. At the most, if convicted, Green would have gotten only a few months in jail while the Dillen might have been sent to the penitentiary for a couple years. Both Green and Dillen were regarded as daring and dangerous characters. Sheriff Taylor, received word that they might be planning a jail break so he had them locked up together in a steel cell. Likewise two other men, George Henderson, in jail for larceny, and Dominic Constance, awaiting trial for arson, were locked in another steel cell. Jeremiah Condo, of Spring Mills, the County jail turnkey, on two occasions reported that Green and Dillen had stolen the steel knives given to them at meal time. Both times their cells were searched and the knives recovered.
One of the prisoners was Edward McCullough, who was in jail for trespassing. He was known as a "trusty," and assisted the Condo with chores about the jail and locking up the prisoners at night. The prisoners kept themselves informed as to the movements of the sheriff and the other officials of the jail and had learned that on Friday evening, July 29th, the jail would be practically deserted, with the exception of Condo. Green, Dillen, Henderson, Constance and another inmate, George Livingston, planned their break for that night.
About 8 o'clock Condo went into the corridors to lock the prisoners in their cells. Passing cell No. 8, on the upper tier, he noticed that the upper hinge had been sawed off and the door partly bent in at the top. He said nothing but left the corridor and went to the office where McCullough was sitting and told that there was something wrong. Condo got two sets of heavy iron hobbles and asked McCullough to follow, stating that he was going to bind the two doors of cell 8 together with the hobbles to prevent any trouble. Meanwhile Green and Dillen pulled the upper part of the cell door back and propping it with a stick, crawled out over. They were now in the corridor on the second floor of the jail, and going down to the first floor they slipped into the bathroom. Before leaving their cells Green & Dillen wrenched two metal pieces from the iron beds.
Condo accompanied by McCullough entered the jail corridors and went straight to the stairway with McCullough in the lead. When McCullough was almost on the second landing and Condo was on the second step, Dillen came out of the bathroom and struck Condo on the back of the head. Green then hit him a number of times with the bed iron which had been stuffed in a stocking. They pounded him over the head and body until Condo was helpless. Green then removed the keys from Condo's pocket and threw them to Livingston who was on the second floor, and who left the rest of the prisoners out of their cells. McCullough feared that his life was in danger, rushed to his cell and hid. Green opened the big iron door leading into the hall and to freedom. The prisoner ran out the doors and made their way into Armor's Gap and over the mountain into Bald Eagle. Constance, struck out on his own for Buffalo Run valley. Condo had sustained seven or eight open wounds and a fractured skull. He lingered until Sunday morning July, 21st, when he passed away.
A poses was at once sent in pursuit and the men were chased back and forth until Tuesday afternoon when they were driven into the swamp close to Flemington, between Mill Hall and Lock Haven. There their capture was effected by Mr. O. E. Harvey and several others on Tuesday afternoon, August 2nd.
They were returned Bellefonte over the Central Railroad of Pennsylvania and placed in jail. An immense crowd surrounded the prison but no act of violence was committed. Livingston was never captured. Dominic Constance was recaptured on the Bald Eagle mountain two weeks later.
Green and Dillen were tried and convicted of first degree murder and condemned to be hanged.
A few weeks prior to the execution sheriff Taylor received an anonymous letter in which the writer threatened that if he hung Green and Dillen a crowd would come to Bellefonte and mob him. Early on Tuesday morning prior to the hanging, a man past middle age arrived in Bellefonte seeking Rev. Cox, one of those who had ministered to Green & Dillen in the final days, announced that he was the second Messiah and that he had come to offer himself to be hanged instead of Green and Dillen. He requested that Rev. Cox take care of the substitution. Instead Rev. Cox sent him to sheriff Taylor who refused to see the stranger.
The Hanging
At 10:42 o'clock sheriff Taylor, accompanied by his deputies, proceeded to the cells of Green and Dillen and read the prisoners the death warrant. It was time for their execution. The march to the scaffold began with a male quartette singing "Leaning on the Everlasting Arms." Within six minutes they mounted the scaffold.
Upon reaching the scaffold Rev. Cox announced that the condemned men had a word to say. Dillen stepped forward and said : "I believe the Lord has saved me and I am forgiven. I am prepared to meet my God and know that Jesus saves. I expect to take dinner with my dear mother in Heaven. There is a report going around that we killed Livingston, but it is not true." Once during the speech Dillen almost collapsed but be recovered himself, finished his talk and stepped back. Green was given an opportunity to speak but shook his head in the negative.
Sheriff Taylor, deputy sheriff Jackson and ex-sheriff Robert Cooke began adjusting the straps and Green reached up and pulled down the rope, examined it closely, worked the slip-knot back and forth then tossed it up on the beam and said, "Now gentlemen take warning by this and don't do the same." Green was heard to say "Not too tight," and almost, immediately after cried out, "Have mercy upon us, oh my God, this afternoon !" and just when the black cap was about to be placed on their heads both muttered, "God have mercy on my poor soul !" After the black hood was put on Dillen called "Good-bye all," and Green cried out "Good-bye, boys." With everything ready, Sheriff Taylor took hold of the lever and speaking to his deputies asked, "All ready, boys ?" Green evidently thought he was speaking to them for he answered "All ready, let 'er go," and his last words were still vibrating on the air when the lever was pulled and the men dropped with a dull thud that was heard outside the massive walls of the jail yard.
When the lever was pulled several men in the crowd fainted and had to be helped out.
After the execution the rope was cut to pieces and given away to those desiring a piece as a memento of the occasion.
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