The Killing of John Sharpless: The Pursuit of Justice in Delaware County
On a stormy November evening in 1885, John Sharpless answered a knock on his door. Less than an hour later, he was found dead in his barn from a blow to the back of the head; his bloodstained hat lay next to him on the ground. A $3,000 reward for the killer sparked an overzealous bounty hunt across southeastern Pennsylvania, and numerous innocent men were arrested. Samuel Johnson—a local African American man with a criminal record—was charged. Despite the Widow Sharpless's insistence that Johnson was not the man who had come to their door, he was tried and sentenced to hang. Author Stephanie Hoover offers an in-depth investigation of the crime. From the events of that night and the mishandling of the investigation by a corrupt police force to the trial and conviction of Johnson and the efforts of the Quaker community to appeal the sentence, Hoover profiles a miscarriage of justice in Delaware County.
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The Killing of John Sharpless: The Pursuit of Justice in Delaware County
On a stormy November evening in 1885, John Sharpless answered a knock on his door. Less than an hour later, he was found dead in his barn from a blow to the back of the head; his bloodstained hat lay next to him on the ground. A $3,000 reward for the killer sparked an overzealous bounty hunt across southeastern Pennsylvania, and numerous innocent men were arrested. Samuel Johnson—a local African American man with a criminal record—was charged. Despite the Widow Sharpless's insistence that Johnson was not the man who had come to their door, he was tried and sentenced to hang. Author Stephanie Hoover offers an in-depth investigation of the crime. From the events of that night and the mishandling of the investigation by a corrupt police force to the trial and conviction of Johnson and the efforts of the Quaker community to appeal the sentence, Hoover profiles a miscarriage of justice in Delaware County.
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The Killing of John Sharpless: The Pursuit of Justice in Delaware County

The Killing of John Sharpless: The Pursuit of Justice in Delaware County

by Stephanie Hoover
The Killing of John Sharpless: The Pursuit of Justice in Delaware County

The Killing of John Sharpless: The Pursuit of Justice in Delaware County

by Stephanie Hoover

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Overview

On a stormy November evening in 1885, John Sharpless answered a knock on his door. Less than an hour later, he was found dead in his barn from a blow to the back of the head; his bloodstained hat lay next to him on the ground. A $3,000 reward for the killer sparked an overzealous bounty hunt across southeastern Pennsylvania, and numerous innocent men were arrested. Samuel Johnson—a local African American man with a criminal record—was charged. Despite the Widow Sharpless's insistence that Johnson was not the man who had come to their door, he was tried and sentenced to hang. Author Stephanie Hoover offers an in-depth investigation of the crime. From the events of that night and the mishandling of the investigation by a corrupt police force to the trial and conviction of Johnson and the efforts of the Quaker community to appeal the sentence, Hoover profiles a miscarriage of justice in Delaware County.

Product Details

ISBN-13: 9781626190238
Publisher: Arcadia Publishing SC
Publication date: 04/09/2013
Series: True Crime
Pages: 128
Product dimensions: 6.00(w) x 8.80(h) x 0.40(d)

About the Author

Stephanie Hoover is a professional writer and researcher specializing in Pennsylvania history, genealogy, and culture. She has written over 200 articles for local and national newspapers and magazines. She also owns and writes for Hauntingly Pennsylvania and Pennsylvania Research.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements 9

Introduction 11

1 Delaware County Before and at the Time of the Murder 15

2 The Sharpless Family 21

3 Samuel Johnson 33

4 The Murder 37

5 The Investigation 43

6 The Arrest 53

7 The Trial 59

8 The Verdict 77

9 Appeals and Petitions 83

10 Other Suspects 89

11 From Death to Life 97

12 Ten Years, Six Months, Nine Days 107

13 Her Beloved Husband 115

Sources 121

About the Author 125

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