‘Murder in Muncy Creek’ authors to sign new book

MUNCY -- John Earls, convicted and hanged for the murder of his wife, has come back to life. The infamous gallows bird and his 1836 “trial of the century” is the subject of “Murder in Muncy Creek,” a 375-page true-crime story penned by Earls' descendant, William Bailey along with his wife, Peggy.

William notes in the book’s preface: “Nearly three decades after my father’s death I discovered the clue to a dark and hidden ancestral secret in a box of neglected photographs and documents….”

As the Baileys unraveled that secret, they discovered the horrific tale of a family’s destruction, wrought by an adulterous husband whose penchant for brutality escalated to homicide one October night in 1835. John Earls fed his wife, Catharine, arsenic, and she died violently ill, her newborn babe nestled at her side. After the hasty burial, a suspicious county coroner exhumed her body and performed an autopsy. His scientific inquiry revealed evidence of poison and a grand jury indicted Earls on first-degree murder.

The first person to be legally executed in Lycoming County, John Earls was hanged on May 24, 1836.

“Murder in Muncy Creek” is an exhaustive report on a remarkable piece of American criminal history. The authors have compiled a complete set of documents, illustrations, court records and news stories comprising testimony of 57 witnesses with in-depth legal arguments, post-mortem examinations and medical tests, the verdict, sentence, appeal and petition for pardon, as well as the 11th hour confession and eyewitness account of the hanging.

According to Cyril H. Wecht, founder of the Institute of Forensic Science and Law at Duquesne University, the book “... presents the historical facts in an objective and cogent fashion. The authors have done a superlative job in ferreting out all the known facts and existing documents and putting together a true story that has all the exciting elements of a fictional, modern-day CSI drama.”

The Baileys will launch “Murder in Muncy Creek” ($19.95) at their book release party from 2 to 5 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 14 at Muncy Historical Society, 40 N. Main St. The public is invited to attend and light refreshments will be served.

More information about the book launch is available by contacting Muncy Historical Society at (570) 546-5917, MuncyHistorical@aol.com. On the web at www.MuncyHistoricalSociety.org.