The Hangman's Ropemaker: The Indiana Murderer James G. Allison

"Jacob Bopp, the Wood's Run rope manufacturer, made the rope that will end the life of James Allison, the Indiana murderer, on the 17th inst., and was shipped to Sheriff Jamison last week. The rope is twenty feet long, three-eighth of an inch thick, and is well made."

~ "Local and Variety," The Indiana Democrat (Indiana, Pennsylvania), 16 February 1882, page 2

*This blog post is one in a series of blogs on my famous ancestor, Jacob Bupp, the Hangman's Ropemaker- click the page tab above labeled "The Hangman's Ropemaker" for more information and the blog series*

Robert Allison owned half of a farm of about three hundred acres in Washington Township, Indiana County, Pennsylvania, with his brother Alexander and sister Mrs. Alexander Young each owning their share of what remained.  Apparently a second sister had sold her share of the farm to Robert, which is why he owned half.  He was between the ages of 67 and 70 and was described as a quarrelsome man with ill manners and habits.  For some reason or another, he not only hated his wife Mary, but also his eldest son, James, and was apparently extremely violent and abusive to both of them.  Because he neglected his family and the farm, James had to shoulder the weight of taking care of both as he got older.

Eventually, James had had enough with the abuse of himself, his mother, and likely his younger siblings, so he ran his father off of Robert's share of the Allison farm.  This apparently happened in January of 1877.   Robert took refuge first in the home of his sister, the aforementioned Mrs. Young, before moving in with his brother Alexander, who lived nearby. According to some accounts, Robert was living a mere quarter mile from his wife and children.

James G. Allison was said to be a young man who had been neglected in his moral training due to his father's lack of civility.  He was described as a rough farmer, or dark complexion and tall but of slender build, and was a hard worker who never gave anyone but his father trouble.  He worked hard to support his mother, brother Alonzo and sister Elizabeth.

In the spring of 1880, Robert hired a lawyer to help him reclaim what had belonged to him, and under the advice of the lawyer sought to gain possession back.  He was badly beaten by James, who resisted his father's claim and sent him packing.  In return, Robert pressed charges of aggravated assault and battery on James.  The case was referred to arbitrators to be settled out of court, with all parties agreeing to abide by the final settlement.  On 17 June 1880, the entire family had been to court, and were waiting this final settlement when tragedy struck.

The next afternoon, while loading bark with his brother Alexander on another part of the farm, Robert was given a message by one of his nephews that his own young son, Alonzo, wanted to see him up at Robert's home at dusk.  Robert went back to his farm, not knowing that the message was actually sent by James, who intended to harm his father.  Perhaps James felt the judgement in the settlement would not go his way, but he was intentional in what he was about to do.

When Robert arrived at the farm, calling for his son Alonzo, James met him with a revolver, and proceeded to open fire on his father, putting one bullet in the back of his head and three in his back.  He would have proceeded to kill Robert had John Allison, nephew to Robert and cousin to James, had not come running upon hearing the shots and causing James to flee the scene.

Robert Allison was carried into his home and doctors were summoned, but little could be done for the mortally wounded man.  After lingering for three days, in which he proclaimed he knew who was guilty multiple times, Robert Allison died.  The next day, James Allison was arrested and charged with his murder.

His trial took place between the 15th and the 22nd of March, 1881.  His defense lawyers were listed as Mr. Silas Clark, Mr. J.C. Ruffner, and Mr. H.K. Sloan.  District Attorney M. C. Watson, Mr. Joseph M. Thompson and Mr. Harry White were the prosecution.  The trial was a bit on the sensational side, as all of the Allison family's dirty laundry was brought to light and thoroughly pontificated about in the courtroom.  After an overnight deliberation, the jury found James Allison guilty of murder in the first.  He was sentenced to death by hanging.

His lawyers called for a new trial on the basis of a writ of error, as they claimed several of the jurors had already fixed their minds that Allison was guilty before the trial even started, thus tainting their objectiveness and impartiality as jurors.  The writ was denied.

On 19 December 1880, his death warrant was received by the Sheriff, and two days later it was read to Allison, who according to one news account "as usual, remained stolid and apparently indifferent."

His lawyers appealed to the Board of Pardons in a last ditch effort, trying to commute Allison's sentence to life without parole instead of a death sentence, but on 18 January 1881, that too was denied.   The public, having sympathized with Allison's plight, made an effort was made to petition the governor for a pardon, but it was dropped reasons unknown.

According to witness' testimonies, some tried to get James Allison to agree to a new suit for his execution, but he insisted in being hanged in the clothing that he always wore, stating  ""These clothes were good enough to live in, and they are good enough to die in."

James Allison was hanged on 17 February 1882 in the yard of the county jail in the county of Indiana, Pennsylvania in his twenty-eighth year.  He was the first person to be hanged in Indiana County.

Upon hearing the news that her son had been executed, his mother fell to the ground, weeping for her son.  He was buried by his family in the Lutheran Church cemetery at Plumcreek.

Jacob Bupp was listed as the maker of the rope for this hanging, and made the rope at the same time as he did the rope for Frank Small, who was hanged a month later.  He was called a German, residing in Wood's Run.  According to a few newspaper accounts, the rope was hemp, 20 feet long and half an inch thick.  Jacob tied the hangman's knot, constructed the rope so it wouldn't twist, and greased it with tallow.  The rope cost the county of Indiana $25.

On her deathbed years later, Mary Allison confessed to having dressed in her son's clothing and killing her husband.  Whether or not this was true, and James went to the gallows for his mother's crime knowing her guilt, will forever remain a mystery.

As of 1899, when Bupp died, strands of the rope were still in the Commissioner's office in Indiana, Pennsylvania and could be examined by looky-lous upon request, as well as the rope that hanged Joseph Sarver.

Sources Referenced

"A Startling Crime," The Indiana Weekly Messenger (Indiana, Pennsylvania), 23 March 1881, pages 1 and 3; online images, Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com : accessed 16 May 2019).

"A Terrible Tragedy," The Indiana Democrat (Indiana, Pennsylvania), 24 June 1880, page 3; online images, Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com : accessed 16 May 2019).

"The Allison Trial Closed," The Indiana Weekly Messenger (Indiana, Pennsylvania), 23 March 1881, page 3; online images, Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com : accessed 16 May 2019).

"The Execution of James G. Allison," The Indiana Progress (Indiana, Pennsylvania), 23 February 1892, p 13; online images, Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com : accessed 25 September 2017).

"The First Hanging in Indiana County," The Historical and Genealogical Society of Indiana County, HGSIC Historical Happenings, 30 October 2018 (https://hgsic.wordpress.com : accessed 16 May 2019).

"The Home News," syndicated news column, The Indiana Weekly Messenger (Indiana, Pennsylvania), 1 March 1899, page 7; online images, Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com : accessed 16 September 2017).

"Local and Variety," The Indiana Democrat (Indiana, Pennsylvania), 16 February 1882, page 2; online images, Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com : accessed 25 September 2017).

Pennsylvania State Report, Volume 99 (Harrisburg, PA: Banks and Brothers, 1883), 17-34; online images, Google Books (https://books.google.com/books : accessed 16 May 2019).

Seagrave, Kerry. Parricide in the United States (Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland Press, 2009), 51-53