| Sources |
- [S3826] No Author Identified, The Behm Murderers : Trial and Conviction of Rosentine and Moody for the Murder of Abraham Behm, Loudon, James. Murdered his wife. pages 7-8.
Shot his wife in the head with a musket 1 Mar 1818.
“Was executed Aug 1818 at the corner of Second and State streets close to a large Chestnut tree.”
https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/F0104082187/MOML?sid=bookmark-MOML&xid=3221698c&pg=7.
- [S4754] Newspapers.com - Harrisburg Telegraph - 13 Dec 1893 - Page 1, (Name: Harrisburg Telegraph; Location: Harrisburg, Pennsylvania; Date: 13 Dec 1893;), 75 Years Old An Ancient Document The Confession of a Dauphin County Murderer 13 Dec 1893.
https://www.newspapers.com/clip/131885171/75-years-old-an-ancient-document-the/?xid=637
- [S4755] “Annals, Comprising Memoirs, Incidents and Statistics of Harrisburg : From the Period of Its First Settlement, George H. Morgan, (Name: George A. Brooks; Location: Harrisburg, PA; Date: 1858;), Execution of James London. page 215-216.
# Execution of James London.
“James London, a free man of color, was tried and convicted before the Court of Oyer and Terminer of Dauphin county, in June, 1818, for the murder of his wife. The deceased and prisoner lived in Harrisburg, near the African Church, which formerly stood at the foot of Mulberry street. On the morning of Sunday, the 1st of March, 1818, they were seen at home, sober, friendly, and rather playful. About 1 o'clock in the afternoon he had been abroad and returned. He asked her for victuals —was displeased with what had been prepared, and threw it, with some other articles, into the street. An altercation took place between them ; he threatened her destruction, and she went for a constable. In the meantime lie was seen to charge a musket, and upon her return, after near an hour's absence, and before she had entered the door, he met her, and discharged the contents of the musket into her head. The report of the musket immediately drew together a considerable number of persons, to whom he stated that he had killed his wife, and he must hang for it. This he several times repeated on his way to, and before a magistrate. There was no evidence that he had drank any intoxicating liquor that day, although he was addicted to it. Messrs. Irvin, Foster, F. R. Shunk, and Roberts, counsel for the prisoner, made eloquent appeals to the feelings of the jury before whom the defendant was tried, admitting that the prisoner was guilty of murder in the second degree, but insisted that he was under the influence of intoxication at the time; and therefore the killing could not have been, in the language of the act of 1794, "willful, deliberate, and premeditated." Mr. Ellmaker was the Attorney General on the occasion of the trial, and Judge Scott presided. The jury retired about 6 o'clock P. M., and at 8 o'clock next morning came into court, and gave in a verdict of " guilty of murder in the first degree." The prisoner was sentenced on the 1st of July, 1818, and hung on the 8th of August following, between the hours of 10 and 2 o'clock. London died truly penitent; and on the scaffold, a few minutes before he was launched into eternity, it is said that, in reply to a remark of a lawyer at his side, he said, " Sir, I would not now exchange situations with you." The gallows upon which he was hung was erected in Second street, above State street.”
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