Norcross, Samuel: 1857

Samuel Norcross was not a native of Blair County. He was from Lewisberry, Mass and his murder took place in 1857. He was a passenger on the Pennsylvania Railroad, and during his trip, he met a man named David McKim. Although McKim would claim at his trial that he had been charge of Mr. Norcross, there was no evidence that the two men had ever met prior to their paths crossing on the train ride. McKim won the confidence of Mr. Norcross, and at some point in their conversation, Mr. Norcross made the innocent mistake of mentioning he was carrying some money.

Near Altoona, McKim lured Mr. Norcross from the train, and the two apparently walked a short distance west from the station, along the tracks. It was the last time Mr. Norcross was seen alive. He was cruelly murdered by having his throat cut. His remains were discovered near the railroad tracks in the morning of January 16, 1857. The discovery did not take long; his feet were reported to be frozen, but nothing was mentioned about the rest of the body.

Things were different in those days, and there was a great deal of attention paid to the death of the young stranger. The enraged community of Altoona rose up, formed a committee to offer a reward for the killer, and determined to see him sentenced and justice done within the county.

McKim was traced to Wayne County, where he was arrested. At his trial, the prosecution was conducted by the team of Mr. Hammond, and Mr. William A. Stoke. Mr. Stoke was an eminent lawyer, and the Pennsylvania Railroad Company actually paid for his assistance. McKim was defended by Mr. Hofius.

Mr. Norcross’ physician, Dr. Thomas Rumbold, stated that the patient had not had epilepsy as McKim maintained. The doctor also had seen Mr. Norcross’ razor; on seeing the murder weapon, he said the two were not the same.

Another witness, William Attock, was acquainted with Mr. Norcross and had made a purchase from him. He paid him in the presence of McKim and identified some of the money found on McKim after the murder. John Davis of Dunleith, Illinois, testified that he knew McKim, and he never had more than ten or fifteen dollars at a time. He had never known Mr. Norcross to have epilepsy, and further said that McKim had told him that Mr. Norcross might die on the road to Pittsburgh and he feared he would blamed for killing him. B. Poland, of West Cambridge, Massachusetts, stated he had known Mr. Norcross and was present when $600 had been sent to him.

Mention was made that McKim was a large, fine looking young man, and it was difficult to believe that he could be capable of such a crime. However, the jury was not swayed by his appearance, and on May 7, 1857, they brought in a verdict of guilty of murder in the first degree. McKim was executed for robbery and murder on August 21, 1857. The place where the body of the unfortunate Samuel Norcross was discovered was known afterward at ‘Norcross Cut.’

Almost fifty years later, people were still fascinated by this case. A full write-up appeared in the Altoona Mirror of March 29, 1903. There are some additional details in that write-up, which may or may not be corrected. For instance, the writer notes that McKim was the first man to be hanged in Blair County, when in fact he was the third. Nine photographs of the two men are noted as being in the possession of the Louis Keller, the proprietor of the Aldine Hotel. The courtroom for the trial was filled to past capacity. It was commonly felt that McKim had eluded the law in the past, and that justice had finally caught up with him. On his first appearance, he was noted to have an easy and confident look, but became uneasy and quiet as the evidence mounted against him.

Samuel Townsend Norcross, it was noted, was only 22 at the time of his death. He was noted to be estimable in his habits, a Christian, and studying medicine. He had been visiting Dunleith, Illinois, and was headed home to East Lexington, Massachusetts. He apparently met McKim there, and it was reported the two shared a bed. Norcross’ health was bad, and he required a constant companion to assist him to get to Philadelphia. McKim agreed to go with him, and advised and assisted him in getting things in order for the trip. McKim also advised him to take gold instead of a bank draft. Letters to his family indicated that he was about $2000.00 in his possession. According to the newspaper story, he had received a large sum in the presence of McKim before leaving Dunleith. The two traveled together, and stopped in Pittsburgh for a night and a day. On their arrival in Altoona, McKim induced him walk up the railroad to the place where he was murdered.

For at least twenty years, the spot where Mr. Norcross had been murdered was marked by a cross maintained by railroad men. When the cross rotted it was replaced with a new one by the workers.