Yarish Tree

The Murder

Christopher and Rosemary Mathis lived on the outskirts of the main area around Herrington, having moved into their cottage after living in the Carolinas for many years. As an older couple, their needs were minimal. Christopher kept a small field of tobacco which he harvested and sold. Rosemary was more social and was involved in many local gatherings.

 

On the morning of February 12th, Christopher was found in his field dead. His head was smashed in by his own axe, which was left beside him. A clear case of murder. Rosemary was too distraught and went to live with friends. The police (glorified constables and volunteers) went on a manhunt and ended up arresting Thomas Yarish for the crime.

 

Thomas Yarish was a young immigrant from Europe, and something of an odd character. He tended to walk the streets after midnight, often inebriated. He was also connected with a spiritualist group in Okaso. They were notorious for dousing for water whenever a well needed to be dug. Or holding small drinking parties in cemeteries each October 7th (the anniversary of  Edgar Allan Poe’s death). All in all, strange group, not welcome in such a church-going community.

 

Yarish was arrested and unable to give a decent account of his time during previous evening when Mathis was murdered. It was considered an open and shut case, as Yarish hadn’t made any friends. In fact, he was downright obstinate. The jury took 1 hour to convict him. A group of future reporters covered the trial in order to bring the rather gory details to interested readers. That he was then condemned to death by hanging helped with circulation.

 

Yarish was brought to the tree. A noose was roped around a stiff branch, high enough so he could sit atop a horse and drop when the horse moved forward. At noon, February 22, on a very rainy day, was the first attempt to put him to death.

 

Rather, the attempt failed. The tree’s branch snapped free on the tiniest pull. Yarish fell to the ground, bruised but fully alive.

 

“It is too early,” he is reported to have said. “They don’t want me yet.”

 

Regrouping, they brought him back to his jail cell, figuring they needed to wait out the rain and hang him the next day. And so, they did, going through the same procedure. This time, they checked the strength of the branch, tied the rope and fixed the noose around his neck. Two men held the horse in check. The sheriff stepped behind the horse and slapped its rear. The horse bolted forward.

 

Thomas Yarish swung back, staying in the noose. Again, the branch, a full 3 inches in diameter, snapped off. Yarish tumbled to the ground with the rope still attached to the broken branch.

 

“I told you,” he gasped. “It is too early! They don’t want me now!”

 

Unsure of what the legal ramifications of 2 botched executions was, they returned him to his cell to consult with the justice of the peace.

 

At this point, new evidence was discovered. A blood covered shirt belonging to Rosemary came to light. When questioned about it, she confessed to the murder. She learned her late husband, Christopher, had a relationship with another woman. He was on the verge of leaving, to move away with this unknown, other woman. Rather than being embarrassed and tossed aside, she confronted him, ultimately killing him when he looked away.

 

In light of this information, Thomas Yarish was set free. He moved to Okaso and after, the spiritualist group moved further west. Neither he nor the group were heard of again. His statements during the executions continues to confuse (haunt?) those who know the story.

 

Rosemary was committed, dying in prison of dementia. The mistress of Christopher Mathis has never been identified.