Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1824-04-09

and until within about a fortnight of that event.
At these several visits he confessed himself be the
only who guilty of the nr,irder of MIR. Muir
ray. On my first visit after his trial, expressed
my surprise and displcasure at havin. heard that
lie had then told different story, and imputed to
man by the name OF Jerry, the guilt of having in
fctcd on Murray the fatal blow. He replied that
he had indeed told story different from his first
one, and gave as his for the FIRST, that if he
had not taken the whole responsibility OF the trans
action upon himself, his family, whom he knew to
be innocent of any participation in the murder,
would have been confined, suspicion, for the
whole winter, To await their trial with him in the
spring. The story which he told was, as near
ly l can rccollcct, follows ON Thursday
night q believe November 2lst) Murray was, for
the first time, ledger in Johnsons housc. Jerry
had come there rs ledger, the preceding day I'M
til which time, Johnson had never seen him. On
the said Thursday night, Johnson aud Jerry were
together engaged think in game, but certain
ly both o them incbratcd. One of them said to the
other, that Murray had been very foolish in express
ing great concern about his trunk because there
a considerable sum of money in it. Jerry remark
CT that they must have that nioncy.-Johnson OK
pressed fear that if they committed robbery they
would be discovered and sent to the State Prison.
Jerry replied that they could avoid this by killing
the man. Ii was then agreed between them, that
Murray should be killed for his money. Jerry urs-
ed the Immediate execution of the design, as Murray
was then asleep. johnson objected that watchmcn
might be near, and would be alarmed by Murray's
cries. Jerry advised him to so into the street, and
see II there was any Johnson went ac-
cordngy, and III returning, after walk of several
minutes, found that Jerry had killed Murray. The
two then, conveyed the corpse into the cellar. On
Friday morning, Jerry, with part of the money,
johnson believed about $l00) wen, up the North
River. johnson then finding himself deserted by his
colleague i'll this iniquity, and left with the dead bo-
dy in his house, conveyed it, the following night,
(FridayO to the place in the street where it was
found, hoping that its being found there would not
lead to any particular suspicion of him.
These, as far as rccollcct, are the outlines of
Iohnson's second story. I asked him how he could
previously have deceived myself and others. He
gave the aforementioned reason. III reference his
family. i warned him that to his other awful guilt,
he had added that of falsehoed; and begged him to
remember, that the story he then told, would by no
means excupate him, and that as he had consented
10 the murdcr and was to have partakcn in the We
ry act, having been hindered only by accidental
circumstance, he was as guilty if he had struck
the blow, and as richly mcrited death. He replied,
that he knew that; that he did not wish to excul-
pate himself but only tell the truth before he died;
that he considered himsefa as guilty of the murder as
if he had struck the blow, and deserved its punish
ment.
In this story he has uniformly persisted. visit
ed him every day but two, between his trial and en-
ccution, and spent with him from two hours
.
make full and unreserved confession He uniform
y told me that he had confessed every thing he knew
relating to the murder Of Murray. read to him
from the Evening Post, and told him iii conversati-
on, the many suspicious that were ahoat respectnp
his guilt i'll other murders He uniformly declared
shat those suspicious were unfoundcd, and that the
crime for which he was condemned suffer, was the
only offence rendering him amcnable to the laws Of
which he had ever been guilty. or the persons NAM
ed III some OF these cases. he professcd entire ano-
rance. vi Others he gave his account, with ap-
parent frankncss and simplicity, which certainly did
not present to my mind the least appearance of ar
tifcc or design; and which exhonorated him from
all the guilt charged upon him in the cases respcc
lively. In my several visits introduced these OBJ
;ecuons, as well as that of Murray murder-agaiu
and again used every method to endeavor 10 IN
voive nm III contradiction, and pressed every mo-
tive upon INN, which thought could possibly have
any influence. told him that there was NOT the
most distant prospect of his being either retrieved
or Pardoned; that the public Indignation was pro-
Daoiy never under greater excitement than in his
case, an that none CT his stories in his favor would
be believed and that, consequently, he had nothing
10 gam III this world, and every thing lose in the
next by decrption.-Jc declared his conviction of
this. and persevered in an uniformly consistent de-
claration on all the matters concerning him which
have agitated the public mind.
With regard to the murder of Murray, cxccpt in
The incident of having inflicted the blow he ac-
knowledged his guilt TO the full, and prolesscd his
penItcDt sense of ii way which left no room, in
my mind, To suspect him OF insimcerity lie acknow
ledged farther, that he had, for long time before
That murder, been addicted to habits of intcmpe-
rance, of gambling, and of profane cursing and
swearing; kept bad company; and neglected his
chufch, ana religIous exercises severalIy. For all
these Sins lac protested the truest repentance And
independently OF these great offences, he often ex-
pressed contritc sense of his siniulness and un
worthInoss When speaking these subjects he
manifested every appearance which I think could
possibly be expected, of genuine religious feeling
Uniformly, however, he adhered to his story respect
ing the murder OF Murray, and to his denial of ever
having been, III any other case, guilty of theft rob-
berry, or murder, or been accessory to either.
Soon after his trial, he expressed wish 10 he al
lowed to receive the Holy Communion. I told him
that the Church had indeed provided for the admin
lstration OF that ordinance to persons in his stua
ton-to condemned malefactors; but that he great
ly deceived himself if he thought that the mere re-
ception OF would be Of any benefit So far from,
this warned him if he partook of it without the
proper qualifications of sincere repentance. true
faith and evangelical charity, it would only increase
his condemnation. He replied that he was aware
OF that; and that, although he had never comr,Ipcd
he had often reflected OH the ordinance and witness
ed its celebrations and firmly believed that il ,yould
only minister to the greater guilt and CONDEMNATION
OF those who approached it carelessly and i'm ns;n
cerity- L told him further that I considered tho
molly sacrament as the most solemn oath that can he
administered and that if he approached i; with =
lie IN his mouth, il would be the most awful cri,,r
OF which human being could be guilty. / then
asked him if he was willing, by receiving the sacra
ment, to pledge all his hopes of salvation for the
truth Of what he had told me. He replied that he
was. then told him that in his confessions 10
me, and Ill his uniting in the religious exercises with
winch had always accompanied my visits nc had
gwen every evidence of sincere pentcpcc. and ne
lie bad satisied me that he was not guilty. of the
several charges brought against him. in addition 10
the murder of Murray, 1 could not, consistently