Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1830-06-08

/ -, The murder Of Mr. Whie erpiained.-The Salem
observer extra of Saturday evening gives the follow
ing particulars or the confession of captain oseph J.
Knapp. lr. The editor Of the Observer rema rks.
| on" 10y " ~P''"
some months since Joseph Knapp, ir. who mar
ne" .G giand niece OF captain White and the daugh-
el oi ms hooseReeper stated hypothetical case to
lawyer and from him understood that if cnntoin
White died ntcsiate, his mother in law ma the sole
representative ofcaptain Whites sister, would inherit
nan the estate all the other heirs law being repre-
! sentatives of captain Whites brother.
In order to effect this object Knn nm nronose3 - HI;
Drother' john b Knapp, to murder captain VIII
HIS brother replied that he would not do it himself
Out he knew who would--he could get Richard
Crowninshicld jr.
X. Cfownnsheld, jr was employed for that object
by John +. Knapp, at his brothers request and was
to receive as we understand 900 dollars for accom-
plishinG the object
On Friday, end April ]. J. Knapn. If. won, into
captain Whites chamber. and took from the IRON
chest Will, which he supposed to be captain WIS
last will, carried it to Wenham and kept it in his
possession until he heard of captain Whites DEATH
anu then destroyed 1t. On the same day he procured
the will, he unbarred the window shutter and un
screwedt the window by which Crownnsheld entered
Knapp returned to Wenha,n the same dav, and did
not return to Salem again until the murder was COM
mitted.
The murder committed by Crowninsl,i,.ld
alone. He alone was in the house. II was effected
by dirk, (Which has not been found as reported \
loaded with lead "'Ao'
The murder was committed about 90 minutes past
10 O'clock.
While the deed was doing, T. Knaup WINS
watching in Brown street. and it was him whom Mira
Bray saw. 1t was Crowninsh,eld she saw ,on him,
otter the deed whom captain Bray saw run down
toward street. Under the steps of the Howard street
meeting house the bluhseon was deposited and there
1t has been found-knapps confession having led to
its discovery.
The day aIter the murder,J F. Knapp and Crown
drnHnf r." Yak,
e. oil the money he then hal. being 100 five franc
pleces-at which time Crowninshield stated to him
the manner i'll which the deed was accomplished
j. ). knaPp, lr. acknowledges himself the author
OF seVerai infamous anonymous lete which have
been sent to the Hon. Stephen White and the com
Inlttee of vigilance since the murder
We do not know that Knapp duplicates any other
| individuals than II Crownnsheld, ir. and his bro
| tier.
The Snten, .Murder.-'The Salem Register of
MONDAY, contains a far more coplous and particular
detail of the circumstances attendediDo the late
shocking murder of Mr.. White. than any narrative
heretofore given. The narrative is drawn from tho
confession of Joseph J. Knapp, Jr. who has turned
q otates evidence 1t was the most COOL deliberate,
ana assassination that has occurred to
stain the annals of our country. A brief sketch of
the facts IN the case, as disclosed by Knapp, was
gwen IN this paper Saturday; and several DAYS
SINCE we published an account OF of Palmer,
and the manner OF his arrest in the state OF Maine
which arrest led to the whole disclosure An interes-
ting u affecting part is now, for the first time made
Fl known to U.s.. Fhe letter from Palmer, demanding
money, containing dark illusions and threats suppo
sed TO relate to the murder, was directed TO MIR
Joseph Knapp. merchant. Saep." and was supposed
10 De intended for AIR Joseph J. Knapp, who Is
Pectaole merchantln that town, and who took from
the fost Othce Fhe suspicious character of the
letter was such toinduce him deliver over to
the COMMITTEES of Vigilance. And it turns out that
It was his own SONS ON whom rests the heavy puilt
OF the murder! The editor of the Salem REGISTER.
says
| 1.-The sensation which has been created IN town nv
Inesc appalling disclosures is beyond description
| The person who has made the confession. and WHO
appears to have been the institor of the deed and
the employer of the assassins 10 perpetrate it. has
heretofore sustained fair character, and the suspi.
clons of tine public had never been directed toward
him. fhe depth of grief and misery into which his
aniable young wife, and numerous respectable con-
nectlons have been thrown by this dreadful deyelope-
ment, has caused the hearts Of thousands to bleed for
them"
The substance of the disclosures of Joseph J.
Knapp, jun, the person who has Turned States Ev-
idence, we learn 10 be as follows
| Knapp is the son-in-law of Mrs. Beckford, the
niece and housekecper of Capt. White, and has
been married about three years. The person en-
gagged to perform the deed appears to have placed
great reliance upon the expectation of obtaining the
large amount of treasure generally supposed aud in
TACT represented by Knapp to be probably contained
in the iron chest.
| Knapp says that he enteri aimed the notion mot
uncommon, though erroneousi that if Capt White
should die without Will, his wife's mother would
have been entitled by law half of the estate of
Capt W., as Mrs. b. was the only legal representa-
tallve OF u deceased sister of Capt. White, and the
children of his deceased brother were the only heirs
and entitled to the other half
i He knew that Capt. w. had made a Will by
which his mother would be entitled only to mode
rate cgacy--after he had fouud agents who agreed
to assassinate Capt. White for 1000 dollars, which
he agreed 10 pay, the first step was to purlon or
destroy the Will: as he had free and freouent ar
cess to the house. he agreed to do this himself and
to uDbar and unfnsten the back window of the house
SO hat the ASSASSIN might gain entrance. Various
modes we're thought Of to take The life. He con-
April four days before the murder, and finding The
key IN the iron chest, unlocked it and took out tho
WILL put it III his chaise box, covered il up with bay
carried to Wenliam. and keep ill after the muir
der and then burned it. After tho Will had been
secured, he give notice to The assassIn That Al was