Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1830-06-05

Erom the Nev- York Commercial Adre'i,Sef'
THE SALEM MURDER.

Er0,1 the NeC- IOrE Commercial HdCeittSeT.
THE SALEM MURDER.
The Salem Register of Monday, contains a tar
more conious and particular detail of the circum-
stances attending the late shocking murder OF Mr..
White. than any narrative heretofore given. lhe
narrative is drawn from the confession OF Joseph
]. Knapp, Jr. who has turned states evidence. IL
was the most cool, deliberate, and attrocious as
sassination that has ever occurred to stain the an
nails of our country. A brief sketch OF the iacts
in the case, as disclosed by Knapp, was gwen IN
this paper yesterday; and several days since, we
published an account of the arrest of Palmer, and
the manner ofhis arrest, in the state of Maine
which led TO the whole disclosure. An interest
ing and affecting part is now for the first time,
made known to us. Mc letter from Palmer de-
handing money, containing dark illusions and
| threats. supposed to relate to the murder, was d.
rected to Mr.. Joseph Knapp, merchant. Salem,'
and was supposed TO be intended for MIR. Joseph
]. Knapp, who is a respectable merchant IN that
town. and who took 1t from the post office. The
suspicious character of the letter was such as to
induce him to deliver it over to the Committee OF
Vigilance. And it turns out that it is his own
sons on whom rests the heavy guilt of the murder.
The editor of the Salem Register, says
s.Thc sensation which has been created in town
BY these appalling disclosures is beyond descrip-
ton. The person who has made the confession,
and who appears to have been the instIgatoro OF the
deed. and the employer of the assassin to per.
1881. =. L., lo.otnc..o ,,.tt,al A., Gan. chorac
ter. and the suspicious Of the public had never
been directed toward him. The depth of grief
and misery into which his amiable young wife,
and numerous respectable connexions have been
| thrown by this dreadful Development, has caus-
ed the hearts of thousands to bleed for them.
The substance of the disclosures of Joseph ].
Knapp un. the person who has turned States evil
dence, we learn to be as follows:
Knapp is son-in-law of Mrs. Beckford, the
neice and housekeeper of Captain White, and
has been married about three years. The person
engaged to perform the deed appears to have
placed great reliance upon the expectation of OBJ
tanning the large amount of treasure generally
supposed. and in fact represented By Knapp to
to be probably contained in the iron chest.
Knapp says that he entertained the notion mot
uncommon, though erroneous) that if Captain
White should die without a will, his wife's mo.
Their would have been entitled by law to one half
of the estate of Capt. w. as Mrs. Il. was the on
ly legal representative of a deceased sister of
Capt. White, s. the children ofhis deceased broth
er were the only heirs entitled to the other half.
He knew that Capt. w. had made a will by
which his mother would be entitled only to a mod
crate legacy-after he had found agents who
agreed to assassinate Capt. White for one thou
sand dollars, which he agreed to pay. the first
ctor uros IN ,,urloin A ~ loa.royy tho uil. a.. H..
had free and frequent access to the house. he a.
greed to do this himself, and to unbar and un-
fasten the back window of the House. so that
the assassin might gain entrance. Various modes
Were thought of to take the life. He c~onfasses
that he went into Capt. WIS chamber Cd April
four days before the murder, and finding the kew
in the iron chest, unlocked it and took out the
will, put it into his chaise box, covered it up with
hay, carried it to Wenham, and kept. it till az
ter the murder, and then burned it. After the
Will had been secured, he gave notice to the as
sassin. that all was ready. On the same even
ing. previous to his going to Wenham. he had a
meeting on the centre of the Mall with the as
sassin, who Showed him the bludgeon and the
dagger with which he intended to perpetrate the
deed; that he Knapp examined them and asked
the other if he intended to do it that night: he
said he thought not-he did not feel like it. Knapp
then returned to Wenham.
On Sunday afternoon, (4th of April he ascer-
tanned that Capt. w. had gone to take tea in
Chestnut street with a relative. and the assassin
then undetermined to dirk him in the street on his re-
turn: but it turned out that he returned home be-
fore dark. so that the design was then frustrated.
1t was next arranged for Tuesday night; and in
the forenoon Of that day, he says he made a pre-
text to prevail on his wife's mother to depart
from Capt. WIS house and ride to Wenham to
visit her daughters, and to spend the night with
them.
He says that, all preparations being thus made,
the assassin and his accomplice met about 10 o.
clock in the evening IN Brown-street. which pas
ses the rearo of Capt. WIS. garden. and stood some
time IN a spot from which thes could observe the
movements in the house. and perceive when the
family retired to bed,-the assassin then Went
round through the street, and entered the yard of
Capt. w. in front, vent round the house to the
back window, as designated, lifted it, entered the |
house alone, passed up the staircase, opened the
door OF the chamber where Can't. w. SILENT. an