The Columbia Democrat. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1837-1850, 1841-04-17
PETER RORIWSON.
-eziiS EXTRAORDINARY CONFESS.
ION. OTHER MURDERS, &c.

ing important particulars relatve to Robin- |
son, convicted at New Brunswick last week,
'of The murder Of Abraham Suydam.
Peter Robinson is now about AZ years
of age, was born in New Jersey, but raised
in New York. He is not carpenter by
trade; but being ingenious, began to make
looking glass frames about fifteen years ago,
;agJ has since worked at all SORTS OF carpen
teI and cabinet work.
i,s mother is dead, but his father ls still
living in the poor house At New Brunswick.
He las two hroihers, Wi liam and James.
both Of whom a,e sioemakers,are m rred,
aud have f;sniilcs. William is u shrewd,
sharp, aud rather queer tempered Fellow,
James is "a yonng man of very weak intel
lect. Peter married very respectable wo-
man. has had three or four children by him,
of whom hut one boy, six or eight years
old, is now living. He also had a sister,
vino is dead.
There are all SORTS Of stories and rumors
aaoat relative to his former life. Ii was be.
licved by manv that he murdered his sister,
roisonetl two of his children, and killed a
pedar and carpenter, hesides other mis-
celaneous murders. Last summer two Of
his children died suddenly, from taking
each other. DR.. Van Dusen was called in
10 see one, and found him in the agonies OF
death, poisoned: and the mother said the
child had neen eatpg the sfrd'h0niu0. OF
sink weed; il was taken i'll in the morning,
ana died before Right The same was The
case with tie otter child; the eldest was
eight or nine years old, and the youngest
three or four; aud Peter had whipped the
eldest severely the day ii died.
With regard to Peters sister, the family
say that she was known rs have some mo-
nsy by her; lhat she was last seen in Peer s
company aud house; that he said she le!t
to 90 10 some service; and that she dsap-
peared from that lime, and has never been
hear,t Of ssfuce. anu since ietsf ARES
for ,ae murder, his father had been 10 see
him, and has said to him, "NOw Peter,
didn't YOU kill your sisterl" which question
he would not answer.
The story about tn e pedlar appears TO be
this: Some few years since well knowi
pedlar was in tho habit OF coming TO New
Brunswick and selling his trlnkets arount
The city. He used 10 put up and board al
various places. AT last he took board
Peters house. He disappeared day
two afterwards very suddenly and has nev
er been heard Of from that day, and no in
habi,ant has e"er seen the man alive since
Itis also said, thai about week or two al
Ter the pellar disappeared. Peters wife wa
seen with his little box and was selling III
t.inkeis it contained. How true this Is w
know not.
There was another mysterious disappear
ancc in New Brunswick a few years since
Peter came home from New York with
carpenter, who was known to have $lOO,o
more in his possession. The carpenie
went to board at the house OF Peter, an
hos not been heard of since. AT tnat tImt
Peter had Just rented new house ior
year; he suddenly moved out OF IT, and de
cared ne could not live in il; aud the pei
sons who moved into il, declared The base
nent SUNK so horribly that they could nc
use it for year.
These are few Of the charges that ar
brought against Peter, either WIN OF win
out sufficient foundation thereof
He was never known in New Brunswlc
TO be other than IA very poor man. III
wife once lived cook with MIR. DE Graw
(who keeps The very excellent hotel Gale
the Mansion House,) and Peter used 10 Ell
and sleep there; whilst there he used
make liule toys for MIR. De Graw's chi
dren, and do odd jobs about The house; b'
his sysIice WAS always so great thai II
would charge four lmes as much as WIZ
he did was worth.
As 10 the manner in which koo'nso
committed this brutal and bloody deed,lieI
are many opinions. Some suppose mat Il
enticed Mr Suydam to come 10 his nous
on Thanks sgvirg morning. and to bring
his papers. and all the evidence oi
(Peter's) nde aledness with him; that su.
tam went there, leaned over the carpenter
bench in the back room In The aci OF WI
\ ting receip, for seventy five dollars, al
thai peler snuck INN on the back part
the head Win The hammer end oil the hate
et. cracked his scn.l across, and then dro'
= in the TOP Of il with the blade OF iho halc
e!; dragged him down stairs, and buried III
in grave already dug in the front haseheI
Peer has ronlessed to his counsel NJ
9 Wood, aud 10 clefgymen, that he d'd
contemplate ne murder at first, and IN
Mr.. Saylam hal a struggle Tor lhe posse
sion Of tha papers; that Suydam' VINO p"