Southport telegraph. [volume] (Southport, W.T. [i.e. Kenosha, Wis.]) 1840-1850, 1842-02-22


| the death of others, Gas there quite number
who slept In the building the destruction of prop
erty, DC, caused me at to abandon the idea
| next thought of having suitable box made, and
having 1t loaded inside so that the blood would not
run out, and moving it off somewhere and burying
1t. Then the delay of all this and the great iablll
| ty of being detected.
| returned to my room and entered it, as had left
| it, as supposed, unobserved. Wheeler S door was
| open, and he was talking to some one quite audi
bly. | went in my room entirely undetermined,
| and not knowing what to do. After was seated
| in my room, | waited silently until Wheeers
school was out and his lights extnguished, and du-
ring this suspense 1t occurred TO me that | might
put the body IN a cask box and ship it off some
where little thought at this. time that the box
Which was IN the room would answer, | supposed
it too short and SMALL and be entirely unsafe, as
II was quite open.
Wheeler's school being out, still heard some
one in his room and as then thought laid down
on some benches. The noise did not appear ex-
actly like person going to bed. | could hear the
nesting of no bed clothes. felt somewhat alarm
ed, but then it occurred to that it mi ght be the
person who Wheeler had stated was going to &C.
| cupy the room then occupied, a sleeping room
as soon as gave II up, which was to be In about
| ten days time, was temporarily occupying his room
for this purpose. Relieving myself by this thought
lost; something must be done. This was about 9
o clock | should think.
| Having closed the shutters, I went and examin-
ed the box to if could crowd the body into it,
| soon that there was possibility of doing so,
II L could bend the legs up, and that 1t would
swer IT L could keep some OF the canvass round the
body to absorb the blood and keep it from running
out. This was fearful of. 1t occurred to me-if
| | bury send this body off, the clothes which he
had ST.,
might be. 1t became necessary to strip 1t and dis
pose of the clothes, which | speedily accomplished
| by ripping up the coat sleeves, vest, &c. While
| removing the clothes, the keys, the money &c. in
his pockets caused a rattling and | took them out
and laid them one side. | then pulled part of the
awning over his body to hide it, | then cut and
tore piece from the awning and laid it in the bot
tom of the box. | then cut several pieces from the
| awning for the purpose of lessenng its bulk sup
posing 1t was too much to crowd into the box with
| the body; l. e. it would not 90 in. | then tied as
| tight as | could portion of the awning about the
| head, having placed something like fax which |
! found in the box, with the awning. (This flax or
swindling tow came from the room had previous
ly occupied; No. Murray street, with the avn
| ing)
| | then drew piece of this rope around the legs
at the Joint of the knees and tied them together;
| then connected rope to the about the should
| neck and bent the knees toward the head of
| the body as much as could. This brought it into
a compact form. After several efforts l succeeded
In raising the body chair seat, thence the top
of the box and turning round little, let it into
the box as easily as | could. back downwards with
| head raised The head, knees and feet were still
little out, but by reaching down to the bottom of
the box and pulling the body little towards me,
| readily pushed the body in and feet The knees
still projected and had to stand on them with all
| my weight before could get them down. The
awning was then all crowded in the box, excepting
| piece two, which reserved to wash the floor.
There being still portion of the box, next to the
feet, not quite full, took his coat, and after pull
ing up portion of the awning, crowded ii partial
| y under them and replaced the awning. The CO.
| yer was at once put on the box and nailed down
| with four five nails which were broken and of
| but little account.
| then wrapped the remainder of his clothing up
and carried it down stairs to the prvy, and threw
| them into it, together with his keys, wallet mo-
ney, pencil case, &c. The latter things | took
| down in my hat and pockets, part wrapped in a
paper and part otherwise. In throwing them
down, think they must have ratified out of the pa
per.
then returned to the room, carried down the
pail which contained the blood, and threw it into
the gutter of the street; pumped several pals of
water and threw 1t In the same direction. The
pump is nearly opposite the door of the build
ing. Then carried pail of water up stairs, and
commenced washing the floor, and repeated said
washing a third pail: then rinsed the pail, re-
turned it clean and two thirds full of water to the
room; opened the shutters usual, drew chair to
the door and leaned 1t against it on the inside
! closed it. Locked the door and went at to
! the Washington Bath House in Pearl street, near
! Broadway. On my way to the Bath House, went
by hardware store for the purpose of getting some
nails to further secure the box. Store was closed
When got to the Bath House think by the clock
/ there II was elrht minutes past 10.
washed out my shirt thoroughly in parts of the
| sleeves and bosom, that were somewhat stained
with blood from washing the floor. My pantaloons
on the knees | also washed little, and my neck
handkerchief in spots.
| / then went home. 1t wanted when got home
about 5 minutes of III clock, | lit Ii ht
! al. Caroline wished to know why l came in so
late. | made excuse, saying that | was with
friend from Philadelphia, | think and that should
get up early in the morning to go and see him off.
went TO the stand and pretended to write till she
became quiet or went to sleep. | then put out the
light and undressed myself, spread my shirt, &c.
out and went to bed In the morning at about half
past o'clock, got up, put my shirt any handker-
chief, which not yet dry, into the bottom of
the clothes basket under the bed; always changed
my shirt going to bed In the morning put on
a shirt and handk erchief and was nearly dressed
when Caroline woke up. | said to her that 1t was
doubtful whether | should return to breakfast; did
not return; went 10 the Once; found all apparently
as had left it. Went after some nails-got them
at Woods store; the was just opening.
Returned to the room, nailed the box on all sides
went down to the East River TO ascertain the first
packet for New Orleans; returned TO my room;
marked the box; moved it myself but with great
difficulty to the head of the stairs did NOT dare to
let il down myself went to look for a cartman saw
a man passing the door as was going out; re-
| quested HIM to help me down with the box he got
il down without any assstance-preserred doing
| paid him 10 or IL cents; went down Chambers
street for cartnan whom | saw coming towards
Broadway; hired him to take the box to the ship,
! foot of Maiden Lane-went with him. While he
was loading the box went to my office for piece
o paper to write receipt on wrote receipt TO be
signed by the Captain, in my way down the street.