New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1846-08-21
The NIountaineer' Explosions.
To he Editor Of The Tribune:

10 "e fuHcf y f"c 1'fV@"f'
hope you will pursue the inquiry relative to the
acciden, the steamboat Mountaneer The Powell and
the NJ. have been in the habit OF racing the
first trip OF the latter
gentleman who was on boad the NJ sOo them place a
bucket Of the team Of tie at,y rarc but short
time before the explosion. All the weights mad been
pushed 10 the extreme end and this proving suii-
ccn the bucket was esored to 10 increase the weight
and thus bring strain upon the boiler and morc
than the builders ever designed
These facts 20 10 prove that there has been reck
less disregard OF human life and that deserves pun
ishmcnt. Yours, HANlSLER.
~ We have good name with the above, but
We appreherd there is some mistake about thu
matter. Such reports grow up too easily in case Of
an accident. But let us have public investis cation
of tins dsaster--the mmors afioat true and false.
seem imperatively 10 require il We have heard
stories OF two or three dying in consequence OF this
explosion but ON attempting to trace them TO some
reliable source they have all proved baseless We
are confident that no one has died is likely 10
die w ell what Of that The cupability is as
crea; as ii they had been fatally scaded. Very
good but does that Justify those who circulate re-
ports OF this man dying at Coxsackie that one at
Newbursh &c when nothing OF the kind has
taken place Let us have facts, and facts only.
HowaRD', CoSFEssIcv-Soon after the recent
execution of Andrew Howard at Dover y. H. for
the murder OF his wife. story was started in the
newspapers that i'll his dying confession lie said that
he aeccr noald hare kdisd htS arge j he had kaOrn
HAT the 2egal penalty .e0s dcoth. The first We
OF this was in an editorial in the Express grossly
sssaiiing us for having as it charged suppressed
a.: IN,
port Of the gallows We thercupon gave 1t most
conspicuous insertion IN our columns, though We
felt obliged to intimate conviction that the man
who wrote or prompted the confession was more
truly the author OF than the man IN whose mouth
1t was put
We have now evidence that fully justies our
sumse, and establishes all tina, We suspected
Horard made no saci, 0r0,rdi The following letter
from Free VIII Baptist clergyman is conclusive
DOVER H. July 20 1916
Mr.. NJ. c JOHNSON Dcar Sv-iours OF the 18th inst.
containing several inquiries relative 10 the confession OF
Andrew Howard. i before The following state
ment- which made without reference 10 the order
of your questions contain all the information am able
10 give you this painful subject
lst. The confession was made 10 DR. swectove. oil
this place during the forenoon previous 10 the execution
nj > oclock p NJ
ID was skclched by the DR. al the time OF the con-
iession aud written out by him at suo7equcn, period
Sd The notes were probably taken down in the pres
of the prisoner only, and il Is supposed that his
confession obtained in 10 questions put 10
him.
4,h. In answer 10 a question put him in my pres
encc and after he had closed his confession, he dened
harinp erer said that he should hare cOmmied the
de, had he kHown thai hanging pdS The penalty for taking
life he also said he did Tfc0llGct that the OF
m;ing The deed he though; anything about the penalty
9Th While conversng with me last fall lie expressed
his disapprobnton OF capital punishment He also said
that he L1ouid rather be lung than ba9r his life
the STATE Prison His stupidity hope OF escaping death
sc such last iall, that could not always credit
some things that he said to Some Of tie remarks
relating 70 his mother which found in his confession
Dr. :. appear quite different from some things that
he said 10 about her months since
will only add that the paper accompanying this let
ter the Dover Gazette OF July 18th contains the only
lH;heHtic confession OF Mr. Howard
In great haste yours truly. f. HUTCHNS