Washington telegraph., 1849-09-26
CONFESSION OF THOMAS SHORT.

very young. My father and mother al.
ways stood fair, and were regarded as
honest people At very early period
of my life 1 aisobeyed the instructions
of my parents and took my own course,
or rather the plan and course of my eldest
brother, William Short. Almost rs fal
back as can recollect, my brother Will
liam would pick up little matters, which
I kept concealed from my father and
mother About the time my brother
married he broke into store, in company
with several others, and one of the s.rti.
cles which my brother took, was a pair
of ladies stockings, which he presented
to his intended wife; from time to time
William went on step by step, stealing
small articles, until he got so he could
take horse, or trade for horse that he
knew was stolen. Twas gradually ini.
tiated into the secret Of stealing, and par
ticularly of the necessary item of hiding
well, (the difficult part of the profession
During this time one of my sisters had
married MIR. Sansum, who became a
member of the party. Some time ago
MIR. Sansum took off the irons that were
on a MIR. Jackson, convicted for Rape in
Fayette county. At or near the same
time, William Short, MIR. Sansum. Jas.
Crook, James Mclaughlin and Alfred
O'Bar, decoyed and run two negroes,
one the property of DR.. Atkinson, of La
Grange, Fayette county, the other negro,
the property of MIR. Cleveland, of Travis,
Austin County. and fine horse OF MIR.
Norton; after the sales OF the negroes,
and in the divide, Mclaughlin and Will
liam Short fell out and quarreled with
Crook-he, Crook, had a league OF land
thew wanted, which Crook refused to let
them have, and in the quarrel Crook
threatened to disclose on them. This
alarmed the party, and especially Will
liam Short and Mclaughlin; after a
consultation it was arranged to kill Crook,
who made his home at William Snort S.
John Marshall and John Rich were TO
be the murderers. VIM. Short sent me
after John Marshall and Rich to let them
know the time. The night appointed
Crook was not at home, but staid in the
neighborEood; some men staid at VIM.
Shorts that night, going up the Yagua
after cattle. II rained very hard all night
and MARSHALL and Rich staid in the bot
tom, near William Shorts all night
(surely the way of the transgressor is
hard) In the morning William Short
sent his wife to Mr.. Caruthers, that she
might not witness the transaction. Nc
Laughlin was fearful Crook would not
return. and rode some distance in the
course that Crook would come, and as
soon as he ascertained from a neighbor
of VIM Shorts that Crook had gone home,
Mclaughlin returned i'll time to give the
finishing touch to Crook. | was then in
structed how and what to prove, if any
thing was done at law / was witness
before the Justices Court; l was excused
in the District court. Suffice it to say,
Mclaughlin and VIM. Short were clear
ed, and Rich and Marshall never tried,
which emboldened the party very mucn
at so happy an escape. Divers thefts and
outrages were perretrated from that time
until the party arrested have broken a
link in the chain that extends from Mis-
souri, to Mexico. For the good Of society
and duty 1 owe the country for many
outrages committed against the citizens
of this country, I give all the names that
I am Tor have been) acquainted with,
freely and of my accord, hoping this COM
munity will sympathiZe with me. and at
least extend all the lenity they can. For
the time to come, should [ ever be liber-
ated God being my helper, will live an
honest man, and although l know the
amount of feeling against me, and that
box1 10 hp
believed, l say before God, the Judge of
all the earth, that | was entreated, threat
ened and forced into crimes of the darkest
sort.
Annexed are the names as l learned
them:
Mai. Moore, of Crock et-deals in coun-
terfeit coin.
Parson Nathan Shook-mAkes land
certificates. has the seal and everything
necessary for the same; [ saw Parson
Shook making out some land papers at
VIM. Short's-he then went out on the
Guadalupe, where McPeters stoled fine
sorrel mare, belonging to Mr.. Estill, and
swapped to Parson Shook for likely
gray mare, which was also stolen prop
erty Wm, Short went with Shook to
the Guadalupe, and they returned togeth-
er; Shook slept until midnight and LETT
my brothers., since which time l have not
seen him. He breaches first rate ser
mon, hear, and | know he makes good
land title. At or in the neighborhood OF
Crockett are Longs, (but no connection
with Maj. Long. who sometimes sports
the turf with Mr.. Gay Stokes.) At or
near the same place are two men by the
name of Pearson; these men receive and
trade on stolen horses, and assist IN har-
boring and running stolen negroes
Nathaniel Greer often applied to VIM.
Short to be full partner, and in compa-