Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1845-1854, 1850-08-12
Execution Of Pearson for the Murder
of his Wife and Two Children.

About one hundred persons witnessed
The execution. A large crowd was col.
lected about the jail, some Of hom clam
bered on the roof Of the adjoining house,
and disturbed the last funeral exercises by
Their demonaeal shouts. ~"
While upon The scofoid, Pearson read
his Bible with great apparent devotion, and
when the cap was drawn over his face hef
appeared TO be engaged in PRAYER. He
ascended the steps the gullows with firm
ness, and, as he walked upon the drop,
gave last look al the sun and the scene
around him.
He was hung at half:past ten o'clock,
and made full confession of his guilt. He.
died almost without struggle. asst
The following is the speech made by
Person on the gallows:- 80
81 should like 10 say few words Be
prepared to die, my friend seek salvatien-
This is the happiesl death Of any, it only
prepared to die. hope and trust in God.7
and that | am going 10 be with Him il,
Heaven. | recommend you oil 10 tie
Holy Word of God, and pray that we May
all meet in Heaven.
Tho following is his own confession.
81 wish to unburden my soul, and free
my conscience Of whatever l ought, with
all my heart, and under The eye of my
Maker, who will judge me soon. de-
clare as follows;-Truly, of the death of i,
my wife, Martha B. Pearson, and nv
two twin children, Sarah and Lydia, /
confess that myself alone took their lives.
on the morning Of the lrrh April, le45,
belw cen the hours Of two and four o'clock.
This is the time, as nearly as can recol.,
lect, and these are The principal circuiD-
s,asces: On the 10Th Of April, drank
ale to excess; went 10 my brother Hem,
RVS, in Brookield street. took an umbrela
kissed my daughter Melissa, told her
was going to providence, ard then parted.
| went down fremont street and Temple
place to club house, aud got pack Of.
cards; then struck over TO Providence
depot and left them. | went 10 Boyleston
street and obtained shoe. knife al shoe.
makers then obtained vial OF laudanuns
at an apothecary's then went to Merry
man street and got bottle Of gin. then
ent TO the Lowell depot, and left in the
cars for Wilmington, asked when The
cars left for Boston in the morning Some
one answered, and handed me Path
finder. then left for my house, whcrs
my wife and two children where living -
| went over through the woods nnd, stupe-
fled with liquor got lost. 1t was kind
Providence 10 hold me back, not knowing
where was. When | got through {
looked round for some time, and saw nv
barn. saw Il light in my house. ltap-
ped on the window; Martha came and
said ''whose there?" Daniel" | answer
ed. She came to the door and let me in.
sat down, and she got me cup of len,
and took supper. Shortly after, she re-
tired, sat up little while by the stove,
and then went to bed with my wife. got
up, went out, and returned 10 bed between
two and four o'clock. did The fatal deed
after the first thurst, which think did not
wound her. Martha got the knife away
from me, know not how, and held it by
the handle. 1t was hard TO get it again,
| and in the dark seized the blade in my
hands, and, in wrenching it, split the han-
; die and got the blade away from her. 1t
the handle had not been broken, the deed
might not have been accomplished. In
doing the deed cut my hand badly. /
then oyercnme her, and in the struggle she
) crisd out, "Oh! Daniel, Daniel, don't MUIR
der me-murder! murder~ pierced her
from the bed; she then cried "Oh, my
God!" fell on the floor and died. / do not
know how the pillow came under her.
Sarah slept in the bed with my wife; she
: awoke and cried; pierced her also in the
) neck, and she died. Lydia awoke and
r crawled on the bed, saying something and
laughing, / think. put my hand on her
/, hea0, and pierced her in the neck. After
this lamentable deed was finished, said
} show could l have done it," Now, | &C.
knowledge, as have olien and repeatedly,
: that Martha gave me no cause, neither in
any manner nor at any time to do this deed.
y | was not jealous of my wife; all her chill
! dren, without doubt, were mine. She was
h good woman and deserved we'll of me-
/. | cannot tell why did the deed, except
d that was led away. Before leaving the
d house, kindled light 10 dress by. left
3 my wife on the floor, having put the knife
!; in her hands--the children on the bed,
e the laudunum by her on the table, with the
n cards and notes, one of which | signed, in.
/. tending to make the impression that Martha
d after destroying the children had commit
'r ted suicide. When going out the back
door crossed the woods TO a brook, and
there washed my person of my. wife and
IN chidren's blood. then changed my shirt
e. which was torn in the struggle, and bloody
!, The blood on my clean shirt sleeve was
my own blood After wiping myself
with the shirt which took off, rolled il
le up, carried it to Boston, and sunk it in the
at water JUS, below the Providence depot.
s. His body was taken to his native place
'e Wilmington, the scene of the murder, tor
8 burial. -
a, a, He lost all hopes of reprieve after h'
heard the result in the case Of Prof. Web
:, =, ster.
10 F'Tom you so,, said Temperance