The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1850-08-17
Confession OF DonieI II. Pearson

Ihe execution OF Daniel ii. Pearson for the
murder Of his vie and twin.chldren at Whining.
ton, Mass, in April, lS49 took place within the
! Jail yard, at East Cambridge, on Friday fore
noon. The crime was so at.ccious IN its charac
ter, and accompanied by circumstances Of unpre
cedented ierocity that few could be found at the
time who could believe tilat the perpetrator was
sane when lie committed the triple murder; and
although the prcmedtation and plan were clear
ly proved at the trial, doubts In relation to the
tate If biz mind were entertained almost up to
The last moment Of his life.
The following is Pear,on's last confession, re-
duccd to writing from his dictation, and signed by
him which We copy from the Bost. Post of Aug
Sd:
JAN EAST CAMBRIDGE, July 25, 1850.
am about to appear before God | wish to
unbnrcen my soul and free my conscience Of
whatever ! ought. With all my heart and under
the eye of my Maker, who will Judge me soon,
declare, follows, truly Of the death ofmv wife
Martha b. Pearson and Of my two twin children,
Sarah and Lydia; confess, that p,yself alone
took tie Hc,s cfmy rife and ttCo childrcn, on the
morning Of the eleventh Of April, 1919, between
the hours Of two and four O'Clock. This is the
time when did it, as nearly as | can rccollect;
--and these are the principal circumstances:
On the 10th Of April, having drunk ale to OK.
cess, went to my brother licury- in Bromfcla
street took an umbrella, kissed my daughter Me-
lI'sa, told her was going to Providence, and
parted. Then ! went down fremont street aud
Temple place to a club house. and got pack Of
cards then ! went down fremont street, struck
over to Providence depot inquired when the cars
started, and left then went to Boyston street.
obtained n shoe-kniIe at a sLoemakrrs shop. and
then obtained vial Of audanlm at an apotheca-
Iy's store then ! went 10 Merrmack street and
got IA bottle of gin then | went to the Lowell
depot and LETT IN the cars for Wilmington,
think about six o'clock in the evening.
On arriving ut Wilmington, ! n-ked when the
cars left N thp morning for Boston Some one
answered. and handed Inc "pathhnder" | then
left for my house, where my wife and . children
Were living | went over through the woods, and
stupifcd with liquor got lost 1t was Il kind Pro-
yidcnce TO hold me back Not knowing where
was when | got through the woods, ! looked
round for sometime, aud saw my barn | went
to the barn, and looking about, saw a light in nv
house went and tapped on the window, Mar
tha came aud inquired, who 2 there" "Dan-
iel,' ! answered She came to the door and let
me ill., After shaking hands with her, ! sat down.
She got me cup of tea, and | took supper
Shortly after, she retired sat up a little while
by the stove and then went to bed with my wife
drowsed Il little, arose and went out and re-
turned again to bed Between two AMI four o.
clock did the fatal deed After the first thrust.
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 il again:
and in the dark | seized the blade in my hands
and wrenclIng, split the handle, and got the
blade from her. If the handle had not broken,
the deed might not have been done IN doing
this, my hands were cut badly. | then oycrcame
her and in the struggle, she cried out "O Daniel,
Daniel, Daniel, don't murder me-inurder, mur-
der" ! pierced her in the neck After she was
pierced She got on the floor from the bed. She
cried, "Oh my God" Bleeding, she fell on the
floor and died | do not know how the pillow
came under her Sarah slept on the bed with
my wife She awokc. and cried | pierced her
also in the neck, and she died. LYDIA awokc,
crawled up on the bcd saying something and
laughing, believe. lput my hand on her head,
and pierced her in the ncck--and this lamenta.
bic deed was finished. How could have done
i'll
/ Now ] acknowledge, as | have often and re
peatedly, that Martha, my wife, gave the no cause,
neither III any manner nor ~ any time, for dong
tins deed. was not Jealous fmy wife. All her
children, without doubt, were mine. She was n
good woman, and deserved well of me can.
not tell why did the deed, except that was led
away
Before leaving the house, | kindlcd a light to
dress me, ] left my wife on the floor having
placed the knife in her hand the children on the
bed the laudanum by her on the table, with the
cards and notes; one of which signed, intend
ing TO make the impression that Martha, after
destroying the children had, herself committed
suicide. Then going out Of the back door, eros.
sed the woods to brook, and there washed NY
person from my wife and chldrcns blood. then
changed my shirt, which was torn in the struggle
and bloody The blood on my clean shirt sleeve
was my own blood. After wiping myself witt,
the .hut which took of, rolled it up. carried
1t to Boston and sunk 1t in the water Just below
7 the Providence depot
/ (SigncdJ DANIEL II. PEARSON.