Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1851-03-01
CONFESSION OF GEORGE PHARAOH, THE
MURDER ER OF RACHEL sHARPLEss.

CON' EsstoN OF GEORGE PHAVAoH' IN"
MURDERER OF RACHEL sHARPLEss'
The editor of the West Chester Village
Record gives the following as a substance OF
a confession made TO him by George Phataoh
IN the prison, since his conviction
On the morning of the murder of Rachel
Sharples, | came out from my fathers house,
and went up the Boot road. Mary---was
along aud she set the dog OH me for sport
the dog ran AT me and barked | pointed the
gun al the dog several times, and snapped ii
at him. The gun was not loaded. did it 10
tease Mary. ! had often plagued the dog
Did not see VIM. Smith in the barn yard
He then went up 10 Jonathan Cope's woods
TO load his gum; he loaded one barrel-then
came down by Emmor Thomas spring
house. Oliphant came TO him near the spring
honsc, and went with him down to the
woods Says he snapped at robin, but his
gun did not go Off He then went down into
the wood. and 0liphant went after the cows.
said he had thought something of shooting
Rachel Sharpless before he had started from
home, and as his gun snapped when he aim
'd at the robin, he put up mark OIL a tree
opposite the bars, or nearly so, and fired at it
TO see it his gun would go off, and the shot
are IN The tree. He loaded his gun again
and remained in The woods abou, a unarter
Of an hour. He went down TO the bridge,
and looked back and thought Oliphan, saw
him he then went up through the middle
OF the woods, where he could leave no tracks
towards the school house, and said that the
tracks across the creek and in the path along
The fence, which had been measured and
,houaht 10 correspond with his shoes were
not made by him. This he asserted positive.
ly more than once.
lie loiiered about the school house unt
after the mistress had passed through the bar:
which open from the road to The school house
lot as she approached the school house he
thought she saw him he got behind tree
hd himself, and she came around on the
western side of the school house He wait
ed until she came TO the door, took the key
from the reicule, aud thought her attention
vas arrested by his shadow. He then step
ped ont on the left side Of the tree, that she
might have the back of her head towards
hm-raised The gun to his shoulder took ra
pd aim, and fired. He says the only excla
nation she made was "Oh ~ She fel
against the door, thence 10 the stone step
and rolled of upon the ground. He locke,
al her about three ninutes-he felt sorry a
SOON as it was done, and he was afraid It
take the watch, for fear they would find hin
ont by it. He then walked slowly west from
the school house, then through the woods
and crossed the road at the corner of Emo
Thomas corn field. LII crossing the road h
Jumped up the bank, aud looked back AM
found he had left no tracks He went in,
the woods on the north side of the road, am
thence into Mary SharpIess' woods and ther
loaded his gun and shot twice al a squire
but not at The tree which he had pointed ou
10 Sheriff Darlington. lie did not take Shel
lH Darlington to The right place, because h
was afraid that they would find the wads {
his guu. After | committed the murder
! poured the shot out of my shot bag, to avoi
discoyery-some Of II poured ont in III
woods Of Enus Thomas aud some of it j
Mary Sharples' woods. What takes my a,
ieution, said George. is, that all the wilne:
ses said there was but one report thai morn
inc.