Washington sentinel. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1853-1855, 1854-06-09
The Tragedy at southold.

CONFESSION OF THE MURDERER-FURTHER
DETAILs-HoRRIBLR REvELATIoN.-The name
of the murderer has been incorrectly stated
heretofore. His real name is Nicholas Behee-
han. His ageis 20. The prisoner after his
capture was taken to Cutchogue by the sheriff
and deputies, followed by q vast multitude.
Arrived at the Office Of Oliver Corey, esq, he
asked to see the girl Ellen. She was sent for.
Approaching him, she exclaimed: That is the
murderer who did it alll' he replied: eyes,
| did it, and you werethe whole cause"
1t is understood that the deceased, Mrs.
Wickham, had, on the day Of the murder, ar
ranged for visit to New York, which she was
to have undertaken this day, in company with
the accomplished daughter of Mr.. VIM. Belts,
with whom the deceased was very intimate.
After the prisoner had been taken from the
woods to Hermitage Station, he was placed in
q barn where DR.. Carpenter sewed mn the
wound in his throat, and then commenced a
conversation with him in presence Of Justice
Corney. The prisoner said his name was
Nicholas Beheehan, and that he was ready to
confess the awful crime he had committed.
His lips trembled, and he then remarked:
Doctor, keep the people away and / will tell
you all about it." The medical gentleman
complied with his request, and then told the
prisoner that Mr.. Wickham was dead. At
hearing this announcement the wretch looked
up and exclaimed: My God, is he dead |"
The Doctor replied it was the solemn fact, and
continued: 81 want you tell me Why and how,
you committed this shocking deed" The cul-
prit nerved himself, and very deliberately made
confession of the shocking affair. On the
evening of the night that the murder was per-
petrated, he said he was at the village of
Greenport, and took his trunk and other things
a. AZ 4 - e
hearty supper. He then continued:
~ then left the house in my shirt sleeves, and
started off on foot for Cutchogue, and informed
Mrs. OConner that / should return in the
night, so as to attend my new employment at
brick yard in the morning; walked all the
way to Cutchogue and reached the house of
Mr.. Wickham about eleven o'clock that night;
walked around the premises and finally pulled
off my boots in the yard and placed them near
the kitchen door; then went to the wood
house and got the post-hole axe and came back
to the kitchen, raised the ground floor window
(under the room where the colored boy slept;)
got inside, heard the dog rustic, but he knew
me, and passed onward to the stairs leading
to the second story of the house. / first went
to the negro's room, and, finding him sound
asleep, struck him three or four blows with
the axe on his head and then left him for dead !;
from this room | then went to the long hall,
where was situated the bed chamber of Mr.. and
Mrs. Wickham: all the time / had q light in
my hand, and, as got in the hall, Mrs. Wick
ham was aroused and awoke; she opened her
bedroom door and exclaimed: "Who is that?
Why, Nicholas, is that you? Immediately
passed in front of Mrs. Wickham and set the
lamp down in the other end Of the hall; BY
this time heard both Mr.. and Mrs. Wickham,
and upon looking around found them both out
of bed. Mr.. Wickham came to the door with
knife and cried out: Nicholas, what are
you doing here; go away, instantly now
approached them in the doorway and pushed
them both back into the chamber; then raised
the axe and made blow at Mr.. Wickham, but
he caught it with his right hand and icrked it
away from me, and, while attempting to use it
in return, used my fist and knocked Mr.. Wick
ham down; but he raised and struck at me
with the axe; /, however, caught it by the
handle and levelled him to the floor with blow,
and then gave him three more in rapid sue
cession. s3h
"During this struggle Mrs. Wickham caught
caught hold of me and tore the shirt off my
back. Mrs. Wickham then made an effort to
get out of the window, and as she. got upon the
sill pulled her back into the room and gave her
several blows with the axe: she then fell pros
trate, and as turned to 60 out Of the room, i
saw Mr.. Wickham was raised up again and /
again felled him and beat him until it seemed
to me he was dead / then went from his bed
room through the apartment of the negro and
fastened the door with piece of rope to pre-
vent the girls coming out and escaping into the
street; | then passed down the stairs to the
kitchen, thence to the parlor and up another
pair of stairs to the third floor to the bedroom
where the girls always slept; found their win
dow open and both of them being gone, has
tened away and made an effort to find my way
down the stairway had come up, butas had no
lightat this time, i got completely bewilderedand
lost, so thatI could not getdo was then com
PEELED to return to the bedroom of Mr. and Mrs.
Wickham, walk over their bodies, raise the win
dow and leap out on the grass-plot As |
reached the ground heard the girls of at
distance screaming very loud to the neighbors;
this was the first heard of them that night
before jumping out of the window I threw out
the lamp and axe on the grass and left them
there. / now went to the kitchen where had
placed my boots and after putting them on
started off eastward at full speed across corn
fields, orchards, and through thicket Of woods
to Cox's lane, and then took the Long Island
railroad track direct for Greenport. ] reached
there about two o'clock that morning. went to
SouHcT ., auu WITHOUT waxing tnem up went TO
bed; when going to bed it was my intention to
wake up early in the morning and take the
steam-ferry boat across the Sound to New Lon
don, thence to the city of New York, by the
Springfield and New Haven railroad. In the
morning was awakened by the little boy of
Corners, who remarked: /" Have you heard of
the murder last night at Catalogue? They
have killed Mr.. Wickham." / passed this Off
with the lad and then took view out of the
window which overlooked the railroad depot
and the wharf where the ferry-boat starts from.
saw such o crowd of persons there from Cat
chogue that was afraid to venture out and 20
to New London as had anticipated.
:" / dressed myself at o'clock, took my
breakfast and left the house as quick as 1
could, without being detected. went to the
westward on the railroad track, with the ex-
pectation of catching The New York train of
cars in the woods, and leap on the hind car.
did not dare to get on the train at the depot,
and therefore walked over two miles. was
unable to get on the cars, as they passed too
fast, and | then steered my course for the
Ashamomack swamp, where / remained
throughout the day, and finally came out. and