Minnesota weekly times. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1854-1859, 1854-06-20
TIE ,1unpERERs CONFESSION.

The telegraph informed US yesterday that Niclt-
0lds BeheehGn the murderer Of the Wickhams, had
confessed his guilt. The New York papers of
Wednesday contain his confession in detail. 1t is
long and most shocking: lie was born in Ireland,
is 20 years old, and has been in this country four
years. When found, the populace would have
hung him instanter, but for the Interference of
the officers. When taken, he asked to see the girl
Ellen. She was sent for. Approaching him she
exclaimed, That is tie murderer who did it all -
He replied, eyes, | did it, and you were the
whole cause" meaning that it was because she
would not marry him. In speaking of his arrest,
he said: Finding Twas discovered pulled out
my razor and cut my throat. had contemplated
committing this for a week past.' The culprit
further said it his intention to ravsh the girl
Ellen and then kill them both. lie was then ask
ed what ne wanted to kill Mr.. and Mrs. Wickham
for. He then remarked that he felt angry at Mr..
Wickham for discharging him, and disliked Mrs.
Wickham, because shs took the part of the girl
Ellen Holland.
The following from the Times is that part of his
statement relating to the deed, the rest is in rela-
ton to his attempted escape and his capture lie
afterwards wished to retract his confession. In
jail he acted stubborn and ugly; but expressed
some wish that his family might not hear of his
deeds lie has father, mother, two sisters, and
two brothers, in the old country: -.,.
walked all the way to Catalogue, and reached
the house of Mr.. Wickham about IL O'Clock that
pulled off my boots in the yard and placed them
near the kitchen door; l 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; l got in
side, 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 and then
left hun for dead; from this room | went to the
long hall, where situated the bed chamber of
Mr.. and Mrs. Wickham all this time ] had light
in my hand, and as got on the hall Mrs. Wick
ham was aroused and awoke she opened her bed.
room door and exclaimed: III 1o
''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
hail; by this time heard both Mr.. and Mrs.
Wickham, and upon looking round found them
both out of bed. Mr.. Wickham came to the door
with his wife and cried: s.N.cholas, what are you
doing here; 60 away instantly;'' / now APP
preached them in the doorway and pushed them
both back into the chambers th.n raised the axe
and made blow at Mr.. Wickham, but he caught
it with his right hand and jerked it away from
me, and while attempting to use it in return,
used my fist AMI knocked Mr.. Wickham down,
but he raised and struck at me with the axe:
however caught it by the handle AMI lereled him
to the floor with blow, and then gave him three
more in rapid succession. During this struggle
Mrs. Wiekhqm caught hold Of me and tore my
short of my back. Mrs. Wckham then made an
effort to get ont of the window, and as she got
upon the sill pulled her back into the room and
gave her several blows with the exc; she then
fell PROSTATE, and as I turned to 90 out Of the
room | Mr.. Wickhaui raised up again,
and again felled him and beat him until it seem
ed to me he was dead | then went from this
bedroom through the apartment Of the negro and
fastened the door with piece Of rope to prev mt
the girls coming out and escaping into the street;
then passed down the stairs into the kitchen,
thence to the parlor and up another pair OF stairs
to the third floor, to the bedroom where the girls
always slept;sl found their window open and
both Of them being gone | FASTENED away and
made an effort to and my way down the stairway
HAD come up, but as | had no light at this time,
and got completely bewiidered and lost, 80 that
could not get down; was then compelled to re-
turn to the bedroom Of Mr.. and Mrs. Wckham,
walk over their bodies, ra;s, the window and leap
out on the grass pot. AS reached the ground I
hea d the girls off at distance screaming very
loud to the neighbors this was the first heard of
them that night; before Jumping out of the win
dow threw out the lamp and axe on the grass
| and left them there.