Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1857-05-28
The White Murder in Pennsylvania
Strangely Acquired Confession of the
Principal.

The Pittsburg Despatch, after stating that
certain motives for suppression have now ceac.
ed to exist, publishes the following extraordi.
nary particulars of the confession of Bill Iones
now confined on the charge of having mnrdsr'
er Mr. White in Washington county %
1t will be remembered that this Jones Wa.
arrested on the testimony of his sister Cha
lotte, who, with Fife and another, is accnsed
OF the murder OF the old couple, Wilson and
his sister, in the same vicinity. The Despatch
says:
Shortly after the re-arrest of Bill JonsS
and his confinement in JAIL there was an anra
rent change In his personal demeanor Ha
seemed to have lost all relish for life, and woa
evidently weighed down by an intolerble bpr.
den. He was nervous, restless and besonqb+
the jailor and sheriff to permit some one Of
the Jail inmates to sleep with him. His re.
quest was granted, and he shared bis cell with
a prisoner named Hutchinson. awaiting t,ioI
for burglary Soon after, Jones made con.
hdent OF Hutchinson, and narrated to him the
particulars of the White murder, and confess.
ed himself the principal actor in that bloody
affair. Hutchinson reported what Jones had
told to him to the jailor and one or two others
who would not believe him, circumstances at
that time strongly pointing to another party
in their opinion, as the perpetrator. Hutcbin.
son then told them that if they would arraure
the time and place so as to overhear the con.
versation, he would induce Jones to repeat
for their hearing what he had himself heard
NarIons expedlents were tried to secure au
rcular communication with the cell from with
ont, but they failed. At last an artificial
ear, fashioned after the human ear, and admi.
rabiy adapted to magnify the faintest whisper
to audible articulation, was produced, and so
arranged, that every word was distinctly
heard through an almost imperceptible aper.
ture in the wall
Every thing being arranged, Hutchinson, at
favorable moment alluded to the murder,
and desired Jones to repeat the particulars,
which ne did, the substance is as follows
The Saturday prior to the murder of White,
! March %, Bill and his wife Sarah were at
the house of Mr.. Fleming, in Columbia where
| they stay ed that night, and next morning pro-
ceeded thence to the house of Bills fathers
near Dunningsyille. Arriving there he des.
| patched his brother Madison with Charlotte
Jones to Hickory to tell Fife who resided
| there with Charlotte Jones till the Cd of
April, according to her own statement before
Mayor Weaver that lie (Bill) would brithree
that night In the evening, about nine
o'clock, Bill left his fathers and proceeded to
Hickory, where he arrived about one o'clock
in the morning. Fife aud himself then started
for Whites. When they arrived there they
spent some time in examining the premises.
They did not intend to commit murder, but
rob White Of his money which they learned was
in the house. While near the house they
heared footsteps, and supposed that White
was awake.
they then went to the wood pile, and Bill
got the axe aid entered the house. White
was in the bed at the time, and Mrs. White
seeing them fed. Bill proceeded to the bed
room, and with his own hands committed the
murder, while Fife searched the house for
money, Bill stated to Hutchinson that he
did not know whether Fife found any money
or not, as he had never had or seen any taken
at that time. Having committed the robbery
and murder they fed, Fife returning to Hick-
ory-
This statement confirms the particulars OF
the White murder, as given by Mrs. White,
though she did not know the murderers.