The Lambertville press. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1858-1???, 1860-08-01
axe, and knocked him down.

lay upon the deck.
His fall and the sound of the axe
made some noise, which, added to
| to that caused by my running across
| the deck, attracted the attention of the
captain, who came up the companion
way, and then, putting out his head
asked what was the matter
] I replied, Nothing" and then
asked him as l Gid the younger Watts,
els that Barnegat Light ?"
emo; you will not see it for two
hours :" and as he spake he turned
his head from me.
| The axe swung in the air, and.
guided by my sinewy and murderous
arm, came down.
The edge crunched through his
neck, nearly severing his head from his
body, and killing him instantly.
The body fell down the companion
way.
AS I turned to leap after it, and
despatch my remaining victim, | look
ed forward, and oh God, how l shnd
der to think of it now--he whom /
thought I had already killed had risen,
and was coming aft, his hand out
stretched toward me, and the blood
rnning in two dark streams over his
pale face, from two CHASTITY wounds on
his head.
For moment | stood undecided,
but as he still came on, / ran towards
him, but ere | reached him he fell
about midships, and rushing on him I
struck him once! twice! three with
the axe, and finished him.
Running aft I jumped down the
companionwar with the bloody axe in
my hand.
There lay the elder Watts in his
berth, and close beside him the ghast-
~, bloody corpse Of the captain
7 stood q moment looking at him,
and dashed at him and struck ont with
the axe.
He leaped ont of his berth and
sprang ut me, all red with the blood of
the captain, whose body had fallen
past him, covering him with gore in
its fall.
He tried to grapple with me, but
stepping hack l gave the fatal axe o
full swing and struck him again and
again, once upon the head, once on
the back, and once more upon the
head, which felled him to the floor,
and he lay dead at my feet, side by
side with the captain.
My bloody work was done.
Dead men tell no tales.
I was alone No eye had seen me !;
and now I was free to reap the reward
of my work.
I did not feel the slightest regret for
what l had done, and went about re-
moving the bodies as cody as though
they had been so much old lumber.
I took rope and tied it to the feet
of the elder Watts, hanled him on
! deck, and threw him over the quarter
then hauled the captain ont in the
same manner, and threw him over !;
and then going to midships, I lifted
the body of the younger Watts from
the deck, and plunged him into the
sea by the starhoard side.
| then threw the axe overheard, and
as soon as | had done this, I changed
the course Of the sloop. and ran in
close to the Hook.
! My intention was to run the sloop
up the North river and then to fire
her; but | came near running her on
the Dog Beacon, abreast of Coney
Island and Staten Island lighthouse,
after which / fouled with a schooner,
and carried away the bowsprit, so !
put the money and such other articles
of value as could pick up into the
yawl, and then sculled ashore three
miles, landing just below the fort on
Staten Island.
MY movements after landing are
well known, and when | look back
upon the fatality that seemed to dog
my steps, it seems as though the fiend
who had so long stood by me in every
emergency, had deserted me at last,
and had left me to my own weakness.
But / never thought of this until
after my arrest. / had no shadow Of
presentiment that I should be check
ed so suddenly and be brought to JUS
tice, and on my return to New York
made arrangements to go away with
, my family as coolIy as if nothing had
occurred which should counsel me to
use canton.
But on that fatal night, when |
| awoke from deep sleep, TO find the
: officers of the law standing by my bed,
for the first time fear overcame me,
and / grew faint and weak as baby.
Great drops of sweat started ont on
my forehead and all over my body
and then | realized that at last the
, master whom had served so long had
really deserted me and abandoned me
to my fate.