The Ebensburg Alleghanian. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1865-1871, 1866-04-26

himself, and advised him to open vein
| in his arm. Houser refused to do this,
saying that "God gave him his life, and
God alone had the right to take that life
| away"
BUsER's CONFESSION.
Following is the letter to Mr.. Wilson
before referred to. 1t is highly important
as being the only public confession made
by Buser: .-,r
EBENsBURG, Apr. 9th, 1866.
Mr. WILSON THEY think they have the
ones that done this deed, but God forbid
They have not. Those that done this are far
away. Now, good sense and reason will tell
you that we not the men, and in particu-
lar poor Houser. He don't know anything
about itiwhatever. You will bear in mind
have always tod you that we had no hand in
killing those poor women, and / tell you so
again. We had no hand in killing them.
Will tell you, though, what did do; l gave
to George Blanchard my draft map. He
lost the one he he'd. He had one of the same
kind as mine, and he told me he lost his in
the woods, and if he lost his the time he was
up here Cr not l cannot say. He got out {of
the penitentiary) before l did, and he knew
of the thing as well as !, and met him on
Troy Hill on Sunday, the 21st day of May,
and he wanted to know if was going to come
up here. / told him that / had sworn off go-
ing on the cruise and he wanted me to give
him my map, but did not give it to him
Then we set to meet again on the frst of
June, and again on the 9th, and on the after
noon of the 9Th, l gave to him my map. Now
| will tell you that the men that were seen by
James Cooper, they were the ones. They had
carpet-sack, but no box. Now, Mr.. Wilson,
the time that Mrs. Graham saw us go away
was On the 18th of june; then we had start
ed TOR Oil City. Now, please take notice
made it my business to stay in Allegheny
from the second of June TIL the 9th, because
did know that the robbery was to go on on
the 9Th of June. Now you see that | was at
home at the time, and done all This behind
poor Houser's back. So you see he don't
know anything of the matter whatever. He
is innocent in deed, and for him being mp
here hunting is all a humbug, for know it
the best. He never was up here in all his
life till the Sheriff fetched him here. This is
the honest truth. And now if Mary Miller
can recollect that l told her l had to go to
Pittsburg on the 9th of June, to meet man.
went on the 9th, 18th and Sth, for | was to
meet him (Blanchard) from his return, but
have not seen him since, and | never heard
anything of the robbery. i bought the Ger
man paper, and l never found anything in it,
and L thought he gave it up and had not done
anything DANIEL BoosER.
The key to the foregoing important
disclosures is as follows: After Buser
found that all his efforts TO stay the hand
Of justice were unavailiDg, he changed his
tactics aud made the admission that he
was possessed of certain guilty knowledge
connected with the murder Though de-
lying that either he or Houser did the
foul deed, he dcknaoteleGyed that he knew
the murder was to be committed and knew
who the murderers were. George Blan-
chaId was one of two parties whom he
eliminated This Blanchard bore a stri-
king resemblance to Houser, so Buser
said, and was the identical man seen In
the neighborhood of Miss Paul's the lat
ter part of May. He was an inmate Of
the penitentiary at the same time with
Buser and Houser. The maps referred to
were maps of the locality of the murder,
and were drawn up in conformity with
rough draft furnished by Philip Fu!-
CART in the penitentiary. This draft was
drawn by Fuigart Oh the dust-coVered
floor of the cell, and was copied on paper
by Buser and Blanchard.
RESPITE ASKED FOR.
/ Although Buser's confession, in so far
as it related To the vital question involy-
ed, was wcll-nigh universally disbelievcd,
some Few attached credence to that part
of it which declared the innocence of
Houser. A petition praying for respite
of thirty days tor Houser was drawn up
and signed by these, and forwarded to the
Governor, but that tunctionary refused to
interfere.
OTHER LETTERS.
Three other letters were handed to Mr..
Wilson by Buser the evening before the
attempted suicide.
The first asseTerates his own and Hou-
ser's innocence, and declares his intention
to commit suicide
EBENsBURG, Apr. 9th, 1866.
Mr.. WILSON II must tell you that l
feel as though l cannot hold behind what
| know, and L will tell you in the second
letter. (The one printed above.) But [ give
you my hand and heart and my honest word
that poor Houser and l never did this deed.
| will answer this before Jehovah for to be the
truth, and L have the best right to know
But now, as it is, they shall not lie on me any
more. They have lied enc ough on me already;
and they shall not have the pleasure to hang
me up like a dog, and then say that Booser
was hanged for killing two women. They
shall not lie on me after | am dead. Mr.. Will
son, | have told you that have been perse-
cuted Of many people in my time, and it is So
but ill put a stop to it, and now | beg you
not to think hard of it, fo- me doing So
Please do not think | am going to hell No,
L found another place. found one that said
come, and leave the world behind l shall
find an easy death. l shall not be cursed of
God for being hanged on wood. One died on
the Cross for US all, yes, this is the One that
said, come, and scarcely wait. l have
overcome all my trouble. / am ready, yes,
saw more last night than / ever did. l can
not describe to YOU how happy | was and I