Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1866-02-09
The Confession of Starkweather.

In the evidence offered on the trial of
Stark weather for the murder of his moth
er and sister, there was an apparent want
of motive for the commission OF the crime,
and the counsel for the accused took skill
full advantage of this defect to sustain the
plea of insanity. This link in the chain
Of evidence is now supplied by the publ
cation in the Hartford Courant Of con-
fession made by the murderer, to for
mer friend and neiehbor, few days after
the crime was committed. under promise
that it should not be used to his disadvan-
tage.
Starkweather said that in the early part
OF the week preceding the homicide, his
mother came TO Hartford and executed a
deed 10 him of the homestead. Previous
ly, (ip 1862 she had delivered to him
deed of lot, containing sixty-three acres,
though The deed had never been recorded.
In giving him the deed OF the homestead,
she had required him to give in return
mortgage note for fifteen hundred dollars
in favor of Ella, his sister. On the Satur-
day following, he said, he went 10 Rock
vile, and, securing the services of law
yer there, had the sixty.three acres of
land, given TO him in 1862, and the home
stood which had just passed into his pos
session, decided by warranty deed to
Miss Emerett Campbell Of Manchester.
This young lady, it appears, had refused
Starkweather's offers of marriage, not
outstanding his earnest and repeated So
licitations, and he had formed an idea that
her rejection of his suit was in consequence
Of the embarrassed condition of his pecu-
larry affairs.
On his return home that evening he
stopped at Mr.. Campbell's house and gave
the deed TO Emerett Gas stated by her in
her testimony When he had reached
his own house he told his mother what he
had done, and she censured him for doing
what she pronounced to be foolish act,
and expressed herself in strong terms.
Some further conversation of an excit-
ed character ensued. which resulted in his
mothers going and getting the deed and
note (Which were still in her posession)
and tearing them up in his presence
| High words followed, 6 and | told her"
said he, sthat / would be reyeuged. -
! + The destruction of the deed and note, it
will be observed, rendered the deed he
had given to Miss Campbell totally value
less From that time," he added, " I'M
Ill the time of the murder, the idea Of
| killing mother did not leave my mind. -
| He said be thought of it constantly all
night ;Saturday, and Sunday and Sunday
night, and the following day, )" and the
more | thought of it, the madden | grew"
were the words he used. Monday night
| be made up his mind to do the deed, as
| favorable opportunity was presented by
the absence Of the hired man and boy
| His mother and sister sat up to very late
hour, as they were frequently accustomed
to do. Toward Morning, about three
| o'clock, the house became quiet, and be
took the axe from the woodshed, and the
knife from drawer, and proceeded to the
bed-chamber of his mother up stairs. On
getting there he Immediately struck her
blows upon the head with the axe, and in
so doing startled his sister Ella, who WAS
lying in the back part Of the bed, and she
sprang up and jumped toward him He
did not expect 10 Kill neI, oui, a"ahe"thS
as she did, and, as he supposed, seeing
him, he was led TO knock her in the head
in order to put her out of the way, that
she might not be a witness to his crime
against him. To make certain work, he
used the axe freely, and then stabbed his
victims with the knife. Having done this
much, he says he knocked his head
against the wall, and made a bruise on his
forehead, and one on the side of his face,
and then took his jack knife from his
pocket and cut his shirt and his breast, so
that the story he had decided to tell, rel
alive TO his being assaulted by two men
might be believed.
After this, lin order to cover up the
crime, he set fire to the beds, particulars
of the finding of which appeared in the
j testimony on the trial.