Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1866-12-11
STOCK TRANSACTIONS.
.TRrroRrED DAILY 81 II. II. TLA0o, BANKER
SAN Francisco, Dec. Ill p, N,
Confession of n Black Demon-How He
Murdered n Whito Fnmily In Cool
Rlood.

Confession Of n Black Demon-How He
Murdered n White Family In Cool
Blood.
1t will be remembered that a short
time ago we published an account of
the murder of . family near Cedar Bluff,
in Cherokee county, Alabama, by a ne
gro, and after he was placed in Jail,
made Il confession, which is in the Cher
okee advertiser. He says:
went to the ferry where the family
were camped about two hours before
day, for the purpose Of crossing the
river, and not knowing how to get over,
l walked up the family and inquired of
them to know as to where the ferryman
lived.
Mr.. Williams told me that the negro
who attended the ferry lived on the OPP
posite of the river, and that he (Wil-
liams) did not suppose / could be set
over before daylight, and said if chose
to do so, I could kindle up the fire and
stay there till morning. accepted his
proposition, and after l got the fire ia
burning, he gave me a sack to lie down
on. then laid down but did not 60 to
sleep-though the family did. Abou,
the time thought they were all dead in
sleep, I got up from where had been
lying, and took up an Ak, which lay by
the fire and struck the man two blows
on the head, which killed him instantly
| He never moved hand or foot.
At that time the two children began
TO cry, and the woman commenced rails
ing up from where she was lying, as il
to see what was the matter with them
then struck her one blow which |
| though had killed her. next turned
with the AZ in my band and struck each
one of the childrenin the head, killing
them both. Then l laid the n down
and took the mans socks and shoes and
put them on. In the meantime the wo-
mar had recovered sufficiently from the
first blow l had given her to make a
| noise. When | laid down the ~ to put
on the shoes and socks | lost sight of it;
| when the woman commenced making
the noise, I looked, for it to strike her
the second time, and not seeing it,
| seized q gun which the a had lying
| by him and struck her on the head with
the breech of it, after which ! heard no
more of her.
then searched the man and got his
pocket-book, but did not get any money
with it, and threw it down at his feet,
it being old and not worth anything.
got his knife when I searched his peck
cts, which | kept till I was arrested,
when the men took it from me. My
whole object in numbering them was to
get money, in which.I got badly fooled.
| then set the bed on fire, intending to
burn them up, leaving the impression
on the minds of the people that they had
been burnt accidentally, and not muir
dered. The burning suggested itself
after | had committed the deed.
After setting the bed clothes to burn
ing so that | thought they would be sure
to be entirely consumed by the fire, I
then waded the river, by which time
day was breaking. | then travelled
sometimes in the road, and at others
through the woods until ! was arrested
about six miles above Gaylesville, on
Tuesday morning. After being arrested,
l wa brought back to Cedar Bluff, and
tried according to law. I was, when
arrested, on my way to Chattanooga,
Tenn. | know that l am doomrd to die
for what l have done, and know that
such punishment wifi be- just what
deserve.
The boy who makes the above confess
sion is about twenty-one years old,
weighs lea $50 pounds, and has a very
bad c~ountenance.