The Carolina Spartan. [volume] (Spartanburg, S.C.) 1852-1896, 1866-03-22
Confession OCStark weather. the
Murderer.

''N' "''N SiSISi idSt Ills Irlal mas
Just closed at Hartford, and verdict of
guilty rendered. An attempt has been
made to prove him insane, Oh the ground,
chiefly, that he had no motive to commit
the horrd crime. But it appears, from
n confession just made, that he had a mo-
tive. A young lady whom he sought MS his
wlte-Mlss Emerett Campbell-had sug-
gested to him that his business embarrass-
ments rendered it improper that he should
marry. To remove his impression from
her mind, he decided to her certain proper
ty. This was displeasing to his mother,
who had it in her power to render one of
the deeds void. This she did in the man
ner detailed below; and the assumed mo
tive tor the murder was to get possession
of the entire property of the family, and
thus remove the seeming obstacle to his
marriage. The Hartford Codrant publish
cs the following as the murderer's:
CONFEssfoE.
In the early part of the week preceding
the homicide, his mother, he said, came to
Hartford and executed deed to him of the
homestead Previously Gn lse2) she had
delivered to him deed OF fot, containing
sixty-lhreo 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 Saturday following, he
said, he went to Rockville. and, securing
the services of lawyer there, had the
sixty-thrce acres of land, given to him in
1862, and the homestead which had just
passed into his possession, decided by
warranty deed to Emerett Campbell, thus
disposing 10 her Of all the estate to whicn
he held title. On bis rcturi home that
evening he stopped at Mr. Campbell's houss,
and gave the deed to Emerett, (as stated
by her in the testimony. When he reach.
cd his own house he told his mother what
he had done, aud she, very f-ct..aily, ce..
sured him for doing what she prone unccd
to be very foolish act, and expressed
herself in strong terms. She finally told
him, however. that II he was willing to
take the deed Of the place, as previously
agreed upon, ard let the note OF $1,000 in
favor of Ella stand us i. was drawn, and
would keep the deed in his own name and
1--we Cn the premises, the arrangement she
had made with him with regard to the
property might remain binding, and il
Emerctt would marry him she could come
tIcre aud live; but if he chose to treat the
matter as he had-deeding away all he
was wOrth-he should not have an inch OF
the ground. The words quoted are pre-
cisrly those used by her, rs stated by
Starkweather in the confession He told
her that he would do nothing OF the kind
would not take back the deed he had
given TO Emerett-and then accused her
OF interfering with his own and Miss
Campbells arrangements. Some further
conversation, Of an excited character, en-
sued, which resulted in his mother going
and getting the deed and note (Which were
In her posscssiOn) and tearing them up in
his presence. High words followed, '.and
| told her, said he, "that L would be re-
venged. The destruction of the deed
and note, it will be observed, rendered the
deed he had given to Miss Campbell total.
ly valueless From that time" he ad
NNi' uiNii tlIC tAlIlC VI Ilic the llea
OF killing mother did not Leave my mind. :"
lie said he thought of it constantly-all
night Saturday, and Sunday, and Sunday
night, and all OF the following day, "and
the more | thought OF it the madder
grew" were the words he used Monday
night he made up his mind to do the deed
as IA favorable opportunity was presented
10y the absence OF the hired man and boy
His mother and sister sat up to a very late
hour, as they We're frequently accustomed
to do. Toward morning, about 3 o'clock
the house became quiet, and he took the
axe from the wood.shcd, and the knife from
the drawer, and proceeded to the bed
chamber OF his mother, up stairs. On get
ting there he Immediately struck her blows
upon the head with the 'xc, and in so do
ing startled his sister Ella, who was lying
in the back part of the bed, and she sprang
up and Jumped towp Is him lie did not
expect to Kill her, but awaking as she did,
and as he SUPPOSED, seeing hlm, he was led
to knock her III the head IN order TO put
her out OF the way, that she might not be
witness TO the crime against him To
make certain work he used the axe freely,
and then stabbed his victim with the knife