Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1866-02-14
The Confession of Starkweather

In the evidence offered en- the trial
Of Starkweather for the murder of his
mother and sister, there was an anna.
rent want of motive for the commission
of the crime, and the counsel for tho
accused took skillfuI advantage of
this defect to sustain the plea of insaD-
ity. This link in the chain of eyi.
dence is now supplied by the publica-
ton in the Hartford Comant of =
confession made by the murderer. to a
former friend and neighbor, a few DAYS
after the crime was committed, under
q promise that it should not be used
to his disadvantage.
Starkweather said that in the early
part of the week preceding the homi.
eide, his mother came to Hartford and
executed a deed to him of the home.
stead. Previously (in 1862 she had
delivered to him a deed of a lot. con
tanning siXty-three acres, though tie
deed had never been recorded. IN
/ Giving him the deed of the homestead
| she had required him to give in re-
turn a mortgage note for fifteen hun
dred dollars in favor Of Ella. his SIS
ter. On the Saturday following. b.
said, he went to Rockville. and. secur-
ing the services OF a lawyer there.
had the siXty-three acres Of land. civ
en- to him in 1862, and the homestead
which had just passed into his posse ;
sion, decided by a warranty deed to
Hiss Emerett Campbell. OF Manche,
ter. This young lady, it appears, had
refused Stark weather'> offers OF mar
Tlage, Notwithstanding his earnest and
repeated solicitations, and he had
formed an idea that her rejection OF
ms suit was in consequence of the en-
barrassed condition Of his pecuniary
affairs.
On his return home that evening
he stopped at Mr. CampbelI's house
and gave the deed to Emerett IA,
stated i'll her testimony. When he
reached his own house he told his
mother what he had done. and she
censured him for doing what she pro-
nou-ced 10 be a very foolish act. and
expressed herself in strong terms.
Some further conversation OF an
excited character ensued. which re-
su ted in his mothe's going and oetiDr
the deed and note (which were still
IN her possession and tearing them
up IN his presence. High words fol-
lowed, and | told her said he that
would be revenged. The destruc-
ton 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.
until the time of the murder. the idea
OF killing mother did not leave my
mind He said he thought of it con
stantly; all night Saturday, and sun
day and Sunday night, and all the fol-
lowing day, and the more | thought
OF 1t the madden [ grew. were the
words he used. Monday night he
made up his mind to do the deed ~
a favorable opportunity was presented
by the absence Of the hired man and
boy. His mother and sister sat nm
TO a very late hour, as thew were fire..
accustomed to do. Toward
morning, about , o'clock. the house
became quiet, and he 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 sis
ter Ella. who was lying in the back
part OF the bed, and she sprang up
and jumped toward him! He did
not expect to kill her. out. awakinc
IS she did, and. as he supposed. seeing
lm, he was led to knock her in the
iead in order to put her out Of the
way, that she might not be a witness
o his crime against him. To make
'ertam work, he used the axe freely.
md stabbed his victims with the
,nlie: Having done this much. he
ays he knocked his head against the
vail, and made a bruise on his fore
,ead, and on the side of his face. and
hen took his jack knife from his nock-
I ana cut his shirt and breast. 50
nat the story he had decided to tell
elatlve to being assaulted bv two
len, might be believed. After this
4 order to cover up his crime. he set
re 70 the beds, particulars Of the find
lg OF which appeared in the TESTIMONY
n the trial.