American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1866-11-17
The Alabama Tragedy.
CONFESSION OF THE MURDERER.

1t will be remembered that a shor
time ago was published an account of lh'
murder Of family near Cedar Bluff, il
Cherokee county, Alabama. A negro
man was arrested as the murderer, ant
after he was placed 10 Jail, made con
fession. which is published in the Cher
okee Advertiser. He says: Il went tc
the ferry where the family were camped
about two hours before day, for the pur
pose of crossing the river, and not know
ing how 10 get over. walked up to the
family and inquired Of them TO know
as to where the ferryman lived. Mr.
Williams told me that the negro who at
tended the ferry lived on the opposite
side of the liver. and be (WiIlams) did
not suppose that | could be set over be.
fore daylight, and said if l choose to do
so, | could kindle up the FIRE and stay
there till morning. 1 accepted his pro.
position, and after got the fire to burn.
ing. be gave me sack to lay down on
| then lay down but did not go to sleep;
the ught the family did. About the time
| thought they were dead in sleep. l got
up from where l had been laying. and
took up an axe 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 raising up from where she
was ly ing, as il to see what was the mat.
ter with them. then struck her one
blow which l thought had killed her. l
next turned with the axe in my hand, and
struck each one of the children in the
head, killing them both. Then | laid
the axe down, and took the mans socks
and shoes and put them on. In the
meantime the woman had recovered sufli
GENTLY from the first blow l had given
her TO make noise. When | lay down
the axe to put on the shoes and socks, II
lost sight of it when the woman conf T
menced making the noise look d fort
10 strike her the second time, ard 9!
seeing it, | seized gun which the AN
bad lying by him, and struck her ofhe {
head with the breech Of it, after wlch |
heard no more of her | then serched
be man and got his pocket book gut did
1ot get any money with it, and brew it
down at his feet, it being oldand mo-
worth anything. got his knis when |
searched his pockets, which l sept Till |
was arrested, when the men ttk it from
ne. Ny whole object in numbering
hem was to get money, in which got
badly fooled.
l then set the bed on FIRE intending to
,urn them up, leaving tie impression
Ipon the minds Of the people that they
lad been burnt accidentally, and not
nurdered. The banning suggested itself
fter l had committed the deed. After
citing tue bedclothes to burning so that
thought they would be entirely con-
umed by the fire. | then waded the
liver, by which lime day was breaking. |.
then travelled sometimes in the road,
nd at others through The woods, until |
vas arrested, about six miles above
on Tuesday morning. After
icing arrested, | was brought back to
Cedar Bluff and tried according TO law.
was, when arrested, on my way to
,ha itanooga. Tenn. ! know that am f
oomed TO die for what have done, and r.
now that such punishment will be Just
hat l deserve"
The boy who n'akes the above comics iri
ion is about twenty one years old, weighs has
ear $50 pounds, and has very bad tro
ountensnce.
Mrs. Williams, who was taken to thd
huff, and kindly treated by the ladiei VII
lere, died at the residence of Mr.. Gin I a.
n Sunday evening. She did not recov me
r sufficiently to give any information ire
bout the murder; however, she spoke III
W words before she died, in which slr
,lled for her children and her husband !" {
,lling his name-Arihur. ... pre-
Ella
The family were from Cass count, 9th
eorgia. W.
E,laa :. I = 4