Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1866-09-05
CONFESSION OF A MURDERER.
A." Irresistible Impulses to Murder
People. eto.

IIfeslstiDle impulses 10 M uioeI
People. eto.
The Hartford Comm Couront pub
fishes the following confessions, made by
the murderer Starkweather to Deputy
Sheriff Finch, who sat up with the Grim
inal twenty-five nights previous to his
execution last Friday afternoon:
BARN BURNING.
In regard to Horace Whites barn
When went home from Wells Buckland' s
that night-when the barn was burnt-I
went through Horace Whites lane into
the barn; set fire to the barn and went
out the back way home.
9 In regard to Moses Scott barn. /
distinctly recollect going into his barn
and setting fire to it. When went out
it was all on fire l don't see why it was
not burned, for | can swear positively
that l set it on fire. | can't tell what
time of night it was; / think it was on
Sunday night / had been to Mr. Camp
bells and to the postoffice. Nothing
has before been published about this barn
having been fred, and Mr.. Scott himself,
may never have heard of it. Stark
weather added to the above, by saying he
intended to have a big fire Ito burn
up the whole street He bad no motive
however, he said.
POISONING
% In regard to uncle Wells Buckland, |
took some arsenic out of mothers cup
board at home. 1t was done up in a
white paper, such as druggists use, and
that put in another paper of the same
sort, took it out of the paper, and put
it in a pocket match-safe, and sprinkled
it out Of the safe did not carry the paper
at all. / mixed the arsenic into -four in
the barrel at uncle Buckland's. While
was in the room with my uncle, while he
was sick, he asked me to get him some
water. | took three of his powders,
which were left by physician for him to
take, and when went after the water |
emptied out the powder and put in about
the same amount of arsenic from the bar
rel
AN lRREPREssIBLE IMPULSE.
"Since the spring of 1860 or 1861, |
have known that if was not in reality a
monomania, / hadan irresistible mania
or impulse to destructiveness. ltaflected
me principally with desire that could
not resist to kill those persons for whom
/ had the strongest affection. Several
times | have been saved from killing
those near to me by some slight inciden-
I'tal occurrence which would make me
forget my purpose. don't know that
the desire to destroy affected me during
the whole time, but for two or three
wears, no one for whom | had natural
affection was safe in my presence; neither
did it impel me to kill only, but to gene
raj destruction. | never committed any
crime or wicked act with malicious in
tent | knew my malady and strove
against it faithfnlly-stroye as man
could TO resist the desire-but ! could
not help myself. had master and a
hard one. If ever really did wrong it
was not making known my case to some
persons who could watch over me; but
was proud. Twas fearfnlthat if it should
ever be known, that would be taken to
some insane hospital, and that was dis.
grace that | could not recover from. l
possessed a strong will, and thought that
knowing how | was affected could con-
troll myself; but | could not | have
heretofore always denied that / ever had
any such desire or tendency to Gestruc-
tiveness-from foolish pride perhaps,
and the fear that would be confined in
some hospital for insane people, than
which / had rather suffer death-and
would not now reveal them but from a
wish to shield others who have been sus-
pected of completely with me, and to
correct many malicious reports which
have been circulated against me, and
knowing that not until now, could / have
stated the facts free from the accusation
Of trying to clear myself from this charge
on the ground of insanity. which / alb
horred
I'm respect TO this erime-the one for
which / am to be executed-I can only
say il was never premeditated / loved
both mother and sister truly, although
they have been the cause of many great
disappointments TO me, which disappOint-
ments, with bodily disease. probably pro-
duced the mania. and which, together
with my knowledge Of my mania, made
me lead most miserable life. / have
not sought TO escape punishment, though
il has been impossible for me to realize
that | have committed this crime"
FURTHER PARTICULARS.
With regard 10 the Statement, hereto
fore published, that Starkweaiher had
killed a man in North Carolina, Mr..
Finch asked him If it was true. He re-
Piled that it was not, and said: II never
had any trouble while South, except in
one instance and that was in Richmond,
Va was looking about the city, and a