The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1869-04-09
THE TWITCHELL CASE.

IN1E IVllCa ELL CASC.
1t has already been stated that George
Twitchell, Jr., who, as the telegraph informs
us, committed suicide yesterday to escape
hanging for the murder or Mrs. Hill, his
mother-in-law, made q confession charging his
wife with the horrid crime. It was also alleged
that the confesssion of her condemned hus-
band had caused her to leave tho city very sud
denly. The Philadelphia Ledger, however,
says:
The statement that Mrs. Twitchell had fed
was untrue. She had ON interview with her
did not intend to make any reply q. the pres
ent time to the confession Of George. From
remarks made by the condemned to persons
who visited him in his CELL it was believed
that he had made such o confession week or
two ago to the attending clergyman, which he
did not feel at lib ,rty to have published. Such
an impression was created by remark made
to one of the reporters by the Rev. MIR. Bring
hurst. to the effect that what information he
had obtained rs clergyman he did not feel
himself at liberty to communicate to others.
The confession made in the presence of the
Rev. Mr. DringhursG and Mr.. William b Per-
kins was published at the request Of Twitchell.
It is alleged that his wife had not been to see
him for several days before, and that she had
expressed fear Of . confession by him. It is
part oflast week that Mrs. Twitohei intended int q
to confess to the commission of the deed, and
to declare that George had no act or part in it.
Another Philadelphia paper says:
Rev. Mr.. Bringhurst, as everybody knows,
is the pastor OF All Saln!s' (Episcopal) Church,
in Tweifth.street beIow, shippen. The Twitch--
church, went there, but Mr.: Bringhurst had no
acquaintance with them. When inoarcerated on
the charge of murder, George Twitchel sent
for him. For more than seventy. days he has
nat lot ~ h.Nur h1,v,
visit to Twitchell's cell. He baptized him in
the prison, and believed that he had prepared
him for death. Mr.; Bringhulst is one Of that
class l,s OF s,nsuspechng, guiieless gentlemen
thief, If travelling with him in a railroad car,
for student Of divinity, or d gentleman who
does business with "the little joker" for mis-
sionary just returned from Hindostan. Mr..
ment, as above, with great surprise. Twitchell
begged that it should be suppressed until after
his execution, but MIR. Bringhurst refused to
receive it upon any such terms. The rever-
end gentleman himself produced it for publ
cation on Saturday last.
The heart of George Twitchell opened on
Friday when, after an absence OF five days, he
become satisfied that Camilla had forsaken
i'll to visit him, and was apprehensive accord
ingly. Unable to lie, and unwilling to prevari-
cate, Mr.. Bringhurst told him that his wife
was not sick, and was in the city. She had
Hdlu u Lying tlStU W hllNlif6s Ns Out QaQ
returned. The statement tsiat she had taken
q cottage in West Philadelphsa and was living
there. MIR. Brirghurst sayss was erroneous.
The lady, requested Mr; Brsnghurst TO ask
that lis body should lie. Ret. Mr.. II Bringhurss an hurst
reiterates his 9 atement that seae SO asked him.
Mrs. Twitchell has always M INFESTED exceed
ing trepidation at tHs idea q: the reporters
taking notes Of any confessioiS he might make.
The report that sho fed the Epity on Saturday
is doubtful, unless the hour&yas late, as she
was in consultation with Mr. O OEsyrne during the
puzzled. Anterior to this ssnfession he be-
ieved in the sincerity OF lNsitchelps state
ments; ne n now Sop anows 9t a he can oast
liz opinion ] can be- felt by tic reporter @ p%I Of a
newspaper, no one believes any more Of the
confession of the unfortunate matricide than
that he was cOgnizant of her murder-but be-
fore, not after, the fact.
The Philadelphia Press. referring to the con-
fession Of Twitchell, the condemned murderer,
says:
On Monday. two friends of Geo. 8. Twitchell,
gagged in conversation, he having expressed
~ desire to explain the statement made on Sat-
urday. The following interrogatories and the
replies thereto are given for what they are
worth:
Question. Hs the statement made on Satur-
day Of yo.r own composition, and without any
influence whatever?
Answer. 1t was my own entirely, AMI on
Saturday asked for Mr.. Perkins to be pres
ent, along with MIR. Bringhurst, at thasread-
ing Of it.
O. Did you, on any occas On ever before,
know Mrs. Twitchen to leave her bed after
retiringp
A. Yes have known Mrs. Twitchell fre.
quenly to leave the room. and also have known
her to be gone some times for over an hour and
converse with Mrs. Hill. But on the evening
in question fell asleep on the Tongue, and can
not say whether she left the room or not.
@. How do You account for the bl >od on your
shirt and person?
A. All / can say to that is. that in lifting up
the body to throw it out of the window, 7
caught hold Of the head and shoulders, the
heaviest portion, and my wife the feet
@. Was Mrs. Hill dead when you threw her
out Of the Window
A. AS far as am able to Judge. Mrs. Hill
was dead when lifed up the body.
G. Where was Mra. TWitchell when she called
your '-- ''0 O'''''>'
A. She was in the entry. at the end of the
staircase leading up into our room.
G. Gan you account for the poker in the yard2
A. cannot Iknew nothing of poker until
after our arrest.
@. How about the ashes on the window-sill ?
A. I was smoking after tea, as it was my
Twitchell here added: did not entertain the
slightest idea that my statement would alter
my situation as Ear as the law went, but made
1t to have entire peace with my God, and did
not think it would be published until after my
execution. My reasons for not stating it SOON
er are simply these: that fully expected my
wife to come forward and state all, and not
leave ms to perform the unpleasant duty; but
her absenting herself from me, and her actions,
so unnatural to me in such o position, have
compelled me to come forward and state all T
know, which / did on Saturday. would state
also, gentlemen, that if these statements can
be said by my wife to want foundation, and are
incorrect, let her come forward and deny them.
They have novel mode Of execution in
Constantinople. A correspondent describes
that Of o Musseiman Albanian who had con-
fessed q crine similar to that for which the
negro Harris was recently hong in Maine.
The execution had been delayed for some days,
owing to the difficulty OF finding gipsy--
the usual anisher Of the aw--to undertake the
job for the modest fee offered by The authori-
ties. The Zingara, however, holding out fo1
better pay. q policeman was at length induced
to do the work, and. without previous hint al