The New York herald., 1869-01-09
T H E 6 ALL 0 w S.
Exeeu,ion Of William Henry CafSwtil at
Rome, N. Y, for the Murder Of
Abbie Elizabeth Sanders.
CONFESSION OF THE CRIME.
LAST MOMENTS OF THE DOOMED MAN.

ROME N. y, JAM 8, 1859.
vvn,,am Henry Carsweli, who murdered the little
Eirl Abble Elizabeth Sanders last April near Camden
Oneida county, N. Y, was executed TINS morung
an the lail yard at this place.
THE MURDERER.
Carswell was native Of the township of Camden
and was born on the nth Of December, 1S4o being
consequently at the time OF his death little over
EIGHT years Of age His parents were then and
are still very poor and ignorant people, his father
being the proprietor Of a small farm OF twenty
acres which he titled himself. Young Carswel, from
the time he was able TO understand the difference
between a spade ana a plough, was made to
work on the rarm, and also at times
10 hire himself out by the month
10 other farmers who were willing to pay him more
than he could make by helping the old man at home
lie grew up in the vicinity OF Camden from boy to
man, rude and uncouth, and, being naturally Of q
very unsociabe disposition, was dsliked By every
body who had the misfortune to come in contact with
him. While he was yet In his teens his general repu
tation among his neighbors was such that no young
man who had the slightest regard for his own good
name considered 1t safe to be seen in his company.
Everybody who knew him instinctively avoided him,
feeling doubt, that the old about the contact
with pitch and the subsequent deflement was not
In his case altogether too old to be true. Yet,
notwithstanding this feeling Of aversion with which
he regarded, in all probability there was not
man to be found in the community in which he lived
who could have pointed to single act Of his career
as good cause for the general detestation No per-
son knew this fact better than the despised one him.
SELF for the simple reason that whenever he did any
thing that would have, II publicly known more than
ever justified the general opinion in which he was
held he always took precious good care to do it SO
coverty that the world was none the wiser for IL.
In fact, he was one OF that not by any means small
class OF men whom everybody In his heart and
soul knows to be what the French aptly call
ndurais soyet, and yet cannot for the life
OF him give the exact why and wherefore
Tor his belief, more than that, although acts
when known, speak stronger than words, vet words
for all that, often prove what man really is ana
what badness he Is capable OF doing. IL knew he
was gentleman from Q remark he made,', could
always have been applied to Carswel easily enough,
II the word gentleman were changed to villain.
Carswell knew fun well in what light he wasregard.
ed, but cared more for 1t than he afterw Ms did
for the life Of the little innocent child who fell
victim to his lust and blOOdthrstiness He felt
and which was fact-that no one loved him or
cared for him. that there was that within him which
speak TO him, speak as though they were doing what
they could not avoid Up to q few years ago he had
day the former paternay suggested that, in con-
slderation Of the sons lodging at the farmhouse
the son should give him one-half OF his earnings
William Henry didn't relish this generous ofYer 80 he
built shanty for himself at some distance from
the paternal homestead where he lived entirely
This strange mode Of life in ali PROBABILITY, had
great deal to do with the dislike and suspicion OF
hts neighbors. When the war broke out CarswelI,
like many others who couldn't fnd anything better
TO do joined the army enlistng IN the One Hundred
ana Forty-slxth New York Volunteers, commanded
by Colonel Gerard. While in this regiment he par
ticpated In the battles OF Fredericksburg and Get
tysDurg and many other fights in which the Army
meanwhile, TO Jump the bounty two or three times
At the close Of his terms OF enlistment returned
home and went to work farming as he had done
for years before lodging in his shantS like hermit
disgusted with all The outside world and Its manifold
vianies.
Among the nelghbors OF the Carswells on the 25th
OF April, 1865, was a poor family by the name Of
glr named Abble Elizabeth, aged, at the time, eight
years and seven months She was in no wise an
fsSorite with ali the little children in the township
for her quiet ways ana kindly nature On the after
noon Of the day in % question aoou. two O'CLOCK her
named McMiilen, about quarter Of q mile from her
own home. An hour passed by and the child did
to learn what had detained her. Arriving
hss %Dsc had oesn nsqs
her message and had been seen TO start on her way
homeward half an hour OF more before ner arrival.
nndng that no one had seen her child became
alarmed, and at once communicated her fears to
cred together and, after consultation. formed
themselves into little squads and then set out in
various directions to search for the missing girl.
Everybody who was met on the road and everybody
In the township who was supposed TO have been ac-
quanted with Abbie, was questioned about her
whereabouts but no one was able TO give any In
formation concerning her. Finally, after every nook
and corner for miles about had been thoroughly
the manged body OF the child concealed in q ravine
Just one side OF the main road leading to Camden.
and under this it had been partly thrust out Of the
sight OF passers by. The poor little girls throat
was found cut from ear 70 ear, the wound being
been very duh one and the murderer had had
as much as he could do by muscular pressure to
make the blade cut the tender skin at all The body
was warm when found, and on being
conveyed to the distracted mothers 1t was dis.
for Just after it had been laid upon bed the little
head was ifted once or twice. the eyes opened, and
sns Ss sspG 1s lips
in several places, while every indication went to
chow that the murderer had violated the child be.
fore killing her.
ARREST oP THE MURDERER.
Once the intelligence OF the horrid crime had been
most intense characterindeed SO great was a. the the
rage OF the people that had the murderer been at
once discovered he would certainly have been
torn to pieces. When the excitement had some
what abated, the first question that presented itself
to everybody's mind was who the murderer could
had been shng near the roadside during the after.
; noon then remembered that the only man he had
william Henry Carswell. He impaired his suspi
clons 10 one or two Of his neighbors, and these
coupled with the well known habits OF Carswell,
were enough IN their opinion TO justify his arrest,
and 30 search was made for him. When found
about ten O'Clock the same evening, he was at his
gister-in-law's, looking as quiet and uncon-
cerned as though all the township had
not been In an uproar over the discovery Of the
horrible murder. Not only did he pretend when ar
rested utter ignorance OF the crime itself, but
feigned to have heard nothing OF the that had
been made ~ the n nsshoOrs for the missing child
when questioned as to how they came there he said
that he had been saughtering hogs but this asser.
unable to sustain by proper evidence.
THE TRIAL
The day after his arrest he examined and fully
committed and on the 18th Of November last he was
placed trial for his life, his counsel being Messrs
Fargo and Burnett, OF Rome, assisted by Francis
McElroy OF Oneida, and the Prosecution
being conducted by District Attorney Bail and !. r.
Sprague, OF Utica The evidence against him was
wholly circumstantial The points that told strongly
against him were that he had been, the hour the girl
was missed, In the very vicinity OF the place wnere
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