The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1869-03-04

be too many for me; but l put my hand
against the wall and saved myself from 60
ing down, and with the other | reached under
and hit him in the kidneys, and that fetch
ed him. 1t was our fighting about the
room that made the blood fly 50 all about
on the walls The old fellow was stronger
than | gave him credit for, and we had a
mighty tough tumble Of it. but you see
bad The knife, and l kept all the time Jao-
bing him with that, and he bled great
| deal, and that weakened him | suppose -
Yes. sir, did that little Job myself" Then
mHsing a minute as if to recall the scene
| more clearly to his mind, he continued
Yes, did for him, but he fought like the
/ devil | once thought he'd got the best q
( NE. but the puuch in the ribs fetched him."
J Here he sat minute still t. / k kng, then
! continued. Did you 60 into the room
well. you remember the map that hung on
| the Waii-well, they could have found the
marks Of MY hand on that map if they'd
/ looked once when he nearly turned me, |
threw my hand back, and it struck fiat
against the wall on the map !; that's the
time | thought he'd be too many for ME
bur the blood weakened him l s'spose, for |
s0oI got him under again, and that's when
| hit him in the ribs and fetched him."
On this particular point Jefferds always
dwolt as if the fact that Burdeli had been
nearly too many for him" was most deep
! ly impressed on his mind-then, after a
minutes pause. lie would add, but then |
Lit him under the ribs, and that fetched him"
IS would seem that as the blows at first
were struck while Buriell was sitting, and
were rapiSily repeated before be could rise
up, the knife probably was stopped Uy the
breast-bone, collar bone. and, perhaps, the
bones of the neck, 80 that most of t g cuts
were superficial merely cutting through the
skin and outside tissues 1t is said that one
of the blows which would have proved ia
tai was struck from above downward, which
Jeferds' description would easily account
for. Even had vital part been touched
by the weapon at the beginning Of the
struggle, it is exceedingly unlikely that i'm
mediate death wouli have ensued. JefTerds
himself was, however, COZ cinced that it was
the stab in the kidneys that. as he express
f, cd it. fetched him."
/ TIE murder accom- plshed. Jcferls left
/ the room, and was let out If the house Oy
one Of the inmates, by whom all necessary
/ p:ecaulions were taken aftcrward to cover
/ up the tracks Of the real murderer aud cast
suspicion in other directions.
/ Strange as this story seems, it was and is
! implicitly believed by those nigh in police
! authority, aud that eminent officer, IuspeC
/ tor James Leonard, who has recently pass
ed away, told the story to the writer as al
undoubted fact, expressing his perfect BE-
/ lief that young Jetferds was unquestonably
the murderer of DIR. BurdeIl.
The confession of J,fferds was given tt
the writer by the officer to whom it wa.
made, took Jelferds into custody, or causcC
his arrest, on the charge Of committing the
double murder of Walton and Matthews
Aside from The story of Jelferds himself, th,
close intimacy existing between the Waitor
and Cunningham families, and the Thorough
similarity Ia their domestic relations, to
gether with the well known desperate char
acter of Mrs. Cunningham, are all strongly
corrobOraJive Of its truth.
With regard to the well-known reckless
ness Of Jefferds with respect to human lif
many stories are told,
lie habitually went we'll armed, and, OF
the slightest provocation, would shoot or Gu
whoever chanced to provoke his wrath Oi
one occasion, euraSed at a fellow clerk h,
jtbbed gold pen into his eye, endangeriu;
not alone the loss Of thc eye, but the subse
quont death of the sufferer from inflammation
of the brain.
At another time, in Newqrk, \. J., Jei
ferds became enraged in o bzr-room abou
some trivial matter, and in an instant drew
his ready pistol and fired. The intende,
victim saved himself. however, by holdin,
up in front of himself a common bar-roon
chair, the thick wooden bottom Of whicl
received the ball and saved the life Of th
man. In fact, Jeffords himself declares
that he didn't think so much of killing
mamie would put any man out of th
way for five hundred dollars if be was short
and wouldn't get caught at IL either. Afte
ne was sent to State Prison, and found Will
certainty that hiSaacCuser and the principe.
, witness against him was the man whom h
had cherished for SO long a time, he va
wild with rage, and swore if he ever got th
opportunity he would Kill the officer. Th
detective was himself so certain Of it that
heard the tidipgs Of the death of Jefferd
with unmingled satisfaction. In truth, tina
, this young man was as bad, as false, a
, recklessly criminal a man as the corrUp
state of our modern society can produce
thero can not be the slightest doubt An
, taking into calm consideration all the cir
cumstances of the murder of DR.. Burde
. and Of Jefferds' confession, and of the know
j intimacy of The Walton aud Cunningham
. families, he who would doubt that Charlie
Jetterds is the criminal. would doubt Iha
, the sun had risen merely because it wa
hidden by clouds. The fate of Jeffertls
well known. Put on trial for the murde
~ AHi' -hditlIcNS, ne was convicted, sen
!, fenced to imprisonment in the State priso
for one year and then to suffer death. Hav
ing remained at Sing Sing the appointe
year, and the Governor failed to designat
the day for his execution. and a legal mud
die also occurring as TO the legality of tn
sentence. Jefferis was still kept in confine
ment until his counsel could secure fna
disposition Of the case. While thus in Gus
tody he was murdered in Sing Sing priso
a few months since. by felIow-oonvict
which last murderer is now awaiting tria
for the killing of the wholesale assassin
whom he had unwarrantably sent to hi
last account.
And SO, at last. after twelve long years O
waiting, the veil is lifted from the mvsteri
ous Burdell murder, and doubtless for
short time public interest will once Nor
centre about the notorious house. No. 2
Bond street,