The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1870-10-04

Confession Of Andrew Thompson, a Wealthy Far
mer, Convicted Of the Murder Of the Ha-
gerty Family-An Almost Incredi-
BILE Narrative Of Diabolism.


discovered IN Nay. 1862 by the nnding OF the trunk
and the bodies OF the murdered family by fshermen
the former near Prairie du Chen the latter between
CasSyille ana Dubuque.
Andrew Thompson, Il wealthy farmer OF Clayton
county hrst became acquainted Win Maria liagerty
at the saloon OF her husband AT Bulls Head In 1885,
IN 1851 lie employed her TO work for hun. In 1854
ne became cfninally Intimate with her, continuing
his intimacy until 1865 In the latter year she gave
brih TO cld, the offspring OF this intimacy, hav-
ing some time before separated from her husband.
ihis enid was murdered by the mother, with The
knowledge OF Thompson and by him concealed.
thompson claims that he then sought 10 get rid OF
the woman, but she persisted in remaining near him,
;ahd bS threats Obtained complete control Of him.
Ills WIFE became alarmed aud was also threatened
WIN violence. having IN vain endeavored to pur-
chase release from the woman, and in vain sought to
i inuuce mef 10 leave ann, thompson, In Decem-
per- 1868, consented, or appeared TO con-
sent, to her plan OF deserving his family
and removing with her TO some distant place,
where they should i've together. On the evening or
December s, 1865, he took Maria Hagerly. her two
boys and daughter, into his sleigh, at McGregor
crossed TO Wisconsin, and began the journey which
ended III The murder OF tile mother and her children
and his return to his home. lie drove to Bridge
port, Patch Grove raltol, North Andovcr, CassyIle
Bectown and Lancaster. The girl was sick When
tney started, ana appeared 10 become worse as they
proceeded. Al Lancaster Thompson wished to re-
main all night and save the girl from further eX-
posture by camping out. as they mad done from the
and charged Thompson with being DESTROYS Of DELAY
That his family might ovcrtake him and give him an
excuse Tor deserving her and returning home. They
drove on, but had not gone far when OF the BOYS
calico out that his sister had tainted.
THOMpsoN's STATEMENT.
thompson tells the story OF the murder as foOws:-
IL YVES beginning 10 get little dark when we left
Lancaster. When we mad gone along the Pla,tville
road about u mile should Judge we had To cross
quite deep rayine. Just got to the top of the
hil on the south side OF the ravne, OF the boys
said Anna mad tainted. We stopped, and Mrs. Hag-
ery dashed some snow into her face and chafed her
hands, and IN short time she felt well az ever.
Mrs Haeerty then wanted her to drink some wine,
but she woud n't taste IT, Mrs. Hagerty then drank
about one-third of u PINT OF wine herself urged
hcr strongly TO go back 10 Lancaster and remain
over night, ana see II we could get something done
for Anna, but she wouldn't hear to it. We then
started on again and travelled two or three
mics, when the boy said lie thought Anna
mad tainted again. 1t was quite dark then
and there was timber both sides OF the
road. l turned OH 70 the left Of the road
stop there for the night stopped about 1--we or six
rods from the road. AS soon as stopped handed
Mrs. Hagerty match and told her to light the
nom the sled and, just as was in the act Of asLen-
ing them to Tree, Mrs Hagerry called ont, BOSS,
noss wren sue spoke 10 me. ! sad, Snreiy not"
she said, yes am sure she Is dead.n lifted the
two trunks out OF the front OF the sled, and then got
IN ana looked al the grl. | felt her pulse ana put
my ear to her mouth and listened. chated her
hands for some time without effect. She was dead
10 Mrs. nagerty, ''wlat are We 10 do nowir' She
SAID I've must dig grave and bury her" said
grave and bury her there T IN the 20 w %s
| without coinn, and the grave he found
and the body dug up, IL would be thought that we
had murdered her and we would be followed and
arrested for murder. She said the girl had died n
natural death, ana 1t was nobody's business how
| she was buried. ! said that was all very true, but
people would make u their business II they found ir
out, and that The only way for TO do now was to
go back to Lancaster and tell how the girl had died,
have an inquest, II 1t should be thought necessary,
ana bury her decenty. would here remark thai
Mrs. Hagerfy had treated Anna very harsh and I'M
ieelingy an through the trip ana am sure some OF
the people where we stopped must have noticed it.
When | told Mrs. Hagerty that we must go back to
Lancaster she got terrible passion and said il
we went back and mad an inquest we would have to
tell who we were and all about ourselves, and then
alter me; that II would keep or three days at
| Lancaster and by that time my folks would be
for was to leave her there and go back TO my I'D
lazy b--h of wife," She then called my
vile and myself and ali.my folks very bad and In.
| TO- and swore she would have all sorts OF revenge
was very angry at her and said to her. There II
going back 10 Lancaster 1 turned TO leave The
sled, ana Just as mad got one foot out and had my
hands ON the endboard Mrs. IIaggerty said .I'ii
nave your life first" She picked up hammer that
| was hanging on the sleigh and jumped toward me
| and struck me on the neck. think she intended to
strike me on the head, but missed her aim us was
raising my head at The moment. The hammer be-
longed TO Mrs. Hagerty and was used by me. In
| horses feet that mad formed during the night The
| next blow that Mrs Eagerly dealt me was on the
| point of the shoulder, right on the bone, and was
| very painful. she was striking me with all her
| might. she struck me several other blows on the
arm, as was in the act of raising up and bringing
/
my foot In the sled and stood up snatched The nam
4 mer out ol her hand and struck her Two or three
times ON the head with IT,
! was madw passion at the time and scarcely
| knew whatl was doing. All these scenes didn't
occupy one minute. AS soon ~ realized what
1 was doing dropped the hammer out OF my hand
! Mrs. Hagerty stood few seconds ana then threw
herself down the bed across the feet OF the CIR
and between the girl and the boys-the boys we're
Soon after Mrs. Iiagerty threw herself down on the
bed she commenced screaming at the top OF hei
1 4 In IA -
boys TO stop crying, but they paid attention tC
! me- They screamed few minutes ana then
! stopped. As soon as they were all quiet tried &c
4 apologize to Mrs. Hagerty for what / had done.
told her that was sorry had struck her. that the
insulting language she had used and the blows She
had dealt me made lose control OF nv
\ temper for the moment or | wouldn't have
struck her. asked her to let me see II
| had hurt her much, and see IL could dc
| anything for her. She didn't speak, and when
stopped over To look at her head she waived me on
| with her hand AS stood looking at her In silence
| for a lew mDutcs and wondering what could do
heard sleigh bells approaching from tile direction
Of Piattsvile, and almost at the same time heard
the voices OF the people in the sleghs laughing an,
talking. j thought when FIRST heard them they
were quite near as it was very stun, frosty night
and they were farther OF than supposed they were.
think Mrs. iiagerty must have heard them al
| nearly the same time did, for she commenced
screaming again as loud as she could and the boys
cried with her. begged OF them to stop, hut they
took no notice OF me. ] was in terrible
| dilemma; alone In The woods at night in q
strange country, with the girl lying dead,
the woman wounded and screaming and
! the two boys crying out az II in mortal terror
picked up the feather bed that lying al my feet
and threw 1t over Mrs. IIaggerty and The boys to
keep their cries from beng heard I'LL the approach
ing party were passed. Mrs. Haggerty threw the
bed OIL with her hand, ana seemed to scream louder
than ever. am sure the approaching party would
nave heard her If they had not been making muc,l
noise themselves. After she had thrown the bed
| OF put the light OUT and put the ped over her
again and held 1t 30 she couldn't throw II OF. She
struggled terribly get the bed or aud 10 cry out
| the first or the slelghing party almost by US
when she ceased her cries and struggles. The boys
mad also stopped crying. l was AFRAID TO remove
the bed until the seighs had passed, but did not
hold II down alter Mrs. Haggerty had ceased srug-
Cling.
As near as could Judge there five or six
teams OF the sejgning party. didn't see them, AS
the mind end Of my sled was towards the road and
was closed up. think there were three or four Il
couldn't say which, sleghs pretty close together
driving lesurely along. I think they must have
been some sort Of pleasure party. a short dl5-