Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1871-07-14

From the Chicago Tribune,l
Within few weeks we have had in this city j,
q case of the voluntary surrender Of man who
accused himself of murder. Like cases are
common in all parts of the world. The English
press are just now discussing the value Of vol
untary confessions as evidence of guilt, and the
discussion is suggested by a recent conviction
of young man for murder, A man known as
sold Jack" potman, was last seen alive in
London on the 18th of August, 1870. Three
days later his murdered body was found, and
the circumstances indicated long and bloody
struggle between him and his murderer. The
room was robbed, and whatever money the old
man had was taken away. In December fol-
lowing, the police having failed to discover any,
thing leading to the detection of the guilty
party, Claude Scott Wooley, aged nineteen
years, told his sweetheart that he had some
thing on his mind "too great to tel" and in
March, after a quarrel with his father, and
while he was without home, he went to the
police and confessed that he had committed the
murder. He stated that he had killed the
man with a plasterer's hammer, which he
left in the fireplace of the room. The only cor
roborating circumstance offered in evidence
was that, during the week following the murder,
the prisoner had spent fifteen Shillings at the
crystal palace, where he went with his sweet
heart; but this was Tebutted by proof that he
was then earning fourteen shillings week.
and his father had given him ten shillings extra
that week. There were other negative facts
shown one was that the room in which the
murder was committed was extensively be-
smeared with blood, and there had evidently
been long struggle. The prisoner was at his
fathers house, two miles away, in an hour and
a half after the time when the murdered man
had been seen alive, and bore upon his clothes
no stain, or blood, or other evidence of personal
conflict. Moreover, TIE murdered man was
larger and much stronger than the prisoner
There was no evidence that any hammer of the
kind mentioned by the prisoner was on the
premises before the murder, and no such
weapon was found there afterwards. No part
of the property taken was found on the person
OF the prisoner, nor can he account for it. In
fact, the only evidence against the prisoner is
his own confession, unsustained by any other
fact than that such q murder was committed
Notwithstanding these facts, the jury con-
victed the prisoner, and Justice Byles said the
verdict was right, though, outside of his con-
fession, the evidence was scarcely more than
suspicion"
The result of this conviction is that the ques-
ton of the value Of voluntary confessions, I'M
supported by circumstantial evidence, as evi,
dence of guilt, is getting thoroughly overhaued,
Among the precedents quoted is the case where
in the mutiny on the frigate Hermoine Captain
Pigott was murdered, no less than six sailors
volunteered the confession that they seYerally
struck the first blow at Captain Pigott. These
men were sent home from various parts of the
world to be tried; but it was demonstrated that
not one of them had ever been in the ship or
had ever seen Captain Pigott. Yet all these
sailors had given minute descriptions of the
mutiny, and, though the men persisted in their
selfaeeusations, the records OF the admiralty
proved their innocence. Another case is told
where, wife dying suddenly and in pain,
the husband confessed to having poisoned her
describing the process, and where he had pur-
chased the poison, and where he had buried the
portion not used Before his trial his.whole con
iession was proven to he lalsei no poison was
found in the body, and all his other details were
alike in untrue, He was discharged though per-
ssting in his self-aceusation. Another case is
cited, where a man named Harrison left home
for neighbOring village to collect some money
Not returning, servant named Perry was sent
after him; but Harrison was not found. Perry
was arrested, and after strongly asserting his in
nocence, he, in few days, unhgrdeped his de-
pressed conscience by long and detailed ac.
count OF the murder of his master, by himself
his mother and brother. Upon this confession
the three Perrys were executed. Two wears In
ter, Harrison, the supposed murdered man. re
turned, -
The American books are filled with instances
OF the confession OF lines by persons afterward
proved TO be wholly innocent, There are several
cases where such persons have been executed
upon their own confession. Of all kinds of evil
dence, confessions, unsupported by other facts
and circumstances, are the least valuable as evil
denee OF guilt, and no conviction should ever
take place on them-certainly not in capital
cases. ln this particular case the convict and
the murdered man were acauaintances. mi file
facts concerning the murder we're published |:
there was q Kind Of legend that plasterer's
hammer used TO be about the murdered mans
premises, though no one eyer saw ii; the pris-