Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1871-01-27
CONFESSION OF THE cRLuIN:aL
The La, sad hct Of Justice.



which opened with the murder Of Perry Russell
Of Hinesburgh, on Saturday night. Oct. 3,
| 1865. was presented within the prison walls in
this place to-day. in the execution Of Henry
Welcome, the murderer Mr. Russell, il will be
recolee,e5, was peaseable and highly esteemed
citizen Of his town, = years oli-and the
murderer vaywsrd lad Of but little past
seventeen years Of age. The object O! the
criminal was 70 SECURE q large sum Of
monev. which be believed NJ. Russell
was keeping in Lis house st the time the deed
was committed. The facts Of the crime, with Al
the circumstances attending it, the very conclu-
sive evidence at the trial, the prompt conviction
/ by the Jury, and the sentence BY Judge Barrett,
[ in Burlington, on Monday, January llth, 1870,
have already been detailed in the columns Of
this paper and s.e doubtless fresh in the minds
Of most Of cur re2lers. The particulars Of the
execution Of the death penalty win complete
the painful record.
Since Henry Welcomes solitary confinement
in the ststs's Prison he has been uniformly well
behaved, and by this mems secured the interest
and kind regard Of all with shom he has
had to do. For TIE pas; three months be has
sustained intime-e relations with the Chaplain Of
the prison. Rev. Franklin Butler and 10y hin has
been regarded lately ls humble reni'ent. lie
war visited by his mother and one sister from
Hiresbureb, last week, who remained wiki him
a day. The visitation Is spoken Of as mvst af-
fectinr. At its termination hey babe HIN good
bye with gre display or affection and sorrow,
and thea upon reachi1g the QUITE 5oos % the
prison. they begged TO 60 back 10 take ye. an
other last look, AID exchange another last word
with the object Of tlsir tender love Their Ie-
I cues. vas cheerfu'iy ersa--i and f1ur tmes
/ this course was gone through with before the
separation was hnsL Three m9nthsago Welcome
maie full confession Of his guilt in presence
T Of Sheriff Drew Of Burlington. This confession
he made that be might tighten somewhat the bur
dsn which was 50 heavily weighing upon his
own mind, be said, ba; requested that I, SHOULD
net be made public for time His wish was
s,ceisl to and therefore the particulars Of The
/ confession hsve only been known By fsT, 70
whom be wished it c--siau;iaIly communicated.
To-dsy he requested ;le reporter for the FREE
PEEss AND T1us TO procure q copy Of it from
1 Sheriff Drew and give IL to The public through
the columns Of this paper. III as follows
s7Ar-lEsr or Tacrs ABOUT THz xuauE2 eF
Sir PERRY RUSSELL
I. Henry Welcome. nov under ssaie1os Of
death for the murder Of Mr. Perry Russell O.
Hncs1urzh. on the 81 dsy q October. l,67, be-
tween tie hours q eir1; and nire clock in the
evening, moved bv tie iesr o. God sud for ny
own relief, ard the heust, o. Others, DO so.emny
make the following statement Of facts concerning
ny connect ion with that crime TIE principe.
+ reason whv have rot heretofore ms-e this dis
closure Il the connection Ct another person With
ne 10 she affair, as viii he seen 10 what fo.ioFs.
Two years before she murder q msu, French
F man. whose name 1 30 10. TOW remember, vlo
vss employed by Mr.. Rusee.i 81 ihz, time, told
me about a box in Mr. T. = house wdl-c NJ
Bussell's money wss kept aud that be iu:aa-
dei TO get tie be-, hut hat be did not want 10
attempt it alone and in talking il over, We
agreed that be should tel me just where the box
was, aad thst ! should &c, ,, and We would
thsre equally in lbs couielts-
We were l. wait till q good chance should
col-e Nltl 'llIt N.-- u-f % -'l- '1'
NJ. ana UT Hlfi-'-
That jail, be Na-i -N'y ana % u. Ai'sr lAS'
/ went avsT. When 7 was 60 j4l 81 Montpelier,
he came % see ue. coH he I3-i me that then was
or time. as nobody worked Tor M r. sn4 be
AND his wife we're alone We then s~resl t5st
as so7u ss go- cat o. j4- We would lnieT'A-e
the job. ! vas 20 meet him IS soon IS 60. out
When I left Montpelier ! went directly home,
and from there % 'erslulea, "ae1t ioull l.fn
on fr1ay, pc- - +" t-'A 'ne e-'s % oa'-
urdsy morning Oct 3D. an- vent iosethef 70
shelburn- was To 20 20 MY hassei AM be
was 90 60 o. % blrl.ig, on ana Iaeel NE sunday
evening AZ NlnocsEl rails bridge nave neither
seen no- heard from BIN since. J isi' 'ne aepoi
aad vent straight 70 aIr- tiei'aer orchard 81
sae-buru Pals lal mere ilun- 81 hn Oonl'n
gathering Epf.--- Weni IRON '1e orlAArd
across -o's' a"l e-iAs e1' ia-' way oe'Ee74
tieJcner Z e-1-Afl anu Jpn c1Ius's'
kepi the rosa si'ai si't % "s"e.n n corners,
ana mere tlIN-l 3. ,Av ll--' az ~ ,-- To-
south TIL came EliAih MY rols OF H,-G-s
Conner ana thsa went across -o's 4l'5 me foAl
EEaln, ana Asl' l1eo s'iA 70 '1e benson
place passed NFs s-Wye anu MISS o'e, e. Nao
were 'AlA'lG ,se--'l q '- gag
lots IRON iAa Lensoa i-'oe 20 h."ool i-lss5-
Inss-o" stll Pc a. 'A- p-.Ap i- '-e -1'-il"
ana diSHs a-- L'-'-7 '.- d '3e 81. % ,- us
housa calilns Is -e5 = "-' III sac -7'- 1is
giEe pol-,o-s' w - 81 - mp
"en' "AcA e, az r. - ~ AK -
untl- cane 70 'lI, e,.3 Nl'Ae-' - al
Perry hus'e. SIC -'-I ''i'cls'- --.l- a,s'-
lll As' t-1 -'i'' 4''77'-- --.' ''' ~ =.
I1'l 20 @.'el'''I y - ~. ~ AZ, - -
me lelse 1A~A va - -V. 5 - -.
il-l uSIA came W" '.l lue 81
10 me AoIse o4'" Ai4 0-' '-s '., a.
ana Iou-u b niuss "SHsl-- a. '"' -. go
~ - - - 80 -. %, Il 80,
MI anu Mt i'-9s'-- "a - - -
10 me hllcuth u'I' ~ -Ai - - 80
EAo Fas there sa.I lo'is 1 1aPlsi Isn.iii
ana lie ssAaa as'ln 20 'Ie.e anu ~. "a
70 Dq.'iee ne 80 -i r., -, - .,o AN
snd struck him with ta= hinge de pat up
his hand and said IS O dear ~ when l struck
him again and knocked him TO the floor.
struck him two o. three tines after he fell saw
south door. then went into the bedroom and
got the box at the foot Of bic bed IN Lille cup
-. l,. 1o-,t,gost ebr,,- III quarters Of a
rsiia s.s broke omen the box. and 70 nv rrest
ast1nishmsat found nothing in the box but old
papers thea vent straight - douglass Oorn-
err, sDd there wSs team II ifont o. me IN the
read. kept the road until came - larry
kusseils place. then went mo ms oie Darn
and slept on the haymow uuu- morning s'aia
around the premises AL nearly ciogA P m; N;
then went into the road straight 10 Oo-ese NM
and proceeded to NinoosEi fatis' ana mel a
young man ct the bridge and asked him Whien
was the nearest way 70 Essex = uneton. ne toIl
me TO follow the railroad track, ana dld 80. !
went to Mr.. Whites at Essex Junction and siaid
over night; took the train Monday mornIng Tor
Montpelier and went as far as Waterbury, Ehere
vas arrested.
have made this statement Of ~ own irse
will, and I so!emnly attest to the truth Of al
that have said. as IN the presence ., my Zoo
H. WELCOME
Vt State Prison, Oct u, 1870.
.+.ro n NV ,-.,ancs by Henry
S'g"5 - = - In AZ IS-0
'Si~N--'' '- r - r,--rr,