New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1871-07-15
Aleu-, Orleans Republican.
OFFICIAL JOURNAL Of THE UNITED STATES
0FFlClAI JOURNAL OF NEW ORLEANS
MARY JANE SCALES.

Confession Of the Kansas Woman who il
to be Hanged.
From the Topeka tKansas) Commonwealth, July g.
Rev. E. o. Taylor, the spiritual adviser OF
Mary Jane Scales and Lewis Ford, has kind
ly furnished us the following confession OF
Mary Jane Scales, relative to the murder of
her husband, Burnett Scales:
acknowledge that what Ford says in his
confession concerning our intimacy is true.
i believe it was great sin and the cause
of all this trouble My husband never knew
anything about it, as / know OF, but think
he suspected it. During the last two years
previous to the murder we lived together
happily and he treated me as well as any
one could ask, and i am sorry that did
him the very great wrong in being SO untrue
to him.
In regard to my asking Ford to kill the
old man, / remember that about four years
ago, after my husband and had been IN a
quarrel flor we did not live happily to-
gether them, i did tell Ford something like
that. Since that time l do not recolIect
saving so, vet will not deny 1t, for loving
Ford as did, it is more likely to be so than
not / know that / have expressed wish
to Scales many times, IN the presence OF
Ford, that | wished / had never married
him, then never would have had so much
trouble. | did not know that Ford was
going to kill him when he did, and do not
think that Ford himself intended to do so
before that morning, as nothing had been
said about it; and before they went to bed
that night they sat down and read the Bible
together aloud. l knew nothing of their
trouble until they awoke me by scuffling
around the bed. 1t was early in the morning,
about four o'clock, l should think, and quite
dark. l saw them pass the bed, and
knew it was Ford and Scales. l did not
know what their trouble was about, nor
what weapons they we're fighting with, until
/ heard the gun go off then | knew one of
them had the gun, but | did not know which
one. / knew of Scales being under the bed,
but do not remember OF hearing him call
me, although he might have done so.
knew when they ran out OF the door, but
did not see Them as there were curtains
around the bed, and had not yet dressed
me- nor did see Ford when he killed Scales;
but, after it was done, l knew that 1t was
Ford who did it, was troubled to know
how to keep it from the people, and made
up the Indian story to screen Ford. 1t was
true that the Indians had been there during
the night this l will swear to till my dying
day. begging for money and something to
eat. We had all gone to bed but Scales,
who let them IN. heard them talk, but did
not know when they went away.
This made me think that could lay it to
the Indians, and know one would know that
Ford had anything to do with it. l told
Ellen in the morning, while l was washing
the blood off the floor, that the Indians had
killed the old man; and when Ford came
in told him that would tell the people
that the Indians had killed Scales, and he
must pretend to know nothing about it, and
he said, Eyes, tell them that l was up
stairs, asleep
This is all that know about it. 1 ac-
knowledge that my sin was the cause OF
the murder, and that my previous course
had encouraged Ford to do it. / am sorry
that have so much to confess; but it is
better to let it be known than to keep it |
hid. / ask the pardon of God and of the |
people for this act, and hope that l shall |
be forgiven. | desire to warn the married |
women especially against doing as l have |
done, but to live true lives, and avoid such |
a doom as mine. |
/ hope that my little girl will grow up |
pure-hearted, and that the boys will turn |
their backs upon evil and set their faces |
toward Heaven"
Mrs. Scales spoke very kindly of the |
court and of Judge Morton for having given |
he so much time in which to prepare for |
the execution of the sentence, and desired |
that both the white and colored people |
should come to see her as often as they |
wish. She made an earnest request that |
some one should bring her little girl that |
she may see her once more.
The above confession was not made at |
any one time, but is the result of several |
had since the confession Of |
Ford. As to its truthfulness and sincerity |
the people must be their own judges. AS |
the spiritual adviser of Mrs Scales. / have |
no opinion to express as to her true motive |
in giving it to the public. / hope she is
panitaut