The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1872-12-14
Il MAN KILLED, SKINNED AND CUT UP
IN DELAWARE.

obtained the assistance OF Turner to carry
water and do similar service. On the eve
ming of the Gay above mentioned the house
was discovered on fire, apparently from
IN explosion In the laboratory, where,
after the fire was extlngulshed. a dead
body was found, minus skin. head, hands
and feet. Underneath the body was discov-
cred a hole, containing a quantity of gun
powder. 1t was at first supposed that there
had been an explosion of gas, and that the
mutilated body was that of the young profes-
sor, but a suspicion soon arose that it was all
a plan devised by him to obtain by Indirect
means insurance to the amount of s25, 900,
which he had upon bis own life. The matter
remained a mystery until Friday last, when
the professor reappeared In Dover and delIv.
cred himself up to the sheriff, contess!ng that
he had killed Turner In self-defence, and also
confesslng where he had hidden The head,
hands and feet of his victim. The remains
we're found in the places Indicated, and the
coroner's jury was assembled. when the pris-
oner made a confession, of which tie follow.
Ing is the substance:
On the day of the murder, (Aonday, The I'd
lnstant,) Turner had been employed by West
to perform several small jobs, and was to have
come again In the evening 10 Vests Office to
carry water. In the evening, according 10 the
words of the prisoner, II passed him aud
went on up to my office; had just got th.re
and unlocked the door when be CT me up;
went on up stairs ahead Of him, and unlocked
the room door up stairs, and went In ahead; I
had taken my gasometer to pieces that day,
intending to fasten a small sledge hammer 10
the weights; the sledge hammer was sitting
lust Inside OF the door; the other weights we're
over Ia the corner. about eight feet further on;
one of the weights was q bolt, or piece OF an
ron axle; It was about two feet long and
an inch and q quarter IN diameter; / just
cot over about where this bolt was sit
sledge hammer in his hands; as he found that
I saw what he wa doing, he said, Give me
YOU p%ocket-book, or I'll kill yonP then
snatched up q bolt or a piece of axle, and just
as I did so he struck at me With the aledge
hammer, the blow falling on my hat, denttng
the hat In. bnt it did not touch my head, as |
t Tss b ei9S op agIe eV inten . snse s to ssfl ss 0f hun Won ON
the head, but I missed his head and struck
him on the neck, below the eur; he fell and I
don't think he ever kicked afterWard; this was
mat after sunset; he fell over or his side; l
then telt of him; felt his pulse and found he
was dead; I did not intend 10 kill him, but
ONLY intended 10 knock him down so that
he would not kill me; latter Q long pause
the prisoner continued:) l then lett the
body lying there and came up to William G;
Fountains Hotel AMI gpt my supper: and
didn't 90 back any more Inat cveningy our-L
went back again on Tuesday morniEg about
ten or eleven O'Clock. Then thought I would
cut Turner In pieces and carry him on and
bury him; 30 I cut of his head, hands ann
feet with my penknife, (knife here shown,
had four blades, and was identified by The
prisoner as the one he did The cutting with,
cut off his head and feet with The penknlie
and skinned The body; that Is The kniie,
(polnting to it,) which lies on the table; I
broke one of the blades cutting the bones; l
broke several of the bones with the piece OF
axle:l this was not all done before dinner; !
don't know how much I did do before dinner;
I went TO dinner that day, but do not know
the exact time; do not remember positively
whether was back to my office after
dinner or nol." After making several In
effectual attempts to dispose of the re-
maths. the prisoner continued : II then re.
NAMED In my room thinking what to
do. and then concluded I would tear o
large box I had to pieces and make O oo2 lnaC
would hold the remains for the purpose OF
shIpplng Them on the Delaware Railroad to
20Inh Oln duu q NV - Soky t~NAf
I fouud that IL was getting late and | couldn't
stay :"; !..ar than night; on Wednesday ]
dida't 20 back to my room until about nine
o'clock In The morning; / then found the re-
mains smelling 30 I could not ship them on
The railroad; I got my dinner at the hotel that
day and was about In different places till
the afternoon; I returned to my Office ABOUT
two o'clock In the afternoon, when l took my
knife and cut the lips AID nose of the head,
-.ondta1 ~ oHtn IT. and alan nuf anna
pieces from the abdomen; I then struck the
head with the bolt or IRON axle, for the pur-
poso of MASKING 1t up, 30 that 1t could not be
recognized, but found that l could make no
impression on IL; I was afraid If / skinned the
head It would still retain its shape aud be re-
cognized; after this l took the head 10 q
bucket, took 1t down to the lime heap near
the railroad, and rolled it 10 the lime, aud
then raked 1t back Ia the bucket and carried
IL TO the place where I buried It; I returned to
nv office about ten O'Clock that night; I took
the bucket and put the skin In 1t to carry It
sgay: l then went out on the street with II
and saw some person coming, when / took 1t
back to my room again; I then took one Of the
feet aud poured some alcohol over 1t, thinking
that it would change the color OF the foot by
setting 1t on fire; act II on IRE and split
that nlght. before that time, piled the box
over the body, placing the small pieces on top
of the box; Intended, 1t the alcohol did
change the color of the skin on the feet, TO
spread the skin out On the floor and change
the color of 1t by burning alcohol on
IT,; found that the alcohol would
not change the color of the skin; /
Intended, if 1t did change the color, to
out the 8 In back on the body, and fit 1t as
we'll as I could; when the alcohol on the floor
caught fre, I gathered up the feet, hands and
skin 10 nv hands and got out OF The room as
soon as I could, fearing The powder ! had there
would explode; I then tried 10 exlingulsh the
flames, but tailed; after getting outside walk
ed toward the Methodist graveyard with the
feet, hands and skin, and buried the skin
alongside of the railroad; then started to get
the hands and feet to bury them, when I heard
| the whistle OF the four o'clock train; / raked
| some lime over them, then ven up 10 the
| depot and waited there until the train came
| when IL arrived T went on board with a bundle
| of nv clothes and went to Delmar.
The prisoner signed a copy of this comics
sion, and the coroner's Jury returned q verdic
In accordance with Lhe facts presented. Wes'
| remains In the custody of the sheriff.
FIVE PILOTS FEARED TO BE LOST.
WILMINGTON, December Is.
nli~t1 Dan al