Delaware state journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1870-1883, 1872-01-23

"a HAAssAH@ ~ |,
Correspondent Of the New York WORLDLY
ST. JonS's, n. F., JAN 9.-The murder
of the old man Carrot Sears and his sister,
Mrs. Gehan, by the husband OF the latter,
still continues TO create universal horror
among the law abiding people Of Newfound'
land. Many weeks had passed since the
body Of Mrs. Gehan was found en- the old |
Spaniard's Bay Road, and the crime was |
still shrouded in mystery. The body Of the
missing man Sears was discovered by the
Chief Of Police in heap OF ordure near
the murderers house, and then suspicion
was Fixed on Gehan and his guilty paramour
Johannah Hamilton who were duly arrest
ed. Gehan strongly asserted his innocence
and was upheld in bis protestations by his
accomplice. On the ground Of undsputable
elrcumstantial evidence the murderer and
Johannah Hamilton were conveyed from
Harbor Grace, in charge Of the Chief OF
Police, to the Penitentiary at st. Johns.
There the terrors Of prison life extracted
from the girl Hamilton full confession OF
the murders committed by the hands Of
Patrick Gehan, and fully witnessed and
connived at by herself. She said that on
the morning of the Goth Of November,
Carrot Sears, Patrick Gehan, Mrs. Gehan
and witness sat together at breakfast in &c.
hans house. During the breakfast Gehan
ton, and seemed disposed to avail himself
Of the least opportunity to vent his passion
on somebody.
After patiently listening TO many unto
ward remarks passed by GehaD the old man
Sears ut last undertook to reprimand him.
Gehan then left the room, and shortly re-
turned with pistol, which, without utter
ing q word, he aimed and fred at old Sears,
inhcting
A MORTAL WOUND
in the brain Old Sears fell backward, ex-
claiming, "lloly Saviour, have mercy on
meW While PROSTATE on the floor, and
gaspng and moaning in his death thrces the
old man received eight or ten violent blows
Of mattock, which Gehan seized in order
TO despatch his victim. These blows oc-
casioned the revolving appearance of the
murdered mans skull. In the meantime
Gehan's wife had fed TO her bedroom
where she fell into swoOn. After the
completion of his Hrst bloody work, the
murderer followed her into the bedroom
and before she had recovered from her li
he removed feather bed and threw it ove
her pressing upon it tightly in order t.
smother her.
In consequence Of the womans suddel
illness sufiocation was not long delayed
Fearing that she might again breathe, tn
murderer gave her q heavy blow with
mattack on the back Of the skull. In III
dead Of night the manged corpse Of oil
Sears was carried TO the manure heap on
buried there. The witness, JObannah Hami
ton assisted in this work Then Geha
proposed to bring the corpse OF his vii
away up the Spaniards Bay road an
leave il there, so that people might say thi
some accident had beiallen her. The bod
of Mrs. Gehan was accordingly borne to
lonesome spot on the Spaniards Bay roc
and there disposed OF successfully as Il
murderers hoped.
The above is a substantial synopsis Of j
hannah HNmiltons confession. But Il
most interesting question which now Absorb
the morbid curiosity OF the people is Il
nature Of the intimacy which existed b.
tween the murderer and his irail accom-
plice.
She is woman Of only rs years, posses
Ing queenly figure and countenance
severe beauty, without womanly grace.
her prison life she affects that stold indlht
ence TO sympathy which has characterlz
so many historical heroines Of crime 5
has permitted several Sisters Of Charity
visit and bestow upon Der wretched so
their gentle consultations. Through mar
hoursshe sits almost inmoyabls with her ar
resting on the pillow of her rude pallet a
her hand buried in her rich black hair S
often refuses the food offered her. thou
the mntrCn and other female attendants
he Penitentiary show her much tenderness
for she has fallen to n condition in VIII
they had never before seen one Of their o
sex in this country. She rarely speI
more than yes or NO" and her sleep
short and ftGul 1t would be almost "h
ing against hope u think that this unf
tunate girl will not share the same
with him to become whose mistress
stepped her hands in blood that would ne
have been shed without her acquescen
That the murderer Gehan will swing fir
the gallows tree there is no doubt, if
extreme penalty Of British law is e
practical in Newfoundland
Gehan is sialwari, elderly man, y
has been for many years engaged as q |
bradOr fisherman. Ia prison bis disposit
Is generally mo5ose aud querulous
certain reasons the Chief Of Police desls
until yesterday to INFORM him that johann
Hamilton had made full confession Of
murder Of his wife aud old Carrot Sea
Before hearing this fatal news Gehan /
maintained firm confidence 10 tue SAT
Of his case for want Of evidence whene
pressed by the Chief OF Police TO give SO
definite explanation of very intricate
cumstances connected with the dead bod
and Geban's house aud himself and the
Hamilton But on learning that the won
for whose love he had perpetrated the M
der OF his vile and hrother-in-law had gi'
him into the hands Of the hangman,
literally irembled with revenge, and stC
iransfxed like some graphic statute Of d
pair Us the Chief reiterated the terri
facts Of the tWolold homicide. After
long narrowing silence lie yelled. "Sh,
mad She was always mad, and must h
done IT all herself / know what woi
are when they get into scrnpe They
damnRbly 10 sRye themselves"