The Cairo bulletin. [volume] (Cairo, Ill.) 1872-1878, 1873-03-18
ng me to te innocent Of the crime

: so"o MINI. lie made my acqualntanc
referred him TO Mathews for trade. n
n said he Knew was working for M
u Mathews. We walked out by the railroa
courthouse, and sat down In the shade. II
then told me of litigation between Mr.
. Mathews father and others, He tslke
0 awhile, and then asked mo if woul
o take five hundred or thousand dollar
5 and put certain person out of the way
0 l said ."No' and asked him who it wa
: that he meant. He said ho wouldn't tel
me until I agreed to do il. l thought
. would draw him out, and then have hin
arrested II would to God had, but b,
refused 20 give any name. told him
couldn't do il, and got up to go off. ii,
said: "Listen 10 reason" (Ob, that | baC
l wouldn't have been here). He Their
said; "Would you do it IL the amount frs
named was doubled ~ I said
Mo. He then offered $1,000
and said he had arranged with another
person for less, but he had failed him,
and he believed had the nerve. asked
MIN who the man was. He said he would
tell me IT agreed 20 do it. then agreed
Tor that amount to kill the person, bu,
| did not know who ii was. He said "Mrs
Matthew'S started back with horror,
and thought / could not do it. He told
| me she had heard a conversation and was
TO be witness FOR her father, ard must
be put out Of the way. l then asked him
who the man Was that he fret engaged.
lie said Joe Denny ] asked him If he
! had told Joe that he was coming to me.
he said NO He agreed TO meet me
where desired, and pay the money when
The deed was done. / saw him afterwards
few days before the murder was commit
~ I
knew all abou; IT, then fel. could not
back out If did, Denny would do it.
and then throw it on me, and Their
day l went from the depot abou,
II m. TO my house, took a lunch. and
left little after IL o'cloek and went south
10 Mrs. Wood lot and crossed over. | |
went into the corn-feld to look for melons.
passed on to the gate. sat on the gate. |
looked over toward Mathews, and then !
thought | would walk over. did not know |
then positively that Mathews was gone. |
] did not think of hidiEg my tracks more
than Of doing the deed, until l struck the /
Pennington road. Then | looked up and /
down and saw no one. | crossed into /
Mathews field on to the house. And | |
went up to the pump, l saw Mrs. Math-
ews In the door. l was much ia;igued.
She asked me TO come in that they were
all gone, aud gave me q bench and asked /
me TO sit down. Ny heart failed me- | 1
was too warm in the house, as she was
washing and had q big FIRE went out
and sat By the door. was sit
ting there when knoble went By.
lie could not see me. | went in
then cad she closed the front door, and
shut down the blinds herself. She said
she would get me some dinner. /. then
flashed through my mind thst she would
60 to the CELLAR and it would be nv best
chance. j. II. Mathews swore truly when
be sid there were but one plate, knife and :,
fork on the table. She went into the cell
lar for butter with plate and butter
knife. For an excuse l asked her if oil
the water was out Of the cellar. She said
yes, but it was muddy. was then a. the
cellar door and passed down, remarking
wanted 70 see 1t. / went down. We
talked a little, and as she stopped down
picked up brick and struck her on the
back of the head. She started 10 run, and
caught her by the dress and waistband
Of the drawers. That is tho way they
were torn. Ipulled her back, and struck |
her again. She fell. picked up short
board and struck her ON the side Of the !
head. She quiyered. | thought she was
dead. l went up stairs, and, to make a
false motion, rummaged the drawer, and
found the money Then ! must take il 10
prevent the false motive from being
discovered. put package in each peck
ct. Then l thought / would 90 down
stairs and SEQ If she WAS dead. | saw her
eyes open and looking at me. l went up
and bent over her and said "Adeia." She
raised her eyes l said "Do you know me?'
She said ~ do l asked "Who am ~
She said "Mr, Osborne" aud reached her
band toward me- and said, "Why did YOU
DO this 2. dropped her hand, turned
away, and then looked at her moment,
but felt 1t was too late TO stop. / would
have given worlds TO have had her as she
was before. took out my knife and cut
her throat. She never moved or grimaced.
went up stairs aud left. put the money
IN the Corbin house. had on coat. and
got one drop Of blood on the sleeve and
washed it out next day. when on the hunt
alone. | did not violate her person, as
God is my witness.
Hanna Freed sworo truly, She saw me
from the north door Of Bierds house, and
l saw her there. That knife | used !
threw through the hedge running east and
west between Enoch's farm and Sargent's
pasture, towards the cast end of the
hedge. The knife found was not mine; |
never saw 1t TO the best of my knowledge.
have now finished. Ny time is nearly
up. | have fearfully wrongod tho Math-
ews family. / ask them TO forgive me, as
feel that God has. | have stated Tho
truth and might refer to some Of the evil
dence on the trial, but the time is short.
In few moments j shall be in eternltv.snd
God witnesses the truth of this statement.
Mr.. kretzingcr has written this state
ment this 18th. day of March, 1873, atl5
minutes before II o'clock, at my earnest
request. ] wanted hun to write it as
stated II TO him last, before Elder Griffith,
again to my counsel and the officers Of the
court and ministers OF God. bid YOU
all last eternal farewell, and NAV God
receive my spirit. bear no malice to-
ward any.
LSignedl JoHy MARION OsRoRSE.
Attesting witnesses, ". D. Cooke and
J. j. TunnicliG
ILLINOIS HOSPITAL FOR IN
SANE.