Juniata sentinel. [volume] (Mifflintown, Pa.) 1846-1873, 1873-01-29

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with a detective, which was granted -
as soon as the officer had entered the
cell OF the prisoner the latter stated thai
he had an important confession to max,
OF a crime which he had kept secret 70,
six years. The time had come when he
could no longer endure the pangs of re
morse During the long interval til,
crime had haunted him day and night
rendering his life a continuous burden
unless when under the influence of LIQUOR
de never could forget it except through
the aid of drink an! in consequence had
, become a drunkard.
The officer consented to rece;ve a,v
confession he might make, but warned
him what the consequence would be
The prisoner said hat it was in full
view OF tie consequences that he desired
to confess. He was a young man, only
twenty two years Of age and if he should
now receive his trial aud punishment it
would probably be his salvation, and
when his term Of punishment should be
ended ne might start his career anew and
be an honest, upright man.
lie h recalled 10 the officers mind
the fact that in September, 1866, an in.
cendiary fire occurred at Altoona, BY
which a row of sevea new buildings, &C.
cupied BY stores and some of them hay
ing dwellings i'll The upper portions was
burned There was no suspicion as to
who the inceudiary was, and a reward
for the apprehension and conviction of
the criminal was offered. The reward at
first was $3.50, aud it was subsequently
increased to $500. Hill said that he was
the man who set fire to those buildings
He tell in with two men during the day,
whom he never saw before. They made
themselves very friendly, and induced
him to drink repeatedly. He was not an
habitua! dfinker, and they made him
drunk. Then they urged him to set fire
to these buildings that night, promising
to give him fifty dollars if he would do
go. Crazed with drink be accepted the
offer, and while the Two men watched at
a distance he applied a match to some
shavirgs which he found under the steps
of one of the buildings, and the whole
row was soon in flames. While the fire
was in progress Hill was lying drunk
across the street.
The next mogning lac saw the two nm
for a ftw moments, but they suddenly
disappeared, and h never saw Or heard
of them since and never received any
money from them. IL reInliael il Al
toona fer tao OF three days, until the
reward was offered for the incendiary :
aud then, though there was evidently
not the slightest suspicion against him,
he fed. Since then lie has rambled far
and wide, most of the time travelling
with different circus companies. He has
been attached to Barnum : and TO Fore
paughs among others. Always, he said
be Kept as far from Altoona Is possible,
and if he Glanced TO see any one from
that place his hear: would jump so that
almost killed him" Much of tie time
he has been in Connecticut.
lie care To Pittsburgh from Chicagoa
few weeks ago bat dil no work, and
drank constantly, as he had done ever
since the crime, 70 drown the recollec-
ton of it. While in Chicago lie said he
was on the point of confessirg to the
authorities there but could not quite make
up his mind to do it. Now, however, be
could no: restrain the confession any lon
ger, and so told his story as stated. He
a always lived in Altoona and was former
ly a railroad emplayee thrIe. lie lost
his right leg on the railroad there some
time beftre the fire. Some of relatives
reside at Altoona now, but both his par
ents are. dead. Ii he can only keep from
seeing anybody from Altoona after his
sentence is served he feels that he can
be well contcnted.-Iahb4rsh Taper.
The snow, oh . the beautiful snow,
Think of it as You 60, For your GooDs,
Comfortable aud warm, bright and new,