The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-02-23
CLEVELAND, Ohio. Feb. ID. 1879.

CLEVELAND, Ohio, Feb ID, 1879
'Abert ". Chamberlain was to-day indicted for
murder in the first degree, at Soon." Such is the
message which was Mashed across the wires yes
terday, simple enough In all conscience and COM
mon enough, too, in this age OF assassination. But
as this case has not hitherto peen reported in the
Eastern press and as 1t is remarkable, lar beyond
the usual run of cases, as showing that conscience
Is not mere hallucination, am encouraged to
send brief account OF the murderer's crime and
the murderer's confession.
On the 9th OF January, at Solon in this State an
old man named George McConnoughey was found
lying on the floor of the small hut or house which
he occupied Alone shot through and through, with
one pocket OF his trousers torn completely out.
There could be no doubt that terrible murder had
been committed for the sake of robbery,
nor did it take long to fasten suspicion
upon and hunt down the guilty person, as on the
18th the detectives arrested Albert W. Chamber
lain, son of a wel-to-do and respectable farmer in
the vicinity where his grandfather and other rela
tives also lived. He was a young man whose
teachings and surroundings had been OF the very
best description, but for few months he had been
at Chattanooga, Tenn, where he had fallen among
evil companions and been led away from the paths Of
rectitude. He HAD just returned to Scion, intend
ing to work there on his father's farm. On his ar
rival here he was subjected to rigid examinations
as to his whereabouts on the night OF the murder
and his antecedents in Chattanooga. also to how
he had come into possession OF the money he was
known to have used AS to his society In CHAT
tanOoga he maintafne ed sullen silence, but spoke
freely on other subjects, declaring, doggedly that
he had been in bed at the time of the murder, but
involving himself in frequent contradictions when
he came to account for his money. This was on
Saturday. On Sunday his father and some friends
came to see him, and spent part OF the day with
him, MIR. Chamberlain
HOPING AGAINST HOPE
that his boys Innocence might yet be proved He
time accompanied by the Rev. L. Cooley, who i'm
proved every opportunity to converse and pray
with the prisoner. Chamberlain's countenance
and demeanor changed visibly, almost awlully.
He could not eat would draw his plate towards
him. put the victuals it contained to his lips, then
pushit away, the vlcJuals remaining untouched.
He found the prison air oppressive, and complained
OF a sense OF choking and weight on the chest,
so that he turned deadly white and seemed ready
tossed uneasiy on his prison pallet and was unable
to find sleep, waking In the morning holloweyed,
haggard and nerveless The clergyman frequently
depicted to him. in fervd terms, the awful horror
OF murder and the dread anger OF God He would
listen indinerently then say, "This would indeed
be awful, but am innocent"
PRAYING FOR FORGIVENESS.
On the Thursday morning Mr.. Cooley entered the
cell, and after a short conversation proposed that
they should engage IN prayer. 'Let me pray alone
mr. said the prisoner ana kneelng down, hlted
he began -
Ny Father who art in heaven forgive for the great
my life will be warning to other young men.
Here the miserable mans voice failed him. Every
word had been spoken with dry lips and broken by
convulsive sobs that racked his whole frame. His
face was wet with tears, the first he had shed. The
other prisoners had been attracted to their cell
doors, and stood in and amaZement.
The clergyman took up the prayer which the
murderer's guilty lips were unable to finish,
and when he had ended Chamberlain told him
all the story OF his crime, saying that for days he
had endured the tortures of the damned, every
his cell piercing him through and through sharper
than twOedged sword till at last his agonies be-
came uncomfortable, and he resolved to confess.
The Clergyman at once proceeded to Chamber
lain's father, to whom he unfolded all the sad tale.
Mr.. Chamberlain, ST., an honest, God-fearing man,
was smitten with grief at the intelligence, but
with Roman fortitude resolved that justice must
be done and the dread secret put in the hands OF
those who should know all the particulars OF the
guilty deed. The preliminary meeting between the
father and son was agonzing. Their eyes lull of
tears, the two men wrung each other by the hand.
and 1t was many minutes either could speak,
until the young man gasped,
formal concession, alter the usual caution that
he must expect no beneht to accrue from his act,
was made. Chamberlain said that he had been told
one day, in conversation with Louis Lehman, a
farm boy, tnat old George McConnoughey was liv-
ing by himself in lonely hut and would be robbed
and murdered some day. From this little germ of
boys thoughtless remark sprang up in one night,
like Jonahs gourd, the black tree OF murder. At
halr-past ten that night, when all the family
were asleep, Chamberlain rose and dressed him.
sef then stole TO the cheesehouse where he
found an old Enfield rifle and some ammuni-
ton; then he took his way towards the lonely
hut half a mile distant. When about half way
there he paused to load the rine putting in three
bullets When he reached the hut he saw, through
the window, McC0nnoughey standing by the fire,
In its full glare his back to the window. Cham.
berlain, without moments hesitation, stepped
through the snow drift to the window, put the
muzze OF the rife to the pane and fred. lie saw
McConnoughey fall and then walked home ana
went to bed. He knew that he could wait. Next
day, with his father, he went to his grandfather's
to do some chores After breakfast, while his
father was in the stable, he slipped across to
the hut and found his victim dead dead as the
1re which had burned down on the hearth. He
dead mans clothing, and returned to his fathers
where he burned the p0cketboOks. Part OF the
money he spent In paying some debts part In buy
ing some clothing and the $32 which remained he
slipped into his sleeve-lining when captured, and
when alone chewed up fine and swallowed
Such was the confession on which Chamberlain
was yesterday indicted and on which in due course
he will, beyond doubt, be convicted and executed
the knowledge that he was fitting hempen halter
around his throat.
Your correspondent has alluded to the remarka-
BILE manner In which the consciousness OF guilt
NAMED untold, and brought him to the very verge
OF death. No less remarkable was the physical re-
suit OF his confession. From the hour OF making
his confession he was another man. His appetite
returned he was able to sleep he rapidly gained in
flesh, and though his demeanor was serious, his
whole appearance was that OF O man with whom
the world went well, and across whose future life
lay no Omnous shadow. In such case this we
great dramatlst's insight into the human heart,
when with all the keen agony OF one himself
driven to the verge OF madness by spectres that
would not down, he makes Macbeth tmplOre the
doctor on behalf OF one guilty but beloved:-
Canst thou not minister to a mind dseasedf
n