Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1873-06-03
The Lampley Murder Full Confession
of Hollohan.


fession of his own guilt and a statement of
Nicholson's part in the terrible affair. The
confession is as follows:
BALTIMORE CITY JArG, May goth, 1873.
While working at my trade last fall, at No.
80 South Bond street, | made the acduain>
tance of Nicholson. About mouth after he
invited me up to his house. He introduced
me to his wife, which at the time was very
much pleased with-my new acquaintance.-
A week or so after he asked me to take ride
with him down to Lower Canton He had
English's horse and buggy He then told
me about this old gentleman, Mr.. La1npley.
having large amount of money in his house
three four thousand dollars lie then said.
':Tom. We make good raise without any
trouble" He told me how it could be done.
He said that Mr.. Lampley goes into tho
country on Sunday fishing and did not get
home until late at night lIe said he once
lived in the house. and knew where the
money was kept He knew that | had been
in trouble once before, and he was no way
bashfnl in asking me to assist him. i con,
sented to 60 with him-thc day was appointed
it was one Sunday nigh-to carry ont his plans
wien he said that we would have ..ta .croak'
the old woman" Those were the vcry words
he used. | suggested better plan. I told
him that if we hurt the old lady we would he
running greater risk. [ said we could get
the money without using any violence if he
would dress in Disguise that we could talk
the money out of the old lady. TO that
| Nicholson would not consent giving az his
reasons that if TIE old lady was robbed every
one Of the relatives wonld suspicion him. and
| that if he "croakcd' her no one would think
that he would do it, I would not agree with
him, SO we gave it ur that day. But he mem
toned il to me about week before Christ>
mas. He still wanted to croak Tkll7 the old
lady. did not agree with him, and we gave
the thing up for that time. told him il was
useless to run such great risk when we could
get the money without. Fl said the old aGv
would recognize him that I could not do it
by myself with safety. Nicholson did not saw
anything to me on that subject again until
the afternoon of the 2d of January. 1873
I accidentally net with him at No 90 South
Bond street. lie invited me up to his house:
| went there. While there [ was introduced
to Mr.. John Lanpley by Mrs Nicholson -
He did not say he going to the theatre in
my presence. | afterwards accom- panied
Nicholson TO his fathers house on Forrest street
near Central avenue. On cur way there he
told me what n splendid chance we would
have to>nght to get that money. Tie thought
the old man would GO tn the theatre with
John English's wife and his little bnv. lie
was no. certain that Mr. Lanplcy would 90
to the theatre, bur if agreed to 90 with him
that night he would meet me at half>past G
o'clock on the corner nf Bond and Baltimore
streets. We met there at the appointed time
lie then told me that the old man had gone.
So | agreed to GO with him to helm to carry
his plans out. We arrived ut Mr. Lamplev's
house at about I O'clock No one was there
but this old lady. She was sitting in her
rocking chair sewing. Nicholson entered
without knocking. She spoke to him very
kindly. ] followed. Josh gave me an in
PRODUCTION. lie said that was friend of
his /; that wanted her son John 10 do some
paperins for me. Nicholson asked this oues-
tion to ascertain where John was We talked
there little while, when Mrs. Lamrlev got
up and went to the cupboard and took from
there brown paper bag of cakes, telling
! Nicholson that she had put them up for his
| little children that she intended to send them
! over to Nicholson's house that morning. Then
she treated Nicholson and myself to some
wine, stating that it was homemade Nichnl-
son stood behind her. I was standing by her
side. Josh gave the signal grabbed her
by the throat At the same time Nicholson
| struck her with his fist in the stomach. we
then carried her into the other room and laid
her on the CARPET. She was dead. Nicholson
ran out and fastened the gate and closed the
window shutter. Everything was arranged
between Nicholson and myself before we en-
tered the house Josh took the light and
went up stairs to get the money. Ircmained
with Mrs Iampley in the dark, and if John
Lampley shonld come in was to get away
with him. ] had my pistol with me- Mich
olson made considerable noise in prying the
trunk open.
ran up stairs where he was to caution hin,
about making so much noise lie said Tom
have got it opened" lie then handed me
the silver; he took the paper money. ! did
not remain up stairs but minute we both
went down together. He sat the lamp upon
the table and turned down the light. He
then handed me all the money. He took his
umbrella with him, it was very dark and
raining. We went through the stable Josh
| opened the gate that let out to a ten foot al
ley. After got out in Dallas street he re-
marked that he sorry that those cakes
were left on the table. | asked him where
the chisel was? He said that he had thrown
it into the alley. We separated on the COR
ner of Eden and Faye'te street He said
he was going home. l went down tn nv
clearinghouse. The money was not divided
until week after In fact the silver was
never divided. We considered that it was
dangerous property to handle at that time
I gave him S515 of the greenbacks on the
evening of the Sth of January. Since we
have been arrested I told him to have one IF
his friends to get $500 that I had hid in this
city. They went for it. hut said they could
not find it. ] am satisfied they they got it.
I wanted to get i. for to fee lawyer. IF I
had had my way the old woman, Mrs. Lampley
would be alive to-day
There is one party that has been accused
wronsfully. and that is Albert o. Tucker
He did not know anything about it, nor never
had any of the money. He is man would
not trust. do believe if he had known it