The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1873-09-12
PRARs0NS' VERSION OF TIE MUIR
DER OF YETET0.


Mr.. Pearson, who murdered
Joseph Veteto, at Leroy, about
two years ago, and was lately con
vieted of murder in the second
degree, at Topeka. writes the fol
lowing version of the affair for the
Burlington Patriot, and we print il
ut his request:
Topeka, Aug. 25, 1873.
EDITOR PATRIOT: Owing to the
turn my case has taken it becomes
my duty to make full statement
in regard to what led to the diff
Guilty between myself and Joseph
N. Veteto.
On Thursday, before the last
Saturday in September, 1871, ]
came to the house from work, find.
ing Mrs. Pearson alone, at which
time she told me that Joseph NJ.
Veteto had circulated the story
that her and Sallie and Ross our
daughters husband) had been
sleeping together all summer.
l asked her who her informant
was, and she answered, "Mary
Webb" and that Mr.. Mcconnell
and wife had told her that Mr..
Mcconnell was present when Vet
eto made the assertion; also, that
/ had told him, Veteto, so. told
her. that it was not correct, that I
never doubted her chastity, and
that the best we could do was to
let it blow over. She said it was
not right to do it. / told her that
/ did not feel like hunting it up,
and believed that l would let it
alone. She replied that I would
not do right if did; and that I
was always for letting things pass
and it was not right. 1 then walk
ed the floor for some minutes, ten
minutes or more, and talked over
the reputation of the family, the
scandal that would be attached to
q SANDER suit, and wound up by
telling her that l did not believe /
would do anything about it. She
then retorted that 1 did not re-
spect my family as I had pretend
ed, and that ought to do some
thing. After some time spent in
thought, told her / would look
into the case, and if / found it
would bear an action, l would
prosecute Veteto for SANDER. /
said nothing else about it, but did
conclude to not have lawsuit
with him, but to talk to him and
get his say in the matter, and set
tic it in a private and friendly
manner, and for that purpose 1
asked him to talk with me.
We sat down and had the talk,
and both got up and I started
away, feeling that perhaps it was
not so bad as it had been repre-
scented. l had got from eight to
fifteen feet away when he spoke to
me, and 1 stopped and he walked
up to me and said that my wife
was too intimate with other men.
I answered him that she was not.
He repeated it. l told him that
he had slandered my family, and
that would defend them against
any such SANDER. He repeated it
raising the dashboard at the
same time-saying he could prove
it, and then we came together in
way that proved fatal to him and
very unfortunate to me.
And here l will say that 1 never
had any private conversation with
Mr.. Veteto, except the one refer
red to in this.
It is due to Mrs. Pearson that /
should say that she had always
been truly virtueus since our mar
riage, as far as I knew, and as such
I would defend her character if it
took my life. But certain things
have transpired since the trouble,
that make me believe that some
thing very wrong-in the family
was going on that | was not aware
of, and that much of our trouble
in life has been caused by these
acts; and from reliable informa-
ton received and letters IN my
possession, she is at this time cir
culating false reports in regard to
my actions with her, doing it with
intent to cover up her own perfidy,
create sympathy, and if possible
injure me still more, and finally
get into her hands all of the prop
erty, and the control of all the
children.
would here state that this is a
full and fair statement of the case.
TIMOTHY PEARSON.