The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1874-11-24
A CAREER OF CRIME.

A TERRIBLE CONFESSIONAL LIFE OF CON-
TINUED MURDER.
A correspondent of the New York World,
writing from Mazattan, Mexico, gives a
startling revelation of crime: An English
man named Tom Adams, who for the past
eight or ten years has owned a low tavern
and dance-house in this place, and gained
general notoriety as a desperate character,
died on the 18th instant from the effects of a
pistol shot wound received in a fight several
months ago. Just previous to his death,
whena assured that his doom was inevitable,
he sent for Captain Verplank, the American
commercial agent at this port, and init
mated that he had some important disclos-
ures to make which he desired should be
given publicity in the Eastern states. Capt.
Verplank having consented to comply with
his wishes and take down whatever state
ments he had TO make in writing, the dying
man unburdened his conscience by confess
ing himself guilty of IA murders, all bnt one
of which were committed in the United
States and Canada. Adams commenced
his narrative by stating that his proper
name was George Worley, and that he
was a native of Manchester, England.
He commenced his career of crime by muir
dering the second mate of the American
ship Cultivator, in the Liverpool, docks,
about the year 1854. After this deed he
went to Canada, and roved about through
those provinces for two years in pursuit of
robbery. It the year 1856, at which time he
was known by the name of Orion, he was
engaged as a sailor on the lakes. While
lying in the American port of Oswego he
murdered a man, whom he understood to
be a painter, by throwing him over a bridge.
He met his victim in a drinking saloon,
where he went to collect a bill of the roprie-
tor, and followed Linn until the opportu-
80 ---- 49, --l- Ii.
down with a slung-shot, and disposed of the
body in the way mentioned. After this
Adams returned to Canada, and assumed
the name of Townsend. With two accom-
plices he commenced a campaign OF robbery,
and perpetrated four murders in the country
west of Toronto, ending with the killing of
a sheriff, a few miles west of Niagara river.
That country then became too warm for him,
in consequence of the offering of large re-
wards for mis- arrest, and he escaped on board
a schooner passing through the Canadian
canal to the American port of Toledo. From
this port he went to Chicago, and
COMMITTED THREE
in that place during the summer. One Of
his victims was the captain of a vessel,
whom h followed fiom the st. Charles
saloon; another was a German saloon
keeper, whom he killed in lis bed at night,
in mis- place of business, which was situated
LCoA a MI aOROby II Nv bLlAo "ao
some man unknown to hin, whom he muir
dered after leaving a brothel. After these
crimes he was arrested in Chicago, tried
and convisted of a burglary, and served
a term of three years in the Illinois
state prison. On obtaining his release
Adams went to New York, where he
remained about one year, during which
time he committed two murders, both OF his
victims in that city being men unknown to
him. One was a countryman whom he en-
ticed to the outskirts of the city and OBJ
tanned about 81 900 on his body. After leav-
robberies through the Southern states. He
titute in that city. Subsequently he COM
Memphis, but of the names of his
left New Orleans about the time of the
Cruz. From thence he went to the City of
years ago. Since his s~ojourn here he was
widely known and generally feared, his
place being one of the most notorious rem
devious of desperate characters on the coast.
He finally met his fate at the hands of a
Spanish gambler, named Gonzales, in a
drunken quarrel over a throw of dice. He
its equivalent, as the result of his career of
crime, which he has willed to q
sister, supposed to be his only living rels-
needs to be devoid of any supersti-
scruples to receive and enjoy such a
blood-clotted legacy.