The anti-monopolist. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1874-1878, 1874-12-03
FOURTEEN TIMES A MURDERER.
The Horrible Desathbed Revelations
Of a Desperate i'm Mexico.

The Horrible De,athbed Revelations
Of Desperate in Mexico.
Correspondence of the New York World.l
MAzATLAN, Mexico, Oct. %.
An Englishman named Tom Adams,
who for the past eight or ten years has
owned low tavern and dance house in
this place, and gained general notoriety
as desperate character, died on the
18th inst, from the effects of pis-
toll shot wound received in fight sew
eral months ago. Just previous to his
death, when assured that his doom was
inevitable,he sent for Captain Verplank,
the American commercial agent at this
port, and intimated that he had some
important disclosures to make, which
he desired should be given publicity in
the Eastern States. Captain 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 confessing himself guilty of fourteen
murders, all but one of which
were committed in the Uni ed
States and Canada. Adams COM
menced his narrative by stating that
his proper name was George Worley,
and that he was a native of Manches-
ter, England. He commenced his ca
reer of crime by numbering the second
mate of the American ship Cultlvator,
in the Liverpool docks, about the year
1854. After this deed he went to Can
ada. and roved about through those
provinces for two years in pursuit of
robbery. In the year 1855, at which
time he was known by the name of Or
ton. he was engaged as sailor on the
lakes. While lying in the American
port of Oswego he murdered man,
whom he understood to be painter,
by throwing him over a bridge. He
met his victim in drinking saloen,
where he went to collect bill of the
proprietor, and followed him until the
opportunity was favorable, when he
struck him down with slung-shot,
and disposed of his body in the way
mentioned.
After this Adams returned to Cana.
da and assumed the name of Townsend.
With two accomplices he commenccda
campaign of robbery, and perpetrated
four murders in the country west of
Toronto, ending with the killing of a
sheriff few miles west of Niagara
river. That country then became too
warm for him, in consequence of the Of
fering of large rewards for his arrest,
and he escaped on board schooner
passing through the Canadian canal to
the American port of Toledo. From
this port he went to Chicago, and COM
mitted three murders in that place
during the same summer. One of his
victims was the captain Of vessel,
whom he followed from the St. Charles
saloon: another was German saloon
keeper, whom he killed in his bed at
night, in his place of business,
which was situated near rail-
road depot, and the third was
some man unknown to him, whom he
murdered after leaving a brothcl. After
these crimes he was arrested in Chica.
go, tried and convicted of burglary,
and served term of three years in the
Illinois State Prison. On obtaining his
release Adams went to New York.
where he remained about one year, dur.
ing which time his committed two muir.
ders, both of his victims in that city
being men unknown to him. One was
a countryman whom he enticed to the
outskirts of the city, and obtained
about $4,000 On his body. After leav'
ing New York he was engaged in a
series of robberies through the South.
ern States. He returned to Baltimore
and murdered prostitute in that city
Subsequently he committed y murder
in Louisville and one in Memphis, but
; of the names of his victims he had no
knowledge.
Adams left New Orleans about the
lime of the breaking out of the wal
and went to Vera Cruz. From thence
he went to the city Of Mexico, and
came to Mazatlan about ten years ago
: Since his sojourn 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 . Spanish gambler, named
Gonleaves, in a drunken quarrel over q
throw Of dice. He leaves between SIS,
900 and $4,000, in cash or its equiva
lent, as the result of his career Of afro
cious crime, which he has willed to /.
, sister. supposed to be his only living
relative. who resides at Sheffield, Eng
land. The legatee needs to be devoid
Of any supcrstitious scrnples to receive
and enjoy such blood-clotted legacy.
The King Of The HAWaiim Islands
Coming % Visit Uncle Sam.