Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1876-05-17
Confession OF Th0s. w. Piper.
BosroN, May s

DosTON. May ..
None of the mysterious and awful muir
ders which have brought our city into no.
tice in late years has created such an ex-
element as was produced by the confess
sion of Thomas w. Piper, made public
to-day. Enforced abstinence from rum
and opium has been breaking him down
SO that the jailers are already beginning
to fear that he will never live to mount
the gallows.
His failing health was shown first by
his acknowledgment that he knew of
Mabel's death, but that it was the result
Of accident; later by the writing of
long letter to his mother, and, yesterday,
by his confession of the crime for which
he is to die, together with two others.
which have batfled the best efforts Of the
police.
Although the fact of this confess
sion was printed in morning paper,
it was not generally believed till,
in the Supreme Court motion for
new trial, afldavits in which had
been filed on Saturday, came up for argu-
ment. Then the counsel for the prisoner
arose and stated that confessions had been
made to him, the nature OF which it was
unnecessary for him 10 state, but which
led him to withdraw from any further
connection with the case, and the Judge
| thereupon announced that the Court
would formally override the motion. Mr..
| Brown declined to give any information
| as to his conversation with the prisoner,
but the substance has been learned
Piper confessed in the first place to the
| murder of Mabel Young, of which he
stood convicted, saying that he had felt a
| desire all day to Kill somebody, and had
taken bat up into the beltry with which
to do it. He laid in wait for girl about
twelve years old, but Mabel fell in his
way, and, at her request, he went up with
her. He killed her by striking her two
blows upon her head with the bat
He also confessed that he was the MUIR
derer of Bridg Landregan, which crime
was committed in the year 1878, and for
which he was once arrested and discharged
The evening on which he murdered her
he was possessed with the same desire to
kill, and he nerved himself by drinking
a compound of opium and whisky and
selected for his instrument of death a
piece of a wagon-shatt, which he sawed
at the proper length and secreted. He
then went out to watch for his victim.
The unfortunate one he selected he
saw get out of a horse-car. He did
not KNOW ner, out he got his
club and followed her to a secluded spot,
when he crept up behind her and struck
her two terrible blows upon the head. He
then ran home, from which he had not
been absent more than fifteen minutes,
and went to bed.
He also confessed to the assault on Mary
Tyner in July, 1874, for which he has
never been suspected. He was in her
room at night and, seeing that she was
sleeping, was seized with the desire to kill
her, and he accordingly beat her upon the
head and left her for dead, escaping
through an open window.
The date of Piper's execution is fixed
for May 26. There is little doubt about
the truth of his statements concerning the
two murders, but some discredt is thrown
upon the other matter by the detectives,
who think his object may be to create a
belief that he is insane and irresponsible.
The public, however, demands his exc
cution, and there is no hope for Executive
clemency.
Use the best implements. 1t is no
IL "a m han 10 Wit !, old