Bradford opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1874-1881, 1876-05-20
A MURDERER's REMORSE,
five Years OF eleepless Nlghss-.The slayer
ETA Railroad Dsss Escapes lrea Jail and
Waadsrs Everywhere.

ETA Railroad Dsss Escapes lren Sail and
Wasdsrs Rverywhsre.
The murdercr's remorse and the
visions that haunt his troubled slumbers
have furnished the theme for many an
exciting sketch, but the free surrender
and unsought acknowledgment of o self
confessed man.slayer rarely appears in
police annals. The regular hearing at
the central station had been concluded,
says the Philadelphia Times, the audi.
ence had dispersed, when Q patrolman,
nervously grasping q man Of peculiar
appearance, hurried into the hearing
room and announced that he had muir
derer in custody. Tho prisoner gave
his name a. William Dewitt and his resi-
dence - "nowhere. Ofacer Smith tes.
tilted that one evening the prisoner ap.
preached him and said: IT want to
give myself up; I have committed muir
DER" The officer then questioned him,
and subsequently at the station house,
in regard to the matter, and learned the
following particulars: About Ave years
ago Dewitt was employed a. . laborer
on railroad near Uniontown, Fayette
county, Pa. Together with three or
companions, all Of whom, as we'll Is
himself, were intoxicated, he was pass.
ing through the woods. They met q
stranger, whom Dewitt thinks was q
railroad "boss." Being in q quarrel.
some humor, Dewitt, and q man whom
he terms his "partner," had q contro-
versy with the stranger about some
trif1ing matter. The Argument advanced
to war of words, when Dewitt and his
"partner" seized large log Of wood,
and striking the man on the chest,
crushed in his breast, causing almost
instant death. Devitt's "partner" ran
through q cornAeld, but had not pro-
ceeded far before he was captured. De-
witt himself was arrested the following
day, and the two men were lodged in
jail, though in separate cells. Dewitt
succeeded in forcing open the window
of his prison apartment and, lowering
himself to the ground by means of blan-
kets cut into strips, effected his escape.
In subsequent conversation Dewitt
stated that since his escape five years
ago he had wandered about the country,
mainly through the Southern States,
working upon various railroads. His
companion in crime was convicted of
granddaughter and was sentenced to five
years in the western penitentiary pitts
burgh). 81 have not had nights rest
nor days luck since that time," said
Dewitt, in earnest tones. Everywhere
I go the murdered man is before me;
everything do his blood stained corpse
distracts my attention and grants me .lot
q moments peace. We were all int, xi-
Gated, but I want to go back and be
tried, as 1 would then feel far more Sat
isfed."
The unfortunate man was accordingly
committed to await the action Of the nu-
thorities Of Fayette county. Dewitt is
twenty.eight years Of age and native
OF Ireland. His countenance IL q pc.
culiar one. It bears look both Of har-
dened criminality and firm determine.
ton. At first glance he appears but q
boy in years, but upon closer inspection
lines that tell tale Of daily torment and
a look of premature age are plainly dis
oerned. In talking he has careless,
way Of expressing himself,
leading to the inference that he either
was of unsound mind or was narrating
false tale for the furtherance of pri-
vate scheme. The man who, in San
announced himself as the
Nathan murderer, when brought to
New York admitted that his sole pur-
pose was to obtain free passage to tho
latter city. At the central station, how
ever, two years ago last Christmas day
IN individual delivered himself up as
the murderer of man in Maryland, and
was subsequently sentenced to eighteen
years. imprisonment. The police au-
thorities rather mistrusted Devitt's tale,
and accordingly telegraphed the authori-
Ties at Uniontown. A reply was received
stating that a murder of the character
hat Dewitt describes had been commit
led about five years ago and one of the
accused parties had managed to escape.
officers from Fayette county took the
prisoner with them.