The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1876-06-07


= ...'. ..n'.' g - "."'.. 30.
A MURDERER's CONFESSION. d"
The Tragedy In the Belfry of Church In
Boston.-Piper ConfcssinR tho Murder Of
Little Mabel YounG--Alsos that he Killed
Miss Bridget LaudreEnn. ..,. a. :; ;! -
Thomas W. Pipor, the sexton Of the
Warren avenue church, Boston, who is
under sentence of death for the murder
of the fve-year old child, Mabel. Young,
in the belfry of the church, startled his
counsel, Edward P. Brown, who was in
consultation with him regarding the mo-
ton for a new trial, by eonfessing the
murder, and furthermore that he was
the murderer Of Bridget Landregan at;
Dorchester on the. night of Dec. B, 1873,
for which crime he has been long under
suspicion. Piper's full confession was
made public and caused much excite;
ment. Any doubts as to it's truth were,
swept away by the statement OF his
counsel. Mr.. Brown said that he would
not press the motion for new trial, in
view, of the conversation he had with
Piper. - "".
Piper declares that he had no motive
for these crimes, particularly the MUIR
der of the child, and cannot understand
how he came to commit them. He says
that he has hitherto lied to blind his
counsel, knowing that be could not get
their aid if they for moment believed
in his guilt. he has Of Late been rapid
ly breaking down in health and strength
through his great mental agony, and it
is thought that il allowed to escape the
gallows he could not; live six weeks. His
execution is seti down for the twenty
sixth of May. In his confession OF the
murder Of Mabel Young, Piper says:
"I took the bat from the lower room
before or about the commencement Of
school to kill somebody at that time. I
carried it up into the auditorium, but
during the session of Sunday-school,
took It from the auditorium and carried!
it to the belfry. After'the close of
school I came down stairs and opened
the doors. Then I went up again at the
time I sent away the boys who were
playing in the yestibule. After the boys
had gone out, and !, was still in the yes.
tibuIe,, the little girl came up stairs, and
I induced her to go with me into the
belfry. There I struck her with the
club two or three, times, and che fell
where the blood was found. Then I;
picked her up and carried the body to
the place where 1t was. discovered"
! Piper's s,confession of the murder iofl
Bridget Landfegan, on Dec. g. 1873,
was equally explicit: He wes Under the
influence Of whisky and opium, and de-
liberately prepared q 'olab to kill some
one. he saw Bridget on the street. and
followed close behind her, He says :i
II struck her; immediately she fell
down, and I struck her again. While I
was STOPPING over tha body saw man
coming, so 7 started up and ran, away. !,
got over the fence and went along to-
ward the railroad. While 7 vas climb
ing up the bank at the railroad somebody
called out to me, and I then turned !
back, took a roundabout course, and got
home. On the way home it occurred, to-
me that I had q knife in my pocket
which might be recognized ii some man
ner, and so I threw it away"
The Bridget Landregan csse had long
been wrapped in the deepest mystery.
The girl was domestic of good repute;
and while returning to her mistress
house at about nine. o'clock at night
from visit to some friends, was dubbed
to death at part of; Dorchester known
as Upham's corner. Several persons
were arrested on suspicion, Piper being
one of them, but sufficient evidence
could not be obtained against any of
the prisoners, and each was discharged
soon after examination. It was for this
murder that Thomas Cahill, who went
soon after the murder to ireland, was
extradited and! brought to this country
by the detectives He was a former
sweetheart,sof the girl, but no case
could be made against him, and he was
discharged only to return to Ireland to
be murdered himself there. %"s,
It is now, almost certain that Piper
was the assailant Of Mary, lyman; on
July. /, 1874. He confesses that he at,
tempted to kill her, = She.was found one.
night yinlher bed insensible and horribly
She was taken to the hospital
and Tecovered.e . She ib'nowl an 9ihmateT
of lnnatic asylum "a: lover of hers
named Colby was arrested for this as!
saudi, but the girl refused to tell what
she knew, and he was discharged 80. ~. =.
Piper shys he was prompted to the1
murder *of. Mabel Young and Bridget
Iandfegan by the use Of stimulanta,
under The Influence, OF which be had an
insane desire TO shed blood. The Boston
Evstsng Herald says: Il ..rI;rn.s n
'jTThere is a feeling abroad among.
lawyers, detectives and the public gen;
orally, that the contradictory statements
now put out by Piper are the result of
cool reasoning on bis part, and of: such
as he is possessed of, iniorder
to throw doubt upon bis. sanityain gen.
eral, or ehe to show that he has an TN
mania for blood for which |
he is not responsible, and a change in |
his statement, either in the confession |
of more murders, or the denial Of oil,
would not at this moment astonish the |
community" 80 .. ..''.'