The Centre reporter. [volume] (Centre Hall, Pa.) 1871-1940, 1877-05-31
LEE SINGLETON'S CRIME.
\ Confession sin Years AMER Threwins =
Fellow Iaborrr into "a kuruHcc,

Fellow IHhorrr iuto kuruucc.
Tho Eureka .NrEtsSri cOutnlus the fol
lowing AZ the head Of Culver canyon
about thirteen miles from Eureka. IN a
dcsolate and forbidden country, la a
tumble down shauty. evidently built 10y
some coal burners. Sumc four months
ago. man in search Of stray stock hap
peuod 10 look into the shuuty. and found
the body of u man dead iu rude bnuk
against the side ul the cabin
4 week ago, James Thornton. while
out hunting, sought shelter under the
rouf ol the shauty, and found book
irom which the following Is transcribed .
NuNtNuE l., 1876,
My uamo is Lee Singleton. was
born i'm lAtchticli county. Maryland. m
lSu lived there until the breaking
ont ot the war, when enlisted iu tho
southern army. and served uutl the
closr at the war | wa, wounded twice.
once 40 Yorktown, and again 40 thc
siege ot Petersburg, Both my parents
died. and after the War Was over 1 cane
West and followed the Union Pacific
railroad until 10 WAS completed / then
went o. White Pine, anal n 1871 yn l,u-
ryAa. where went aMarh us feeder
az thc furnace Nh companion,
John Murphy, MAS very uNcghcarlus, and
lusultcd me uu several ucca,lous, lut AS
he MAS "a much stronger imam than my
self | took Mo- notice vt 10 until unr daN
he struck me. lie did mot know that he
signed hl~ death warrant with that blow.
but he dll.
While iccdmg the furnace the Thought
often came to me that 20 would lee uu
easy matter O. stun ham with blow and
throw him into the stack, and | knew
that II 10 W., once accomplished no one
could ever detect any tIacy, ot thc crime
Tho principal difficulty was the continued
presence oi the ore uarylyg1, hut as they
worked ten hours and quit Ut siN o'clock,
there Was au interval uf uu hour. during
which mr aud Murphy were alone. save
the occasional Vislt If the night boss /
had % wait nearly Two weeks before the
shifts changed. So that We c.imo uu ut the
same time When the opportunity final
IL presented itself | stepped behind him
and struck hIm blow uu the head with
my shovel as he WHs stopping 10 get
scuupful II charcoal. 10 drag hmm 10
the feed hole aud throw him on the
charge WAS hut moments work DO
NOT know whether hc WAS dead or only
stunned, but IL made little difference, as
the fumes would have suiiuvatci ham Ia
a moment. By working hanl / succeed
ed IN covering the boIy with ore and
and AS the charge IN the fur
mace sunk he WAS soon ont II sight.
| went into the charcoal business,
and. forming cuparturrhlp with two
other men, built the cabin iu which SIT
writing tins statement. We burned coal
here for two wears, when the wood be-
coming exhausted, l took my share ot
the profits, s., 900, and went East, bat
after four year, wandering, returned 10
Eureka.
As soon as | finish tins I shall take the
poison, and lay down IN the bunk
don't suppose that any one ever passes
tins way, and l shall probably Ay here
and rot. ur the yermIu will feast uu me.
| cannot 60 70 worse hell than what |
have been In for the last SIX years. Ii
any one finds thls statement they can
verify the truth OF il by looking over the
books Of the smelling company. and
they Will lind mine and John Murphy's
name ON the pay roll. and II r. VI. Wal
lis is still IN Eureka he will remember
the fact uf Johns disappearance, for he
WAS the night foreman at that time.
LEE SINGLETON.
We have inquired INTO the matter. and
find that John Murphy mystrrlously dis
about the time mentioned Mr.
Wallis recalls the circumstance, aud
says that when Murphy disappeared he
had eighteen days wages due him, AID
the money was never called for.