The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1877-02-27
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CITY AFFAIRS.
THE CONFESSIONS or ONE JOHN q.
CHOAA.
The story Of a Conf,ss.ss Man.

money under false Drstsnsos from sew
sral Masonic lodges in this State, and
also vietimized numbers OF persons In
various portions OF the United States.
yesterday made confession to the
Chief OF Police, In presence Of several
witnesses, and als gave his proper
name, which was not Newton n, Davis.
rs published In yesterday mornings
papers. but John q. groak. OF Edeelisld
District, Beuth Carolina.
Croak 10 n monomaniac,F his mania
being the pursuit, capture aud punish
ment by himself OF tbs seduesr OF his
sister. O. girl Of 10 years; and with tho
hopes OF some day being successful Ia
his aim, he allowed asthing to stand In
his way; he surmounted all obstacles
when out OF money he would got mere
by either fair or foul means, and for
years and years, ms will be seen by his
confession. which we give below, he has
travelled from State to State In search
OF his nun.
My name Ia John q. Croak: Was
born In Edgeaeld district. y. O., / had
no kindred living III 1869. / became II
soldier in the Confederate Army, Fifth
Confederate Regiment. Augusta. Ga.
Clineh Rifles served the war through,
first as u private soldier: WIS then pro-
NOTED second and then first lieutenant.
Go. D.; during the war my father
moved TO Arkansas, Eldoradh county.
whore he died, leaving an only daugh.
tor, my sister. Ia tho care OF nun no
supposed % be II gentleman, by tho name
Of Edmond Eeekwith, and his dying
words were. "Beekwith. take care Of my
child and raise her 10 DO vittuous
womhn and nm ornament to society,"
All This Beck with promised to do. but
latef In years no forgot his
Promise no THE DEAD.
and whom she WIS Just blooming into
wemanhood, in d fatal hour he blight
ed her life and worked her ruin nnd
disgrace. And she'd woman Of her
honor shofn-did as women before her
have done, and will do until tho end Of
the world, sought to hide herself from
tho world, and went into house~-a
place where characters Of her kind 10
after they have fallen.
In ono Of these dens Of infamy she |
died Of broken heart shortly after tt Q |
war. On hearing OF her death and how |
her hopes had been blighted, was
crazy for revenge went to Arkansas, but |
found THAI Beckwitb had become post
masters clerk Of the Sixteenth y. y.
Regulars, then stationed in Augusta,
Georgia: being still crazy and deter.
mined to be reyenged, joined that reg.
iment some time In 1859, with the deter.
TO meet him face TO face
and kill him. He escaped !
and went TO Sacket Harbor. New York,
TO which place followed him to carry
out my purpose ! deserted my regf-
ment; there / missed him again !
came back TO the South again: there
was NO love for me In that oold country
| was arrested and made u prisoner In
A ttfS (ib triad t,u A. |
for desertion, but made my escape be.
fore receiving my sentence; I worked
nine months with Mr.. Halles, near
Macon, Ga, earning $500 afterwards /
heard that u portion Of the 9Th regulars
we're stationed ut st. Louis; i started
here to see IL could find him; from
here went to Fort Scott, In Arkansas
could not find him there, and returned
% Missouri, being out Of money, and
)eingn Mason, obtained relief ali the
way by telling and concocting tales and
les; after which ] made my way to the
Mobile and Ohio Railroad, thence to
cans to Galveston, from Galveston TO
Houston, from Houston TO Fort Clark,
Il Western Texas: from Fort Clark
pack to San Antonio, from San Antonio
o Commanchie equity, Texas, where J. I
'emained the most portion OF my
Iohn s. Marston: ' on The WITH a5th
10y OF last December, hearing that tho
Sixteenth United States Regulars were ,
n New Orleans, and knowing that /
would have few friends In New Ofleang
or my conduct heretofore. and knowing i
urther that could escape on my horse, {
started from there on horseback. ! :,
ode him to Wood county and traded !
lin off to the sheriff Of that county, ,
nd rode the other horse from there to
Tefferson from Jefferson TO shreveport ,
eok u boat, put my horse on 1t, went to =
from there north to Ring .
,old. in Rod River parish, and from !
here to Sparta. from Sparta to Win ,
lcld, from Winfield to Columbia, from
Columbia to Harrisonburg, from Har- -,
to Natchez, where / expected
0 ship my horse to New Orleans; but J
Meeting with q man from Texas, who /
old me he was In distress and had ne '
Money. took him with me, expecting I
0 send him back to Texas. On the 2
rst night we slept together some per-
On stole oil tho money had, sos,
ad been saving, and left me without q J
emit with this man upon my hands. / | /
ras determined to get to New Orleans i
( all hazards. / went back to Trinity '
nd there sold my horse, bride and sad I
lie blankets, spurs and leggins for
$50, receiving $75, and taking note G
Or $75, and came to New Orleans 5
Ike a. crazy man chasing my own =
icturs, but 1t mattered not. II was |,
lceessful would have freely given up =
~ life to have accomplished 1t. And u
ow, to those Masons who have been
lends to me when I little deserved it,
will say that lay down all that ever
knew about Masonry, and from u
'ieve my lost name and become b
good man, and hope they will v
lrow the mantle Of charity over my q
asst deeds. v
The accused, John G. Crook, was b
,mpelled to change his name for the b
urpose of not being detected in case he 4
et with Bsckwith, 80 he travelled I'M
,r the following aliases: G.. FL. Will n