The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1878-03-22
Corroboration Of the Comics
sion Of Graham.
ARMSTRONG; MURDERER.
Hunter Writes Coolly of Cheat
ing the Gallows.
A WOMAN'S STORY.

benjamin
NJ Armstrong Is still IN the murderer's cage In the
Camden jail This cage was built seven years ago az
place OF confinement Tor convicted murdersrs, and
10 significant fact that the evidence against Benja
min Hunter Is deemed 80 overwhelming that the
authorities have not waited for his trial aud convc
ton TO place him therein. Constables Ware and
Hoihns Will DO detailed to watch him day and night
lost he should attempt to commit suicide, and his PEN
knife and every object by which he might
ipjure himself have been taken away,
even his gold eyeglasses being removed,
lest he should swallow the glass; also his suspenicrs,
lost no should anticipate tho hangman. His dinner
Vas brought him to-day without knife or fork.
None OF his family called 10 him to-day. His wife
only called TO see him twice during his confinement
and on both she is said TO have acted cooy
toward him. 1t Is thought that she may have DIS
covered something shortly after her husbands arrest
which ed her dstrust his and that this
was she cause OF her changed dcmeanor.
HUNTERS CORRESPONDENCE
Hunter has written several letters since his arrest
and In OF them, addressed to a nephew. occurs
this passage. He speaks OF his possible hanging
81 intend to dr. op just as easy as can and DO Just as
quiet as can. | will not even wink, so that they
wi, think | am dead sure. They can't hang man
twice Tor the same crime. you know" He seems 10
bint here at tho possibility OF resuscitation.
II 10 also worthy OF Doc that nc has spoken 10 his
j,lors several times about hanging and on tho night
Yodcr and Daubman. he interviewed" the sheriff
10 whether It hurt much ''to have ones neck
stretchcd.'
Thomas Graham, The accomplish, whose confession
has so altered Hunters position, .is In a pit,abe
state. He occupies the cell In which Hunler was
previously confined. There is pity ieIt for him
and # no BIO used as States evidence he may be
the door Of his cell yesterday morning. crying
and bewaipg his position but ne said during the day
Va knovy he RnI thay CSOd mi An
forgive him until he divuigcd his knowledge of such
awful crime No one except the prison officials is
allowed TO SEQ him.
coRRoBoRArING CONFESSION.
careful examination corrOborates Graham's con-
ioophoIe through whicn Hunter can escape. era
hams declaration 10 the purchase OF hat by Hun
ter the DAY OF tho murder, so that he might
store on Passyuok avenue. She told Detective
the circumstance as narrated by Graham, and when
asked to describe tho man who was with him and
who purchased the described Hunter accurately.
Hunter told that he wanted very cheap hat, and
selected soft, SLOUGH one costing ST. She thought Il
strange shs. welarsssed man should pur.
ward told her that he "gong shooting"
and only wanted 10 use it TOR day. He
the new bat and lett his black silk ono to DO
called for Next morning be camo alone and took II
away IL 10 also ascerlaned that Tor some time pro-
late hour in mis- shop % declared BY Graham Young
Mr. Armstrong fully corroborated this to The writer
this morning, and also the account IN the
fessiou OF the manner In which Mr. Armstrong left
his once TO meet his assassns He At the
On tho sid ewaik talking 10 Harvey Edgar Of his
workmsn, who had small grievances to relate. and
who walked slowly TO tho corner Of Seventh street
With him. Thore they parted company, and Hunter.
ana took his arm 10 LEAD MIN 70 bis death
THE VIRGINIA VISIT
Hunter's visit 10 Virginia. during which he vsntod
the repeniant relascs Hnnter won't 10 Virginia
about some land in which he interested. he
oknsxso ArV,n ahr HxuA
publIshed the statement that tho hammer and Ratchet
believed 10 belong TO Hunter from tho fact that
they we're the only implements lacking in an other.
wise very complete kit Of tools found at his house.
rho story OF how this important fact disco vored
helps 10 ooan,% me aec,a'rons ~ sno
Eherin Dlubman, OF Camden. came over 10 Phadel-
pha TO trace the ownership OF the hammer and
Ratchet which had been found beside the body OF the
murdered man. In casual way he visited Hunters
residence, though to some trivial inquiries.
While clubhouse Win Hunters son, lad OF nine
teen or twonty he saw large tool Ghost Pretending
that thorc was loose poce OF leather on the heel Of
his shoe he asked me young man y" 70 &C.. him q ham.
looking, declared that thsre was NO hammer there.
''wcll," raid Dauoman, carecssly, "a Ratchet VIII
Was NO Ratchet either in his father's kt, Daubman
giaoe,ng over his shoulder and seeing that she
man then saw that no had made damaging
admission and siamuered out that his father
nigh. have put the Tool. Tools sG ;, , CO..:
ana this discovery which hinted At these
columns and reused The sleeping lion In the Jersey
lawyer. There no doubt that the hammer and
hstchet with which the bloody decd was committed
were the missing tools from this kit Graham was
Tools S,vsn him by Hunter, and he described exactly
the blood covered ones now In the possession Of the
authorities
touching feature OF this case 10 the heart-brokeu
declarations OF Mrs Graham, the wife OF the wretcned
terrible ASSASSINATION. She is a pleasant looking
young woman, Ill with consumption, and suffering
not only from the position OF hcr husband,
Ing left her without support Tor herself and
child ..oh,' cried she, my Tom has ioA tho whole
truth. am he has" Here Mrs Graham broke
down completely, and then, the tears weiied up
into her eyes, IN Indignant tones SUE burst FORTH
'sit there is God In heaven that rascal Hunter will
got just dues for loading poor Tom on Hunter
never came 10 our house until one Sunday early IN
last December, when he said he wanted 70 see him.
Tom not at nome, but | told him whore no was,
and he said be would most him. After that he began
running 70 The house every day or SO, but Tom WINS
never 1t home. He never saw him at all In the
house Tom was working az SI,lss,, at second and
Race then. aud NJ soon as Hunter came after him he
began to drink hard and neglect his work; indeed,
he was mover sober from that day to this Hun
ter always said mat he was going 10 get him
into good job, aud God knows no has got
him into one. Well, Tom was land oil the woek before
Christmas. and he went on drinking harder and
harder, and all the tinc Hunter was calling Tor hun
at the house neoriy every day but Tom wanted
10 see him. IL looked 10 me II he trying 10
shun him. l remember one day thu, was coming
home, saw man walking up and down on
hands behind his back Hc acted funny that l
looked closely a, him, and then saw II was Hunter
He recogp ixed me asked me where Tom was and
sud no looking out Tor job for him. He walked
with me TO tho door, and gave mo postal card 10
give Tom, asking hm 10 meet him that night at
Sixteenth and Cherry Another time can think OF
vas after New Year and before Hunter went to
Vrginn. Tom c,mo homo and hc says TO mo,
HAS Hunter been bereY and told him he
hadn't. Well he says, vi he docs come and asks
you whether have been over To Camden you tell him
hsvch'L aud that amt going Huster did come,
t,el Id AJAX "A n Nc
back Virginia he still came utter Tom, and lie
was very excited and seemed worried that he dd'nt
ind him at home. On the Monday before the muir
der ne came TO the nouse--l can count six times
and went at great ratio because he couldn't nnd
Tom. On the day Of The murder my poor husband
ard not get out OF bed I'LL three O'clock and then he
went right out He came back little past ninc
and was very drunk. That night he was restless
and couldn't sleep, and turned aud turned all
night long. Tho next day he listened TO the ac
pount OF the murder wnen 1t was read, but be
didn't soy much about II. From that time