The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1878-04-23
BILL LONGLRY.
He Writes Q Letter to Tell How and
Why He Killed Anderson-llore
Yet Unaccounted For.

Why He Killed Anderson-llore
Yet Unsccounted For.
From the Chicago Times
Galveston, Texas, March 24.-The
following letter, although written on
the 2lst inst, was not received until
the 24th. 1t contains the first con-
fession of the killing Of Anderson. for
which Bill Longley is tn suffer death.
Previous to the affirmation by the
appellate court, of the verdict of the
Giddings criminal court. he stOutly
denied that the killed Anderson, and
this is the first written acknowledge
ment Of it by the condemned man:
Galveston Jail. March 81. 1851
guess it is about "pea-time" with me,
according to tire decision Of the appel
late court. But then We must bear
our misfortunes in this world like .,en.
Death is q solemn thing to think Of !;
vet | don't see any use in a man
shrinking from it when it il inevitable.
Well, l would like to know Why in
the name Of God everybody is so down
ON me? for / am sure l am no horse
thief; and then nv enemies don't even
accuse me Of that anyhow AMI God
knows have never killed a man for
money. Now Won may say thew do it
To sustain law. Well, il that Ike the
case. why did they not punish Amber
s,n for killing my Cousin, Gale Long
lev? That was rs cold blpded and
cowar,lly murder as ever was Gem
mitted in Texas; and the very man
that convicted me acquitted him and
| waited one year to see if they would
do anything with him for it, and ii
they had given him few years in the
penitentiary would never have killed
him for it. But they turned him
loose. | will give you q short history
of the affair:
NV cousin, at the time he was MUIR
dered. was about IS years old. and An
dersOn was about -. They were
raised within one mile If each other.
Four years ag" last Christmas eve they
were in Giidings and drank freely.
They started home together. and on
the road Anderson beat Gale Lonyley
over the head with loaded 9uirt
(whip) handle. and left him on the
road, unable to get ON his horse. A
neishbor came along during the night
and took Gale home with him. The
next morning cousin Gale started
home, and on the way passed another
neighbOrs house. Anderson was there,
having stopped all night. Seeing Gale
pass he ran to the stable, got his horse,
and put q rock the SIZE Ut a goose egg
in his pocket. and told the man that
he was
GOING TO KILL GALE LnNGLEY
with it. But nv cousin came home
to his fathers before Anderson came
up. Anderson called him out and
told him he wanted to make friends
with him. So my cousin went out
and no one knows what WIS said. They
got on their horses and roll. off. saving
they were going to candy pulling
one mile from there. and that was the
last ever seen Of Gale Longley alive.
.anuer>Un ,rsv "r .. - r,,Il;,.
and after bling there two or three
hours, told them that Gale Longleyis
horse ran away and killed him, and
everyday that was there went to the
place. about one half mile away, and
found Gale dead. Well, there was no
sign Of him having run against tree,
and the blow that killed him was in
the forehead, the skull having been
mashed in and the skin unbroken.
Anderson made the remark right there,
before thirty or forty people, that he
would shoot the first 6bngIey that
came on the ground, and further said
that al he wanted was q good shot
gun. My uncle hal him arrested, and
he was tried. bu, acquitted, although
the same rock that Anderson put in
his pocket that morning was found
within twenty steps Of where Gale
was killed. In the face Of this evi.
dence against him. Anderson was &C.
Quilted. At that time was in Colo |
RADIO Territory, and one year and three |
months afterward I visited nv uncle,
on the 10Th Of March, 1875. Nv !
uncle, aunt and all the family met me,
and they we're all perfectly heart bro
ken. for Gale was the favoriie of the
family; and then I was more affected
than they when | glanced at his grave,
which was right
IN TIE FRONT YARD.
Anderson had said that he was not
,fraid of any Of the Longleys except
Bill Longley (Which was mel and said
hat If he ever got his eyes on me he
would riddle me with buckshot. After
rearing all Of this / was satisfied that
Anderson murdered Gale ; and then, to
hink that the law did not protect us.
md to know that anyone could shoot
ne down like a dog. a. there was then
! reward offered tor me. and. taking
into consideration. / got
N my horse and went over to Ander-
on's house. He vas in the field .plow-
ng, and was armed with large sized
smith 4 Wesson six shooter. l rode
~ to the end of his row, and as he
lowed out to me shot him in the
'reast and bowels with both barrels Of
shotgun, and then rode of. After
he shooting. his father came to him
nd took his pistol away, and swore
hat he was not armed. Now these
re exactly the circumstances of the