The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1878-12-25
The steuBenyine llufdes6r Turns onto
.i'tl he or wheeling Origin.


- -
The steuBenyine 1urdessr- TurnS onto
''f be OF wheeling Origin.
The man Richards, who Is IN Jail al
steubenville; and who turns out to be the
perpetrator Of six murders, has made, q
series OF extraordinary confessions to the
reporters and local authorities up!there.
His arrest near Mt. Pleasant seems almost
providential in It's characterI having been
effected by man who had no other clue
than paragraphin the Martins Ferry
Nps reciting the fact that the murderer
Of the ITaralson family in Nebraska had
escaped and was roaming loose some
where in the country. He, happened to
know that Richards had returned from Ne
braska within few days, and he con-
ceived the idea that he was in all
probability the murderer. Acting on this
suspicion he enlisted the, aid Of q col
league, and the two proceeded to arrest
him, last Friday, and by saturday.had'himl
in Jail at steubenville.d II now turns out
that they arrested not only the, murderer
OF Mrs. HARRISON and her three children,
but likewise the pcrpetrator Of two other
cold blooded murders, In fact, they have
arrested a man whose murderous exploits
almost entitle him 10 rank with such
bloody demons as JohneA Mesrill , Vet
he Il described a.. a somewhat progresses;
ing sort oflperson!s He tells'his tale "not
in an especially Boosting or defiant man
ner. buttin rathera low and not unpleas-
ant voice, Just as II he was relating an or
binary story Of Incidents TO reporter
OF the steubenyille Herald he gave the fol-
lowing account Of, himself:
~ was born in Wheeling, southof the
creek, March 18th 1856 will consequently
he % wears old next spring. Ny father
moved IN the river and lived back OF
Nyarrentoif on the Virginia side. ! was n
small boy then, 8 orl0 years old. We
Afterwards lived for 8 years in Monroe
and Noble counties, Ohio, when We NOV
ed to Warrenton. went to school there
cor 8 years TO WINS Phipps, MR. White
and the latters second WIFE, Wesmoyed
TO Mt. Pleasant township and went to
school at Oak. Grovelto Jesse LaIoyd. II
also went to John Cuppy, Richard Roberts
and John Burks. worked ut Kenworthy
Hoge's and remand there until 8 years
ago this fall. Ispent part Of the time with
George Walker, building barn, &c, and
three years ago next February left
Walkers and went West. 70. laiFri IYsl
Before left home, three years ago,
was thought to be very nice young man
always, and attended to my own business.
/ went in no bad company, drank no
whisky, played no cards, and went 70
church and sabbath school. My mother
died September 10, 1871, alter which !
grew more and more reckless. / had been
reading murder stories and also about the
country, until Igot, spirit to roye, over
thewiid praifies That @ouldi not be con,
trolled. ! could tell some things about
that country that the people would not be-
lieve possible. .-.,,,a- ft,. a., 5rsl'g
On leaving here I first went to Louisa
county, Iowa, where stopped with farmer
forabout three months i left himandwork
ed; as o laborer on theirailroad, running
from Burlington TO Cedar Rapids. 1 p
piled for situation in the insane asylum
at Mt. Pleasant, Henry county, Iowa, and
was there nearly year. The rules forbid
striking patients but It was while there
that ] got accustomed to handling dead
bodies, and to regard them as nothing al
all. More than once have i seen o man
pitch body across his shoulder and walk
or withSit Just US Il It WINS 50 much beef
From there went to Colorado, and stop
ned In Kansas during the next Summer
] left there in October and started north
ward to Minnesota, spending that fall and
winter in northern Iowa, Illinois and Wis
cousin. I,started from the latter State
last January and alter making q few stops
in southern Iowa and northern Missouri
went on to Nebraska and have remained
In that State ever since, making my head
quarters in Kearney and Buffalo counties
which Join epch other. Kearney is one ol
the southern counties OF the State, Frank
lin county lying between itand the Kan
sas line. Il was rested short yafter arriv
ing there on the charge OF killing mar
for his money, and was discharged.
I stopped at Kearney Junction two OF
threeweeks when LEFT and wentito Chey:
enne. sWhilethereI was several pistol
fights and wounded some persons, ibut
cannot tell II any OF them died. They
took very little account OF such things oul
there II stayed there until June when
came back and went on the Red Cloud
road from Hastings TO Republican Valley
near the Kansas line. afterwards settled
on quarter section in Kearney county,,
NY FIRST MURDER
was committed among the sand hills nea,
the line between Buffalo and Kearney
counties. / cannot telIlwho. the man was,
rs we were both going under fictitious
nauies.l Wewere camping out over night,
and the fellow and had differed little
on a foolish matter. One word brought on
another, and he said he would shoot the
man that called him s-n of b-h. !
said TO hin, hat that was what he was, and
a dirty sinking one. AT that we both
pulled our reyolyers, but fired first and
shot him through the side OF the head, the
ball striking him about the ear. Seeing
he was dead we picked up our baggage
and left. Hewas q young man and have
forgotten what name he went under.
~ NY MKT SERIOUS TROUBLE Y ~
occurred this fall, in October. This diff.
Guilty was themurder OF Mrs. HARRISON and
her three children, which took place in
October and not December, as published
in the papers. had some dealings in the
fore part OF the season with Mrs. HARRISON.
first met this lady when We were both
confined in the. Buffalo county jaily Her
husband had been confined there and had
escaped. She was arrested on suspicion
OF having let him out and that was how
we met There was number OF US there,
and she invited US to come and see, her II
she ever got out. was the only one Of
the party that ever called on her. ] stop.
ped q couple Of weeks with her before the
time q her DEATH There was no one