The daily gazette., 1879-01-11
Hunters Alleged Confession.

homtefS AllegoO CO0IeoalOms
In our late edition yesterday, it wac
announced that BE j. Hunter had cou-
fessed erything in regard to the horrd
for which he suffered death. We
no1 give below the facts in regard to the
confession from the New York Herald.
1t is all extraordinary document, and
the exit acts which l am permitted to
make from it reveal Benjamin Hunter AS
poss" sing the greed Of money to such an
insane d gree as to render him utterly
meiciless and renors less to one whom he
regarded AS coming between him and h s
god. His statement of what led him TO
kill Armstrong reveals this. SO strong
was his passion on his subject that he
grew pale with exciteinen: even in speak
ing Of it.
WHY HE KILLED ARMSTRONG.
"Armstrong owed me money!" he says.
81 loaned him over 5000 aud took an
Interest in his business, aud besides he
and his brother owed me nearly $1,000
more on other matters. He never would
give me any satisfaction about this
money. l couldn't get it back, and lie
treated me coolly after he got my none Y
Cfrb pdooiiiE Bit III LDe sLTttI. ATfh-
strong's wife's brother, M. Kellar, al
ways said Armstrong was liar, and
found it so. lie promised to pay me my
money and never did used to get al
most crazy thinking about this, for some
of this money was my wiie's. Armsti o, g
was ambitious 10 live In better style than
he could afford. His music business was
not pay .ng, and saw my money going
to keep up hs stI lie. Sometlm S, after
lie moved into his Sansom street place,
Al mstrong wouldn't even speak to me.
GAIL these things made me mad.
couldn't sleep at night, and used to brood
over this lost money night and day.
used to get up il the morning in a cold
sweat after sleepless night, and l have
got up on a cold morning in a burning
fever from wori iment.
HUNTER THINKS OF SUICIDE.
"Once l went out iato my barn early
In the morning to commit suicide, and
then an idea occurred TO me and stop
ped to think" Hnner does not say so in
as many words, but there 10 every like
hood that the "idea" of which he speaks
was the wicked plan to get back the
money by the death of his debtor after
he had insured his lie. He does not say
just when he formed this diabol,cal de-
sign, but speaks of 1t with a sort Of pr ide
as "a deep-laid plot" and exclaimed at
one time, "What damned fool | was
not to make the insurance on his life
500, 900, instead OF what did" $780,
000.] "The compan es were eager to
take any risk offered, and | migut have
done it.
"THIs MAN MUST BE KILLED."
Ho then goes on to say that after he
had made payment on each OF the three
policies OH Armstrong; life he brooded
more than ever over the loss of his
money. "Then," he says, I went TO
Tom Graham and said, "This man has
got TO be killed"
Hunter then admits, in answer to
questions, that the detailed story told by
Graham on the witness stand in relation
TO the plans to waylay Armstrong and to
slo the deed was substantially correct.
He admits arranging with Graham to
commit the murder while he { Hunter
should absent himself during a "trip to
Virginia. he pui chased the hatchet at
junk shop Oh South Brooad street Phila-
delphia, and exults in his statement
that Sheriff Danbman, with all his
shrewdness, was never able to trace the
source whence it was procured. The
hammer was one Of his own. He admits
he gave Graham money just before
leaving for Virginia, and intimates that
when he came back.
"a DEHP-LAID PToT."
He takes subtle pleasure i'll rect.ng
and dwelling on what he always insisted
was "a deep-laid plot" These were the
words with which he designated it. lie
said on one occasion:-" I he loss of this
money kept me awake day and night,
bnt l could have slept in Armstrong 5
grave" Again, with incredible GOODNESS
he says SO His life to me was no more
to me than the life of a dog. Why
shouldn't he be killed %
THE MANNER OF THE KILLING.
Hunters narration of the man.
ner of the murder does not differ
materially from hat of Graham, except
that the accomplice swore that he STRUCK
Armstrong but one blow, that then hil
heart failed him and he threw away hii
weapon and ran. Hunter says that Ora
ham struck three blows before he raj
away. Hunter never at any time wa'
induced to say just how and where ht
struck Armstrong. This seemed 10 b'
the only part of the tragedy which HI
was loath to particularize udon upon
However, he virtually admits that it wa
his strong arm which dealt the one terri
BILE bow which crushed in the top o
Armstrong; head and made his deatl
certain, for he says, "When l saw Gra
ham on the boat told him that had t.
finish him Armstrong }, because he raj
away"
YURTHER ADMISSION.
He admits that he forged the posts
card which purported to come from For
Davis, the Camden man who owed Arm
strong money, and which was the ira
to inveigle Armstrong to his death. ii
admits the purchase of the soft hat d
Spellissey's as a disguise when he &C
comparied Armstrong, and admits tina
the signal for the attack by Graham ,wh
II was living in wait, was the word Yes,
which Hunter could pronounce wit
safety, because his companion was some
what deaf. He descrl bed the separation
from Graham on the Philadelphia sid
of the ferry after the murder, and admit
| tho nromisa tn nav him 300,