Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1879-01-13
Hunters Reported Confession.

Hunters Reported Confession.
Hunter some time ago called his counsel to
him and told in detail the whole story. This ia
the only confession that Hunter has made, and
in it he goes over the story Of the crime, filling
ia the missing liuks not shown 10 tho evidence
aud c,mplotiog 10 detail the whole history. The
material features OF this confession present Wnat
occurred after Graham struck the hrst olow
| and before the two men met on the terry boat,
aud tells also, 10 fuller detail than has hitherto
been known. of the c1uses which led to the
crime. IL his story to his couosel Hunter said
| in substance that although he WAS reputed to
be rich aud said to have at command large
amount of money, yet this was not SO, tor he
had maDy liabilities pressiog hard upon him,
| aud the claims he bad against Armstrong were
| those to which he looked TO for Immediate re.
| itf These he could not collect, snd seeing
| that there was 20 hope Of enforcing payment,
| ho asked Armstrong Tor list OF bis debtors.
| and among them he f0und th, name OF F0ri
". Davis, and learned the history o that tran'
| sacton.
He contisuai bis story uaally as follows -
| II found 90 way to relieve myself from my
pressog financial difficulties, and thought the
thiog over aDd over again, uptll unconscIousiy,
| az it we're, louud myself experiencing terri
bic hatred Of my old fiiaud Armstrong. The
more l thought of this, the moro 1t en-
tered my head that hs was the great trou
bic of 1ny life; that he hal HroDged me; that if
he did %, live, everything would be better
| for me aad for ny children. Armstrong Was
not strong man. lie Was ruptured. The
doctors said that gould no. shorten his llte,b bat
the doctors were mistaken. lie had not long
| TO live, and 50 the idea entered my head that
| if corIj effect inaurauces upon his lie might
vet rca!z, money and be enabled to leave my
children comfortably oT. Armstrong thought
had bu: s.. 500 10 e:ch OF the three Insurance
companiea end this would have covered his
Indebtedness TO mo. | had hln insured tor
| s2G, 900 without his knowing IT, had queer
| thoughts concerning him tlen, but before my
| Gcd l had 90 IDEA OF killing hin. Ii was that
cursed icsu!aua2 did i: ell. That put the
thought in my head and kept 1t there, and
| that impeed me, | know not how, to do what
l did.
II cannot now imagine how | could do suoh
a thing, but | didn't want TO SEQ my family
poverty stricken. Thomas Graham 10 his s:atc
mcut told The truth. There were son-e things
be did not speak cf but he misfepreseuted
| nothing. | sRore falsely, and SO would any
rnau have done under the circumstances. -
The Conductor Young, VINO spoke OF Ing beiog
90 Tcaih street ccr up 81 Oxford street, 1t II
scarcely necessary for me 10 say, was Els!akcG.
The gentlemen aud lady who saw me 10 the car
b.low Market street G@1ro 20 the truth
| WIS iu that car oo tnG Eight CT my crlnc.
Whau | reached Market street ferry 10 Phil
adelpbia | Jumped in hack End drove
quickly to Tenth and Eiibcrt streets, and there
/ caught the car, fo, Vas thiakios that if aoy
troub. caalo OF i. l could prove go allbl. Who
that hackmap was or whero lie is noH, 1t is not
necessary !cr one to state. | did arrive home
at the tue my family stlted [ did. Concern
ipp the particulars OF how Armstrong met his
death, Graham has spoH.': sufficiently, bGs
after Thomas ran away | heard Armstrong
rrosniug, aad then | CROPPED arouod 10 the
dark and fouad the hatch:t and struck Arm
strong with it twice. Hs lay right sill after
that, aud I turucd around aud walked Very
quickly away and went direct to the Terry. l
forgot to say that Graham told ialsehood 10
one rcepec.--Rhen be said that the hammer
slipped aud few cut 0! his haGds and struck
him but slightly. lie struck bin very heavy
blow, aud Armstrong fill at ouoe. L think that
| blow killed him. | was afraid that Graham
would b:tray me some day. but l thought that
my alib would be good aud that my character
would save me. There are several Wild stories
circulated abou. me that ] wish to deoy. lo
the first place, I never wished TO put poison 10
Grabau.'s meals si1cp he has been IN Jail here.
[ TOO bitterly lamcnted my crime to try Its repe
titiop. | wish it also to be distinctly understood
that did not 20 to Armstrong ) dying bed aud
tear tho bapdagcs from his head and cause The
wounds to bleed atlcsb. did 60 to the
house 90 that day, hu. had vague idea
tha. people would be suspect!ug me. and
that | muat try TO act naturally and as
though / knew nothing Of my old friend 3
wounds. When was left 10 the room with him
| can scarcely describe the feelings that over
came me. | can remember wondering Us to
whether he would die, aud as TO whether The
insurance conpapics would suspect snyttlag
wrong. | thought 10 myself what would do
should Johp Armstrong opcn bis eyes, and Just
then | saw little blood ocziDg from beneath
the bspdogcs, aud there came 10 my mind the
old story Of the murdered mans body beedlog
afresh in the preseLcc of the murderer. don {
know what made noe do it, but could not help
thinking that il anyone should come 10 the room,
} and see the blood they would think as did and
would suspect me. and so | got up End went to
, wipe the blood OF With towel, but my hand
trembled, aud jus. then the nurse came 10 and
|, | dropped the towel ou Armstrong; forehead.
About the Epp slb, as Prosecutor jenkins
Knows, Epp was mistaken and | led to his mls-
Jake. had been to bis store, not on Wednes
LAY night, but on Tuesday night, aud 1 toos
l,Iin down to the Arnstroog's house, ana o.
teVinp him that it was merely to save me little
trouble | induced him 10 say then, 10 hrs
Armstrong uU1u presence, that l had been 10 the
store on Wednesday night. When he came tt
know afterHard what serious matter II was
Epp would not say what | wanted him to.
tried to put this thing on Ford W., Paws D., 2
u cause | wanted 10 save myself, and Davis hae
+ done Armstrong vroUg and ought to nave Dse,
5 punished, aud besides | did not wish my oall
q 5reu to be disgraced by having even suspioiot
L cas-. upon their father.
rD.,.c p.vs CAKE PANS, PIE PANS