River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1880-10-28
WALTON.
The Murderer Captured and
Jailed.
He COnfesses His Guilt with a
RemOrseIess Conscience.

Luke Walton who murdered his |
daughter Mary on the Odd of Septem-
Der last, was found and captured at
his former home near the village of |
Ell Paso ON Thursday last. The cir
cumstanees leading to his apprehen- |
sion are as follows: Two boys were |
sent on an errand to the barn on the |
premises aforesaid, and on entering |
the building they discovered blan- |
ket on the hay which seemed to move. |
This circumstance excited their fears, |
and they retreated short distance
and began clubbing the building and
crying, "Get out of therei get out of
there Old Walton!" when; 10 and be-
hold, the culprit came forth and
made haste to secrete himself in the
woods near by.
The boys Immediately reported to
the citizens of the village, when a
posse set out in pursuit. Walton was
soon discovered by constable Amund-
1 SUI fl1uutu Ill SOlllC hNNNo AANoi a. ASiiNNs
and gave himself up without resist
ance. He was taken to the hotel
where he dined sumptuously, and was
then conveyed to Ellsworth and lodg-
ed in the county Jail where he awaits
the action of the December term of
| the Circuit Court.
| Walton makes a bold confession of
the crime attributed to him, and is
free to communicate upon all SUBJECTS
His motives in committing the crime
were principally, to spite his wife
thinking that this deed would be the
most potent for that purpose. His in
tention was to terminate his own life
Immediately thereafter, but the tiend-
ish courage that bore him through the
first act of the tragedy failed him on
the second, and he could not summon
its return He did not intend to kill
his daughter Emma, but merely to
prevent her from arousing the neigh
borhOod he dealt her several blows up
on the head, rendering her insensible,
and then dragged her into the closet,
which accounts for the trail of blood
in that direction. He placed the
quilt over Mary, as found.
The deed he states was committed
about two o'clock, P. NJ, Wednesday,
the odd ult., while Mary was engaged
in ironing. The club supposed to
have been the weapon used he says
did not perform any part i'll the cruel
deed, but thinks it was with the ak
helve heretofore mentioned that he
crushed Mary's skull.
He spent the night in the bushes near
Dayton Mills, returning to the vicini-
tv of his home the following night,
afterwards hiding in straw piles and
bushes, and in the barn of the River
Side House for about two weeks, sub
sistinc upon raw corn, vegetables and
such edibles as he could forage during
the night. He entered the house of
Consider King on Sunday evening, the
10th inst, with the intention OF CIV
ing himself up to Mr.. King, but the
family being at church, he helped him.
self to such provisions as he could
make away with. and soon after went
to Martel and thence to Gilman and
Ell Paso, where he remained in seclu-
sion until captured. His body was
begrimmed with filth and alive with
vermin, his garments not having been
changed for over month.
He says he had meditated commit
ting the murder for over three months
previous, and his action was FASTENED
on hearing his youngest daughter state
at dinner that day that her mother
was going to take her and Mary and
move away. leaving him to rely upon
his own resources.
Several from this place have visited
him at Ellsworth, to. some of whom
he has admitted that his violent tenn
per has caused him much woe and
made his life unpleasant. He claims
to have been in his right mind when
he committed the murder, and his
sanity is vouched for by his most in
innate acquaintance who have since
c0nversed with him. His black heart
contains 10 remorse, and he expresses
but lit. regard as to how justice
shall be melted out to him. His rheu-
matism has greatly improved since
his seclusion, and his appetite is raw
enous.
Compound Essence of Pepsin. A
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