Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1881-08-19

The Fisher Murder.-The negro wO-
man, who was charged with the murder Of
the Fisher children ian account of which
was given in the SENTINEL last week. near
Brooke's Station, on the Metropolitan Branch
r. r., has since made the following confess
sion to Capt. Vernon, Of the Washington
police, which appeared in the Washington
Post Of the of the 18th instant:
was going along the path it was not
God Almighty, but it was the devil that put
it into my head to kill them. l could not
help killing them. did not do it with the
ak, nor the dashboard, but with piece OF
wood as big as my arm, and about eighteen
inches long. The children were running
about the yard Of the house. | struck the
one with the long hair first but | don't
know how many times hit her. | saw the
AZ in the woodpile after hitting them with
the stick. What killed them for l don't
know. The devil got into me 50 that
could not help doing it. picked the stick
up in the road never told any one about
it but you and Mr.. Archie White l be-
lieve it has worried me some. | have told
the truth TO you white people. 1t is the
truth from my heart. | threw the stick
away down by the woodpilc.
The circumstances leading up 70 TINS con-
fession are worthy of note. without TINS
statement or the discovery OF some more
direct evidence, il was the general opinion
no case for even the Grand Jury could have
been made against the woman. Lieut.. John
son, who has charge OF the precinct in which
the murder took place, determined TO let
nothing be left undone TO unearth the crlmi-
nal. The old woman had dropped hints
about having something TO tell This Mr..
johnson wished 10 take every advantage OF,
but in such way as not TO vitiate the com
ing confession for use in court On wed
nesday. after the inquest, Christina said 10
Officer Rhodes, sIf tell, won't II be worse
for meY" He replied that II would not
The circumstances induced the delay In
sending her to Jail. Lieut. johnson then
decided to hunt up the people with whom
the woman had formerly lived. She had
mentioned Mr. Whites name and he was
seen and asked regarding her Nothing OF
a dangerous tendency had shown itself In
her conduct while with him. He came
down, however, yesterday morning at Lieut..
Johnson's suggestion 10 see II she would
not talk to him. She ut once minated
that If her children were there she would
make her statement Lieut. johnson started
for one of the girls While he was away
Capt. Vernon called 10 him and Mr.. White.
She after being cautioned, made her con-
fession. After the statement was made she
let fall other additional PARTICULAR. Wnen
she was beating the girls head In the baby
brother plead for his sister, clinging 70 her
knees and crying. Neither OF the children
made any loud cutlery.
AS soon as Lieut.. Johnson returned and
learned what happened he determined 70
place the guilty wretch beyond the reach Of
certain parties whom be knew 70 be only
awaiting her certain Identification as the
,murderess 10 lynch her. He therefore pro
cured grocers wagon, and drove rapidly
of 10 jail On the way she made the fol-
lowing additional statement:
The devil sent me up there. ! tried "
sight against him, hut | couldn't. struck
ahe girl first struck two or three blows
and she fell down. | struck them with a
stick, not with the AK. just rs they fell l
let them lay. don't remember seeing the
Christmas trco Mt all. don't know how IL
got there.
On Saturday morning when picking vegc-
tables for market the children found some
white flowers and told Mrs. Fisher 10 give
them 10 the Virgin Mary, the youngest add.
log, "hoping that she will make me good
BOY, and keep the niggirs from killing me-"