Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1883-11-03
THE ADA ATKINSON MuRnpp
Jacob Melting Confesses to Hav;,.
mitted the Horrible Deed-A Faa,, Con
tempt at Lynching Defeated. >e"'e A

tempt at Lynching Defeated. A
FOWLER, Ind, Oct. 17.-NeuIn.
brought into the County Court Room r wa
day afternoon. He took his seat in ~ iue1
stand and faced the solidlv,nsM WI
citizens who had been waiting alma raeAe
hour for him. His demeanor Was
calmer than Monday, when he was swa. vas
away young Ladd's life. Early in the ma'
ing the prisoner made a written conf0s.;'
1t was handed him for identification
justing a pair of spectacles he said W.
ognized it as his. Then, in an imnrasl;a
manner, almost dramatic, Colonel nosN
read his confession in these words.
II, Jacob Melting, being duly swo,,
knowledge that l killed Ada Atkinson viii az
tne Benton eo shoWn c6 to-day in open court =
under the following circumstances. Re- Rof he
started to do it something came over Wore Wore
entlced me to do SO: l started. from the n fo ah
entered the south door Of the house. AYu Sc
up stairs and found Ada up there. Wen
.er: Ada, l am going, to kill you" She ~
one not to do it, that she did Q want II" to ' .;
recoilect what she said. Then I took i ho IGh
her and threw her down on the floor TTSbuo
cut her throat. Then l became frenziradI III III
left m the oo odhe I d eats; NOT It c ssems my mini IL
doing. l can not explain the raising of Va Va
clothes or the rest Of the cutting. bur ' ! I IL,
pose did it all. Ihad no motive that / rema "
Der Tor killing her in this manner, and al
to do so. AS l left the house l went tn ~
miik-house and washed my hands and III
knife in the basin, which i had lying on n II
end of the milk tank near the door. y tt. .a
the water in tho ward and 1ikp1v II o,,-, !
the grass. l did not get my clothes b]noIv
because the blood did not fall. 1t seems 10 ny
that had hold on the handkerchief whin
was around her neck, and | might have twist
ed it when l cut her throat. After washin.9
the blood Off my hands and knife l went h nn
through the orchard to my work. | do Sod
EMMY swear that Jerome Ladd is innocent q
the murder, and that he did not visit me tla
day. and that the previous statements haS
made about him are false in every particuIa,
JACOB NJ. NELLlSG'
forced to make this confession. and that
make it voluntarily without any expectation
OF immunity from justice.
81. NJ. NELI1SG."
Melting said that was his confession, ami
lie renewed it there in open court. BcpI
questioned by Judge Cotfroth, he said h
had never attempted to outrage the gn]
had never in his life made her indeceu
propositions. On his trial it will b
proved, however, that he had made sue
proposals to Ada, Lucy and a little gil
named Adsitt. He said he was in the hous
about twenty minutes, and that Ada did nd
struggle much. He does not remembe
striking herin the head OR making the man
stabs about her body, but protests that hi
was not in his right mind, though he clearl
remembers the generalization, and gives
detailed account of what he did before and
after the murder, and remembers cuttind
the girls throat.
A warrant was brought forth. Justicd
Hawley opened court and held Melting fol
murder. The Sheriff rose to lead Melting
away to Jail, when the crowd began d
surge toward him with threatening aspect
Cephas Atkinson, father of the girl, wild
had weepingly heard the cold-blooded
manner in which the brute had told of th
horrible murder, sprang to his feed
and cried sTake him out" meaning for It'd
crowd to hang Melting, but his voice wal
weak and few heard the command, else nd
power could have saved Melting an hour
Friends gathered about Atkinson and
turned his attention to other things, whit
Judge Coffroth arose and in a calm, eaS
dispelled the terrible excitement
bidding the lawful citizens of Benta
County to continue to merit thd
good reputation they had established io4
patience and order, and promising them ]
Melting were permitted to come to a legal
trial no power should save him from thd
gallows. The speech gave the Sheriff time
to remove the prisoner to the Jail, a sub
stantial stone building apart from the county
house, and lock him securely within sy
iron doors before the crowd started from the
room.
AT once the crowd went to the jail, buq
were met at the door by the Sheriff, WHO
counseled letting the law take its course.
and the excitement was suppressed for the
time.
About nine o'clock last night three or fouf|
hundred men surrounded the Jail, but there
was no leader and no determined action was
taken. Along in the evening ex-SLeriaI
Hartman made a speech to the crowd, adyisI
ing them to let the law take its course. The
better element also advised the populace a
disperse and go to their homes.
After midnight, after two unsuccessful all
tempts to break into the Jail had been made
the crowd dispersed for railroad ties, ropes,
etc., to aid them in forcing al entrance
Several of the men went to a vacant loL
and, with timber which seems to have been
provided, they erected a rude scatfOld. a
rope was soon forthcoming. Then the men
went back to the Jail and stood there seem
ingly lost Tor lack of a leader.
Young Ladd was congratulated by hum
dreds. Detective Harris is here, and hS
the w%ell-earned praises of everybody.
Melting is fifty years of age. He val
born in New Jersey, came West early ~
life, and located in Shelby County, Ind. III
was married at twenty-five, and had two
children. He enlisted for the war. hf|
wife, for some unexplained reason
refused to live with him, and wen'
to her father in Kansas. ope1
took the children. The attorneys
have information of an attemplesI
rape upon a young girl at Goshen, ll No.,
about that time, and this may have been lns
cause of his wife's separation. lie was er
ployed for twelve years Oh the farm OF ny ge
Atkinson, uncle of the murdered girl. nj
left there, and, after working for Ferry aM NJ,
others about two years, came back 10 .t,I
Atkinson neighborhood. He was an clllcen'
man about the farm and soon found employ
ment at Cephas Atkinson's. Save III i'I
inability to control a violent tempe, nS
was an excellent farm hand, kindly, ooas
ing, and handy about the house. tie VII
rather reserved in his manner, respectlM,,1
and seemed very considerate of Ada WIN
was the baby girl of the household. nc WV
always ready to do her bidding. lie n III