Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1883-06-22
A MURDER CONFESSED.

A MUhDEk CONEEoSEDs
Two Partners Quarrel, and One Con-
fesses to Having Thrown the other
Into Blaez River.
The body of Atkinson Sayles, who is
said to have been thrown into the
Black river at Great Bend, few miles
from WATERFOWL, n. Y, By Edgar Rob-
insop, his partner, has not been rccov-
cred. The principal facts In the terri
BILE tragedy are told by the Utica OBJ
server, as obtained from the self con-
tessed murderer. He said that he had
been engaged with Sayles for some
time past in the business of perfecting
arrangements for the manufacture of
beet sugar in the village of Great Bend,
and so far accomplished the desired
end az to warrant the opening of
factory at once, which they were in
tending to do. Robinson went away
on business about month ago, and
when he returned he learned that
SayIes had been circulating stories
about his (Robirson's) private affairs
which were detrimental to him. Sew
eral alterations occurred between the
two at this time and shortly alter, but
most Of them were with regard to the
patent on the process of manufactur.
ing the sugar, and none of them ever
came to blows. The interests of the
business required that Robinson should
reside in Sterlingvillc, a village five
miles away, and that Sayles should
live in Great Bend. On Wednesday
Qobinson was driven 10 Great b nd
and met Sayles at his hotel, and the
two went out for a drive together.
After tea Sayles requested Robinson to
90 with him for walk, as was his Gus
tom when he wanted to talk with Rob-
inson. Robinson complied, and the
two went away together, Robinson first
ordering his horse gotten out, so that
he might start for home within short
time. They ,trolled down the road
near the banks of the river for half
! raile and then proceeded down path
which led into sort of woods or sugar.
bush, and from there by a circuitous
route, over logs and through under
brush, to an open space upon the bank
of the river about q mile from the hotel.
About this point both men became angry
over the trouble about the patent, and
Robinson, fearing that Ssyles meant to
do him bodily harm, grabbed knife
that Sayles was using to white, drove
it into a tree and broke it. Sayles grab
bed him by the throat and lively
struggle ensued, in which Robinson re-
allied that either he or his opponent
must go over the brink, and decided to
send his opponent there in preference
to himself, which he did, throwing him
off an enbankment about Is feet from
the waters edge, and he has not seen
Sayles since. He heard no noise from
| Sayles after he threw him over. After
the deed was committed he remained
on the spot about fifteen minutes, and
then went back to the hotel and started
in company with his driver, for Ster-
| lingville. Soon he began to realize the
enormity of the deed, and upon think
ing of it told the driver something Of
what had occurred. When he arrived
at Sterlingville he gave himself up to
| Constable Marley, who refused to act,
and Robinson then retired for the night.
In the morning he gave himself up to
Justice Sharon, who also decided he
had no Jurisdiction liz the matter
Robinson then procured the driver and
rode to Great Bend, where he gave
himself up to Justice Carter, and &C
companied that official and the driver
to the spot where the deed Was COM
mitted, and looked the ground over.
This, of course, is only Robinson'a
statement. The hat that Sayles wore
when last seen was found very badly
dilapieated rear the spot, where the
signs Of terrible struggle are very
plain. The knife, also, was found with
the blade broken and the pointed piece
in the tree. Robinson acknowledged
that he had been bad man, and said
that he had always had very bad tenn
per, and that serious trouble had been
brewing between them for some time.
He said he could hardly remember
what occurred except that he threw his
opponent over the bank. He said tina,
he would willingly give 81 900 if he
could sec Sayles alive, and hoped that
Sayles had escaped drowning. He said
he was inclined to believe that this was
the Gaze. The prisoner frequently in.
dulges in talk about his business troub,
les, and says this affair will expose mat
| lSE5 thdI Will rum ulIn as q business
man. He says he thinks he has done
nothing wrong.
The prisoners name is Edgar w. Rob.
inson. and his home is in Haverhill
Mass, where he has father. His gen.
eral reputation is bad, but no real charg-
es of immortality are brought against
him. The chief accusation is that Of
inso.riety. He has the appearance oil
being q drinking man.
Atkinson Sayles is the name of the
man who is missing. Sayles is consid.
cred to be gentlemanly person and
many words OF praise are spoken fol
him. He never drank and seems to
have been moral man. Both men
are about the same age (S0), and about
the same height and build. While
Robinson's story is believed by many
to be wholly true, there are others who
take an entirely opposite view of the
case, and think it was willful murder,
and that Robinson could not thrown
Sayles into the river unless he first
killed him or stunned HIM SO that he
could not struggle. There is another
theory to the effect that the whole
thing is q putt up job" but what the
motive for such a job could be is hard