The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1884-01-24
CONFESSION OF A BRUTAL CRIME.
The Two Tappan Brothers the Murder.
ers Of the Maybee Women at
BrOOkYille, Long Island.

HUNTERS POINT, l.. L, January 1S.-Ed-
ward Tappan, arrested in connection with
the Townsend outrages, confesses that his
brother John and himself were concerned
in the murder of Mrs. Maybee and daugh-
ter at Brookville. The following is the con-
fession:
81 know who took the lives. of Lydia and
Annie Maybee on the evening of November
18th. 1t was John B. Tappan, my brother.
He was in the barn when Mrs. Maybee
came in; was not in the barn; I saw John
go in the barn; he went in at the double
doors; was at the front side of my house
when he went in, feeding the pigs; when
John choked the old lady to death I was at
the front of the barn; saw him; he choked
her to death on the barn floor; he caught
her by the wrist with one hand, and took
her by the throat with the other; I saw him
do it; was looking through the door; it
was light enough for me to see in the sta
BILE.
"When John had her by the throat she
was on the ground. When she came in
for leaves John was standing in the stable
where the leaves were. 1t took from, ten
to fifteen minutes to choke her to death.
After she was dead, John picked her up
and laid her in the back of the stable i
saw him throw some leaves over her. l
was standingon the barn floor very near
the opening in the door that goes down In
the stable. saw the whole thing myself
After she was dead, John said: Il an
going to wait for Annie. 1 am going to
choke her, too; If choke her, too, no one
will know about it: then I can go to the
house and get the money!
"Annie opened the barn door about two
feet wide. When she stepped in the door
John grabbed her by the right arm and
threw her down. I was on the floor about
three feet from where he grabbed her. He
threw her down on the floor, held her by
the right wrist, put his knee upon her lef
arm, and with his right took her by tn,
throat. She tried to get away from him.
When he grabbed her by the arm she grab
bed at his face. She reached his face. 8
saw her hand close over his nose and
mouth. She said, Let me go.' That is all
she said. Then he held her by the throat
until she was dead. She died in about ten
or fifteen minutes. He carried her into the
stable near her mother and covered her
well up with leaves, and said, Now 1 am
going to the house.
"We both went in at the kitchen door.
Old Mr.. Maybee said: who is therep John
said: It's me- Then went upstairs. Then
he snatched the cane out of Maybee's hand
and struck him with it twice on the head.
John went upstairs again and came back.
I said: 4 have all WANT We came out.
He went to the cedars by the spring and I
went home. suppose he gave me $10fn bills
Ihave it now but not with me. will bring
it to you. will bring it to-day if I can.
John showed me the pin and watch by the
door outside. could see them. Il got them
upstairs he said. He did not tell me how
much money he got. John went into Mrs.
Maybee's room, when Mr.. Maybee was
knocked on the foo. stood by the door.
1 saw him do it. Then John came down
stairs and went in front of Maybee, very
close to the hall, ran his hand up and down
Mr.. Maybse's, breast and said: 4 want that
gold which you had two years ago. May.
bee said: Il amt gotit. am blind, and can't
see to get it, Il know that said
John. John then said: 4 must kill you
then.'
"He didn't tell me what he was going to
do with the watch and pin. 1 have not
seen my brother John since, alone, to this
day and hour. 1 saw him stand by the
wagon house at the NJ aybee auction when
was going up the hill west of my house
after dinner on my way to work at Henry
Rushmore's. That is the only time have
seen him since the night the Mabee
murders were committed. After John
showed me the watch and pin went home
by the old bridge. This was about quar-
ter to six o'clock. 1 know it was not six
O'Clock. am sure of it. My wife asked
me where had been and I told her down
the road. My wife does not know had
hand in the Maybee murder"
Tappan swears the confession was made
unsolicited, "believing it to be my duty to
make complete confession in regard to
the part 1 took in the Maybee murders"