Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1885-08-13
A MURDER MYSTERY
That Excitss New York Said to Be
Solved by
THE CONFESSION OF THs MURDERER.
A Step-Son Murders His Step-Father in Cold
Blood - Shooting Three
Times.
THE CONFESSION OF THE PRISONER.

BROOKLYN, N. Y, August l2.-The Her
rick murder mystery has been solved. Thos.
Armstrong the stepson of the murdered
man, who was suspected of the crime and
arrested, this morning confessed that he had
committed the deed. The details Sof the
confession have not as yet been published.
Armstrong; Confession.
RseeKA iRgnal "A |stss aizpatsA
than the above gives ne following details
Thomas Armstrong. the selfconfessed muir
derer of his step-father, Albert R. Herrick is
now confined in a cell in Raymond street
Jail, awaiting the action Of the Grand Jury.
Mrs.. Sammis, who saw the man escape over
the wall went to the station house this
morning, and Armstrong was placed among
q number of other prisoners. Mrs. Sammis
could not positively identify him, but said
he looked ike the man whom che saw crawl
ing along the wall after the murder had
been committed.
Early this morning Armstrong admitted
to Detective Chambers that he was in the
house at the time of the murder. He then
said he shot his stepfather. He fred re.
volyer at him under the steps Of the cellar
way. When be saw his stepfather run back
upstairs, fearing that his aim had been i'm
perfect, he fired at him again and again.
Armstrong Claims Self-Defense.
He claims that the shooting was in self
defense; that the stepfather had upbraided
him and chased him into the cellar-way,
where he attempted to strike him and that
he then shot the deceased.
Atfdsvits setting forth the above facts,
and sworn to by the detectives IN whose
hearing Armstrong made the confession,
were presented in the Police Court to-day,
when Armstrong was arrsigned, and Judge
Walsh remanded the prisoner to Jail to await
the action Of the Grand Jury.
The Mystery.
New YORK, August l2-The murder Of
Albert r. Herrick in Brooklyn still continues
to attract attention. The statements of his
stepson Thomas Armstrong, who is in
custody on suspicion OF committing the
crime in regard to his movements on the
day Of the murder, has been found TO be un-
true, and when taxed about it he admitted
that they were detectives who talked with
him last night and this morning
it was currently reported Armstrong
had made q confession and that the
work of the detectives were ended. Later
Armstrong was arraigned in court aid sffi-
davits read to him connecting him with the
crime. Then followed a statement made by
the prisoner to the detectives in his cell last
night. 1t set forth that when the deceased
returned to BIS o elm Brooklyn, on Men
day, he found the prisoner there and up
braided him. Herrick chased him down
into the cellar and the prisoner drew pis-
tel and shot at him three times. When he
left the house after the shooting he car.
ried the pistol with him and threw
it into the East river. He then
went TO his aunts in Hoboken where he
was arrested. This statement caused q
sensation in the coart. The accused through
his counsel plead not guilty. The prisoner
was then remanded to the care of the police |
to await the action OF the grand Jury. The
coroner has empaunelled Jury out has not
fixed time for holding the inquest. The
prisoner in speaking to the police said he
only acted in self defense. He was writing
to lis mother when his sep father came in
and qusrreled with him.