Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1885-11-07
Story of q Gray.Haired Murderer.
HOW HE KILLED HIS ERIEND TWENTY-FIVE

StOFy Oh u uf8ys hA1FeO murderer.
HOW HE KILLED HIS FRIEND TWENTY-FIVE
YEARS AGO-A DEATH-BED CONFESSION.
A Williamsport, Pa, special, November 9Th
says: In the early part of June the woods in
Gamble township, Lycoming county, were SET
on fire, and much property was destroyed.
Two weeks afterward a tramp was arrested on
suspicion, and he said that Patrick Curran, an
old man known In that region as having bad
character, had set fire to the woods to crafty a
grudge he cherished against the owners Cur
ran was promptly arrested, pleaded guilty, and
was sentenced to nine months in Jail. In his
incarceration he has frequently evinced de-
sire 70 communicate something of q mystel iOus
nature, but when engaged in conversation in.
variably stopped short without yielding any
Intelligence concerning his secret. On Monday
Curran was stricken with paralysis and the
Jail physicians said he could not live This
morning he called Sheriff Sprague to his cell
and said that he had determined to make con-
fession, and his story was substantially as fol-
lows:
81 was born In a small hamlet near the city
OF Cork eighty-One years ago. In my youth /
received fair education, my parents being en-
gagged In the industry of cotton bleaching. Upon
my fathers death spent what money was left
me In gambling and drinking and got into any
number Of scrapes. but was never arrested. I
Joined the fenianS, and was the leader of a
number Of men during the instruction which
was started by William Smith OBrien. NV
boon companion was young man, one Pat
Martin, and my acquaintance with him was
my ruination. Martin and got into a scrape
and that, together with our connection with
the young Ireland party, compelled us to flee
the country. We left Cork in disguise and
came to America, and after knocking abo t
New York tor some time we came to Pennsyl
vania and procured employment in the coal
mines. We Joined the Molie Maguires, and
were leaders in all their conclaves. Tired of
this. as there was not money enough in
1t for us, we left the coal regions and
tramped to Howard, in Center county,
where we Joined a crowd of counterfeiters. At
Howard GOODNESS sprang up between Martin
M on nf a oil ri 10 Vvh
both paying attentions. We had buried our
money in an old barn on the outskirts of the
town, and one night in the early part of 1868
we went there to divide the spOils. Martin was
very ugly and we Quarreled. He hit me, and
then we came to blows. He threatened to blow
on me, and tor my own protection drew my
knife from my pocket and killed him. Digging
hole In the corner of the barn, / buried the
body, covered the spot with bundle of rye
straw and set 1t on fire. AS soon as the barn
was ablaze made my escape and came to VIII
Transport This Is my secret which have kept
Tor the last twenty-five years, and feel as ii !
can't die until confess"
Curran told the sheriff that he will shortly
confess to crimes committed in LycOming
county that will implicate certain people in
counterfeiting. The old mans hair Is gray, and
MS face Is covered with q scraggy beard. He
chews tobacco constantly, and cries out for rum.
AZ times he has been out of his mind, at which
intervals he raves and swears like q maniac.
physicians say the selfconfessed murderer is
likely tOdfo at any moment.