Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1886-02-26
REMORSE, CONF EbSION OF MUIR
DEB AND bUlCIDE.
Lewiston Teller.

O''S "Ho Ibis spring hepre-
sentative j. N. Hedrick, of Nez Perce
county, was killed by James Stevens,
~ an out Of the way place, on the
Little Potlatch, unseen BY any human
eye, but under circumstances which
led many TO firmly believe that Ste
vens murdered him. Stevens gave
himself up, and claimed that Hedrick
attacked him and that he shot him in
self defense, and made out ! seeming
" plausible statement Of the affair, Of
the meeting and the manner Of the
killing. Stevens was indicted aud
tried for murder. Attorneys Sullivan
and Poe defel.de him, and his coun-
sci could gather nothing from his adj
missions or anything different from
his first statement, and they made
vigorous defense for him on the
ground of self defense. The jury
had no evidence upon which to base
a verdict of guilty, aud he was ac-
quilted. Afterwards the young man
| bought ranch about eight miles
southeast from Lewiston, and had in
duced his father and mother and 9TH
er members of his family to come here
from California. To a close observer
one could easily detect in him an un-
easy mind. On several occasions he
exhibited to others very violent tenn
per, and that when excited he was a
dangerous man. On Thursday morn
ing last at about three o'clock, man
named Scott, who was sleeping in the
h room with him, noticed him get up
} aud go to writing. He asked him
: why he did so; he said that his moth
er was going to town early and he
! wanted to send letter by her. He
!. wrote about an hour and half and
then got up, folded his letter, and
with it took some other papers and
placed them on table, and turned to
l Mr.. Scott and said to him that he
S wished him to hand them to his faith.
j. err, and seized his pistol, and said he
: was going to xiii himself, and suitinn
). the action to his words, stepped il
t front of looking-gIass, put the PTS
: tol to his head and blew his brain.
out, scattering them on the glass anc
n about the room, and fell dead. The
: final act was SO sudden and quick i
t done that Scott had not time to ar
res. HIM in his intent. The alarm
was quickly given and news of The
killing was dispatched to town be
Q fore the people were generally from
n their beds. Coroner Vincent sum
> moned jury here, who proceeded tt
! the place of killing, and learned al
I. the evidence obtainable. The pa
d pers left to be given to the fathe
o were called for, who at first was re
n luctant to produce them, but upol
J. being urged by the coroner, the let
e ter he had written was read. Thi
e stated, in substance, that he was
n murderer, that he had murdered hi
> man in cold blood-took the drop o.
/ him and shot him; that for the bene
i fit of science he would deny the oil
Il repeated statement that when a pei
l. son was shot through the heart h
. would never speak again, that h
g knew he shot Hedrick through tn
% heart and after he was shot he erie
9 murder, aloud, three times, before h
. expired. He said that Sullivan an
= Poe, who defended him, were inn,
&c cent of his. guilt-that they tried
70 entrap him into a confession, but thu
70 he was too smart for them, and h
% had revealed the facts to no one; tbs
&c his mind so troubled him that he coul
ia not endure life Some other thiuo