Lewiston teller. [volume] (Lewiston, North Idaho) 1878-1900, 1886-02-18
REMORSE, CONFESSION OF
MURDER AND SUICIDE.

| NV years az thiS CIiiii3; representa-
tive, j. NJ. Hedrick, of Nee Perez county
was killed by james Stevens, in an out o
the way place, on the Little Pollatch
unseen by any human eye, but Under cir
cumstances which led many to firmly BE-
ieve that Stevens murdered him. Ste
vens gave himself up, and claimed tina
Hedrick attacked him and that he sho
him in self defense, and made out seem
ingly plausible statement of the affair, o.
the meeting and the manner of the kill
ing. Stevens was indicted ard tried FOL
murder. Attorneys, Sullivan and Poo
defended him, and his counsel could gath
er nothing from his admissions or any
thing different from his first statement
and they made vigorous defense Tor him
on the ground Of sell defense. The Jury
had no evidence upon which to base a
verdict of guilty and he was acquitted
Afterwards the young man bought a
ranch about eight miles southeast from
Lewiston, and had induced his father and
mother and other members of his family
to come here from California. To a close
observer one could easily detect 10 him an
uneasy mind. On several occa4ions he
exhibited to others very violent temper
and that when excited he was danger
GUS man. Ga Thursday morning last at
about 3 o'clock, man by the name of
Scott, who was sleeping in the room with
him noticed him get upand 90 to writing.
He asked him why he did so and he
said that his mother was going to town
early and he wanted to send letter BY
her. He wrote about an hour ami a half
and then got up, folded his letter and
with it took some other papers and placed
them on a table and turned to Mr.. Scott
and said to him that he wished him to
hand them to his father, and seized his
pistol, and said he was going to kill him,
self, and suiting the action to his words.
stepped in front Of looking glass, put
the pistol to his head and blew his brains
out, scattering them on the glass aud
about the room, and fell dead. The final
act was so sudden and quickly done that
Scott had not time to arrest him in his
tent. The alarm was quickly given
and news of the killing was dispatched to
town before the people We're generally
from their beds. Coroner, Vincent sum
moned a jury here, who proceeded to the
place of killing, and learned all the evi-
dence obtainable. The papers left to be
given to the father were called for, who
at 6rst was reluctant to produce them but
upon being urged by the coroner, the
letter he had written was read. This
stated, in substance, that he was a muir.
derer, that he had murdered his man in
cold blood, took the drop on him and
shot him; that for tho benefit of science
he would deny the oft repeated statement
that when person was shot through the
heart he would never speak again, that
he knew he shot Hedrick through the
heart and after he was shot he cried mur.
der. aloud, three times before he expired.
He said that Sullivan and Poe, who de-
Tended him, were innocent Of his guilt,
that they tried to entrap him into con-
fession, but that he was too smart for
them and he had revealed the facts to no
one, that his mind so troubled him that
he could not endure life. Some other
things were in the written confession,
among other things pertaining to his
property AMI his family. The letter was
read to the jury, all that bore upon the
subject Of the killing Of Hedrick aud his
purpose to take his own life, but the cor
oner did not exact the letter from the
father as there were so many things in it
that pertained to the family and his prop
erty, that he deemed it peculiarly the
Of the family. 1t showed that
he murderer had been terribly troubled
q his conscience and could not be content |
o live any longer with the brand of Cain
lpon him. He was buried in the Lew
ston ceWetary on Friday. This event is
me of the notable events that. has taken |
place in this vicinity, which furnishes ma |
elial for serious reflection among our !
;itisens. 1t vindicates the family Of He'd.
lick from the stain of bis contributing to
lis own death by an attack upon the
murderer at the time of his death, and
.un6rms ,heopinion Of large number
sh, knew both Hrn, and heard the state
- IL