Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1888-12-28

iast, that OF an old woman, Mary Docherty
IN october OF the same year. This last crime
arrest. and the trial, conviction and execu-
ton 81 Burke. The woman McDougal was
acquitted. Hare saved his neck by turning
kings evidence. and his wife also was
used as witness in the case. The murder
OF Mrs. Docherty was discovered by.a Mr..
They heard noise as ofquarreling and fight
ing after they had retired one night, and the
next day Mrs. Gray found Mrs. Docherty's
body concealed under a heap Of straw in the
hares, bedroom. After Burke's conviction
ne sought to show that in each case Hare was
the actual murderer. as he had been the first
one to suggest the execution Of the crimes.
According to Burke's statement the first
victim was one Abigail Simpson. a middle-
age. aged woman enticed to the house by Hare's
wife. She was carried to Hare's house at
night. was induced to drink. went off in
dead sleep and was suffocated in the carly
morning. Then followed an Englishman,
name unknown. who came to lodge ut
h Hal He had jaundice and was about
Ing one. was sold to DR.. Knox for s1O Then
came nameless old woman who took a
nights lodging by chance in the murderers'
den. She WAS smothered in the early
morning in the usual way, with heavy
feather pillow. and that night the body was
for it. >->'- N>'-||
Margaret Patterson. young and exceed
ingly handsome girl was decoyed to the
nome OF Burke's brother. and there dis
patched. She was carried. four hours after
death. to DR.. Knox. who paid sS for the
body. An old woman and her grandson. a
deaf mute, were the next victims. They
TOOK lodging for the night at Hare's, were
treated TO liquor. and suffocated shortly
; after midnight; They stripped the bodies.
lald them side by side to cool. then packed
them in herring barrel. Or. Knox paid
the assassins Gig for the two subjects. AS
chance customers at this time became rare,
the regular dodgers were requisitioned. and
a man known rs Joseph the Miller" who
was well connected. and had once possess
during the night. and his body sold
for s10 to the omnivorous DR.. Knox,
Shortly afterward Hare fell in with a woman
OF the town. enticed her to his house. muir
dered her single-handed and carried the
for 1t. A cinder gatherer. known as "Efie."
was induced by Burke to enter stable &C.
cupied by Hare. Here she was dosed with
whisky. She fell asleep on truss of hay
and the two villains smothered her in-the
usual way. For this body they received
910. One night Burke encountered police-
man dragging half drunken woman TO the
lookup. He induced the officer to release
her. promising to see her safe home to her
lodgings. The wretch took her round to
Hare's house. where he and his blood
stained partner speedily smothered her and
sold the body for f1O.
LIKE A LAMB TO THE SLAUGHTER"
james Wilson. commonly called Daft
jamie. was well-known character on the
streets Of the Scottish capital. He was a
harmless idiot. but possessed Of prodigious
strength. Mrs. Hare persuaded him to &C.
company her home on the promise Of a
drink of whisky She then left him with her
husband and Burke. In the latters con
fession he says that Mrs. Hare led poor
jamie in as dumb lamb to the slaughter,
and as sheep. to the shearers; he made
almost constant inquiry in his own way for
his mother and was told that she would be
DAFT creature. nevertheless. and the com