The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1890-08-06
CONFESSED TO MURDER.
STRANGE DEATH BED REVELATIONS
OF A DYING TRAMP.

ago it&palned-1ne OylnS Murdefer
Tells His Bloody Tale Without ANY
Remorse.
BosToN, July ga murder of thirty
years standing has been revealed by
the death-bed confession of the mur-
derer, and the mysterious disappear
ance Of a rich Boston liquor dealer is
thus accounted for. On the night of
December 13, 1859, James Martin start
ed from his place Of business with the
intention of walking across the bridge
to his home in CharlestoWn. That was
the last seen or heard of him until the
story of his murder was brought to
light a few days ago. His dog appear
ed on the doorstep of his house the
morning after the murder wet, with
blood. That was the only clue TO the
cause of the mans disappearance. AS
he was known to have large sum of
money with him on the night he disap-
peared, it was believed that he was
murdered, but, as his body was not
found, his case was included in the
long list of unsolved mysteries.
Edward Callahan returned from the
West a few days ago, bringing solu
ton of the mystery and confirming the
theory that Mr.. Martin had been MUIR
dered for his money. In 1885 Mr.. Gala
han was in the Southern part Of New
Mexico in the employ of the Central
Pacific Railroad Company.
One evening when walking along the
track he came upon very dilapidated
tramp who was dying. He said his
name was Zip" Mclaughlin, and
knowing that death was at hand he
gave Mr.. Callahan history of his life,
which was a continual story of crime.
His murderous career in the West
created quite sensation, and his es-
capes from death through influential
friends secured fo: him the nickname
"Tip" Mclaughlin. In some way he
got into the Masonic order, and he
made his boast that he had got the
"tip" and the grip" and now he was
all right. Afterward he killed man
in Sacramento, was tried and sentenced
to be hanged. When he was taken out
Of court the officer in charge of him said:
"Well, Mclaughlin, l guess we will
take drink before I lock you up" So
they went into a liquor saloon and Nc
Laughlin sat down to play Whiskey
poker for the drinks, while the officer
looked on. Pretty soon Mclaughlin
said he was going out of the back door
a minute to the closet and he did go,
and the officer did not catch him. He
got down to San Francisco and there
he shipped on trading schooner; go
ing down the coast some 300 miles and
then went off into Southern California.
Mr.. Callahan, in one Of his talks with
Mclaughlin, said he spoke of return
ing to his home in Boston and that
brought out the confession of the MUIR
der in 1859. The story is told in Mr..
Callahan's own words:
"He asked me if / remembered any,
thing about the disappearance Of 9. man
named Martin. I did not remember
much about it, although I had heard
nv cousin, who was a friend of Mar
tins, speak of it. Then he told me
that he was one of the men who helped
xiii Martin and throw him over the
Charlestown bridge, between the draw
and Tudor's wharf. He said that Mar
tin had a dog with him and that the
animal fought so hard in defense OF
his master they had to throw him over
board. to defend themselves. McLaugh-
lin did not tell me who were his COM
panions in this murder, and l did not
ask him many questions, for had no
heart to talk with man who would
take from another what he could not
giye-his life. He Informed me that he
made his escape from Boston by ship
ping with Maine captain for voyage
around the Horn with a load Of lumber,
and made me promise that II l ever
came to Boston I would tell his story
to the Martin family and their friends.
"His story was not like deathbed
confession of repentance. He seemed
! to have no remorse or feeling, but
simply related the story without any
appearance of possessing a conscience.
hardly believed his story. He told it
with bravado, and he was so weak and
SO near death that I regarded his yarn
as the raving of dying man. But |
did not forget it. At that time /
thought I should come to Boston at an
early date, so l did not write anything
about the matter, choosing to wait un-
| til l came home. I delayed coming
East from month to month and only
arrived a few months ago. When Nc
| Laughlin died he was buried like dog
with no ceremony, for there was no
clergyman to perform one. l simply
took some rough boards from the rail
road fence, made the best box | could,
and in this he was consigned to his
grave, which will be unmarked forever.
| never learned his Christian name nor
anything about his history, except what
| he told me about his crimes l simply
knew him as Tip Mclaughlin"