Mexico weekly ledger., 1890-04-17
A MURDERER.
MANSFIELD KING A MOST
DESPERATE eHtR-
ACTER.
Mysterious Facts Familiar to the
Readers of the Ledger
Explained.

Readers of the Ledger
Explained.
Mansfield King, formerly of the
northeastern part of this county,
who has relatives in Mexico now,
must be a very bad man according
to his own story. He was arrested
in st. Louis on Saturday for horse
stealing and tells the following re.
markable story:
81 am glad they have got me
now" he SAID with a weary sigh.
ST have thought lots of times I
would give myself up, but / never
did SO. / am a murderer, a robber
and a thief"
"Seven years ago l was a young
farmer living near Perry, Rails
County, Mo. I had to work hard
for my living and thought I could
make money in IN easier way.
One night I had ridden on horse
back into Perry and there I saw a.
man named Carter, who lived
about two miles from the town. I
asked him what time he was going
home and he said in about an hour.
Then | rode on my horse down the
road over which be would pass and
waited for him. He came walking
along aud / got up and walked
along beside him, leading my
horse. There is a little creek call
ed Lick Creek, along which we
were walking, and when we got up
real close to it, within about ten
feet, I put my revolver up by the
side of his head, right here" he
said, pointing TO his right temple
just behind the eye, 81 shot him
right there and he fell without a
groan. Then I went through his
pockets and took his money. He
had s11O in greenbacks and $3.50
in silver. Then I pulled his body
over to the creek and threw it in.
I then mounted my horse and rode
home.
every night since then 1 have
seen his white face, with the blood
trickling down the side of the head
just as it looked as his body
splashed into the water. I see il
every day, every hour. Oh, you
don't know anything about such a
feeling" he continued as he buried
his face in his hands as though to
shut out some horrible sight. "You
never had such a feeling, did youl
If you ever have, you must moi
blame me for wanting to tell some
one about it.
81 was living alone in a cabin or
my farm, and every night I used te
see that mans face looking at me
through the window, through the
door, everywhere. I wanted te
die or get rid of that feeling some
way. I have got an uncle, nance
J. W. Scobee, who lived about
mile from where I did. I took
piece of old coat lining and made {
black mask out of it and then aftel
putting it On my face went over t.
his house. I knocked on the doc
and he told me to come in. hae
a revolver, but I didn't have i
pointed at him. I wanted him t.
| shoot me right there. He saw NJ,
neck and couldn't tell who I was
i. "'Wnatd do you want?' he said,
"'I want your money said l.
"sI haven't any, he said, bu
didn't make any move to do any
thing to me. Then I went hom'
and went TO bed.
"There was a man named Jane
t A. Coil, who lived a little way
) from where ] did. One night b
. went ov er to a neighbours house an
I saw him go. When he cam
G home he had to pass through
: piece of timber and I waited 70
him. When he came by I jus
! stepped up to him and put m
!, hands in his pockets and took hi
money. thought he would try t
shoot me or something but h
! didn't. l got 1886 from him.
Il was working hard on my farr
and no one appeared to think l wa
v not honest. Last July, on the I'll
I got married to a real nice CIR
My wife kept saying that there wa
something wrong with me hecaus
she said I used to talk In my slee
and cry out all night. Finally m
uncle suspected another man,
e good, honest man with q family
h of having tried to rob him. On
d day about six months ago I went
my uncle's house and took q dos
of laudanum. When / told N
uncle about how / had tried to re
him and was going to tell hi
= about the murder when my wife
brother came home with the docto
D.. He pumped the poison out of n
y. and then / didn't tell him abo1
the murder because ! got vel
ID The story of my trying to rob n
is uncle got out and | was arreste
s. Hv wiie's brother went on n
n,,n,i and / was let out of il.