Evening journal., 1890-10-28
BIRCHALL'S RAY OF HOPE
He Gets a Letter from Benwell's
Alleged Murderer.
AN ACCOUNT sF THE TRAGEDY.

The Letter Is sig~ed ''Fbs ColoneI'' and
the Writer Confssses That He Il the
Slayer Of BenwsIl--Birchall WAL Work
Hard for Reprieve.
| buffalo, n. Y, Oct. 9a.-The Express
prints the following special dispatch from
Woodstock, Ont: On Saturday afternoon
last Jailer Cameron received with several
other letters and papers addressed to
Birchall, the condemned murderer, now
lying IN the Oxford county jail, letter,
the white envelope of which was some
what soiled. The letter was addressed as
follows:
Tho Mysterious Letter.
~. r. Burchall, Woodstock Jail, Wood.
stock, Ontario Canada The stamp was
affixed on the bottom left hand corner Of
the envelope and the postmark, Jackson
Mich, Oct "A, 4:30 p. M. 90" was in the
place usually occupied by the stamp
There was perhaps nothing unusual about
this, but glancing over the contents OF four
pages Of closely penciled note paper, the
jailer hurried to Birchall's cell TO allow
him TO read it. The letter was dated Jack
son, Mich, Oct. 5, 1890, and was rs follows
Safe in the States.
ITO Rex-Well, my dear boy, I have
been watching yOu ever since that fateful
18th Of February and | see the Canadians
have got you in their clutches at last.
Well, must say am sorry for you, al
though you know you are partly to blame
as well as me. You no doubt wonder
4Fflan / MI tul / 70 aft
leaving You. You can bet made quick
tracks out of Canada and have been
around considerable. At present / am in
jackson, Mich, where / intend to stay
until about the middle of this month.
won't post this letter until the day leave
here for fear that some stray detectives
might get the drop on me. BY the time
you get this will be where | will have
naught to fear from Canadian or Ameri-
can law. To make long story short, and
a bad one at that, let me say that as soon
as left you began to see it was not GO
ing 10 be any easy job to get that fellow
settled on farm for even two weeks or
any length of time. l never got up to
that old rooters with him and don't think
could have fixed it anyway. 1t would
have been easy enough if you hadn't told
him chat you owned the place.
Benwen Threatened Him.
1--WE struck into that notorious swamp
just for fun to get a shot If we could see
anything, and while in there the devil
seemed to come over me and / told him
that the whole farm pupil business in
Canada was a swindle and wanted him to
chum in. as he was well connected in the
old country We could all make big
thing by using his name, and get lot on
a string, aud that what he would lose now
would soon be made up again. Great
Scott didn't he get up steam. He threat
ened to shoot me on the spot. He would,
too, If l hadn't drawn my revolver My
blood was up too. reasoned with him
and did all could to get him around, but
no go We talked the matter over for per
hnps half or three-quarters of an hour,
sometimes quietly, sometimes otherwise.
At last he jumped up, said lie would ex-
pose the whole - lot Of us, and started
for the road.
He Settled IL Tnnn nnd There"
II followed, and knowing what exposure
would mean L settled IL then and there.
Now you know il all. I'm sorry / did IL,
and never thought OF getting you into
trouble OF this kind. You will now have
to forgive me, Rex His watch and re-
volver no one will ever see again. He
didn't have much money with him.
should have thought that any - fool OF
lawyer might see that for you to kill him
would spoil your chances of getting the
Doodle | do hope the Canadian people
will treat you fairly and at least give you
a repreve. IL 10 / will write you again
and give my address, and win expect to
get letter from you. Please burn this as
soon as you read it and don't give my true
name to any one. You have kept it to
yourself well and thank you. Ii will dc
no good now. bid you long farewell,
but still hope 10 see you in this world once
more. hope you are prepared for the
worst. The love of money and excitement
has caused me much trouble, but hope to
do better in the days to come Good-by.
Ever yours, The COLONEL"
"P. S.--I see that 'Smarty' we met in
London last January has been trying To
get his say In, too. II meet him out here
hen get a different box from the one you
offered him in the theatre that night and
he'll get il iust rs cheap, too"
Who Was ''the ColoneI?"
After reading the letter Birchalia face
assumed pleased expression aud he sent
for his solicitor, S. &. Mckay. Mr.. Mckay
went to London Monday and consulted
WIN MI. hSltiuutil5 hbpVueF OF Mf. Dlrcu'
alls counsel, and it is altogether likely
that reprieve OF a month will be asked
for at once Birchslrs explanation Of this
letter is 20 a certain extent borne out by a
fact.
Ia that the Colonel" between whom
and Birchall h Will be remembered certain
kilograms o. letters have passed and have
been made public was a pal Of his and
that his friend, the "Col0neln was taking
| Benwell, the murdered man, up to sec
| Mr.. William Hersee a we'll known and
wealthy farmer Of Blenheim, who for a
| consideration was 20 let on that Birehal
owned the farm they were going to see
| Bircball says he knows the Colonel bnt
also says he win not divulge his name
The letter appears to be genuine. It. viii
be noticed that although dated Oct.
it was not mailed until Oct a. Friday
last The question Will now present it
self, who is the "ColonelW