The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1891-12-10
HORRIBLE TALETO TELL.
HOW ISAAC sAWTELLE BUTcnsREp
HIS BROTHER.

He Relates His Awful Crime Before tho
New Hampshire Supreme Court In
Order TO Escape the Death Penalty.
One of the Most Remarkable Cases.
CONCORD, N. H., Dec. 9.-Isaac B.
Sawtelle appeared before the supreme
court, full bench, to tell the story Of the
killing of his brother Hiram, ON mo-
ton for a new trial. Isaac is already
sentenced to die in New Hampshire, and
the present action is to establish the
fact which the prisoner alleges, that the
murder was done in Maine, where there
is no capital punishment, instead Of
New Hampshire, under the laws of
which state he Is under sentence of
death. The spectacle is presented Of a
murderer confessing the murder Of his
brother to save his own life. Sawtelle's
story consumed three hours in the tell
ing. He told how he met his brother at
Rochester, N H., Feb. 8, $780, whittier
he had lured him from Boston by a
telegram saying his child was there sick
Isaac had a revolver in his clothing, a
pick and shovel in the wagon he had
waiting, and writing material with
which, in lonely shanty over the Maine
line, he Usaac) intended to have his
brother sign to him certain Boston prop
erty or kill him for refusing.
SawtelIe's Horrible story.
The murderer's story of the final
scenes runs thus: when l turned
into the marsh road, he wanted to know
where was taking him. Directly l
turned in the little path near the wood
mans shanty in the woods. l saw he
wanted to get out, and he did; then he
got in again. Isaid: Hiram l came
down here to talk with you. l have
been trying to reason and talk with
you. / don't want to lose the property
on your account, and l don't want you
to lose it. l have got some papers here
that want you to sign
II took the papers from my pocket
and said: You may sign these or take
that pulling out revolver and point
ing it at him. He then jumped from
the wagon and l after him. He fell
down and said: Don't Issac; don't l
said: No, Hiram; l won't. Do as /
held my hand in which the revolver
was until after promised not to hurt
him. Then | stepped away and he got
up. then said: L came here not to
do you any harm; want some of the
property from mother He then began
to walk toward the shanty, and after
going some 20 feet broke into run. l
started after him and called several
times: Hiram, Hiram, stop or l will
fire. and as he kept on running fired.
After the firing he ran little way and
then fell. then ran up to him and
shook him. He said nothin, and, as l
thought he was moving, l fred three
more shots into his body to put him out
Of pain.
How He Buried His Brother.
RI then took hold of the boots and
dragged the body about 100 yards, and
began digging grave. | took off his
clothing. The grave l dug was not
large enough, and / took the hatchet
and chopped off his head and arms. l
buried the arms, but took the head and
put it in the bag, with his shirt around
it; put the bag in the wagon, and finally
drove into the woods and buried the
head under some birch trees. dug a
hole, took the head out of the bag, and
! as buried it said: Goodbye, Hiram.
threw the ak, lamp and shovel into
the river, as l crossed from Maine back
to Rochester; took Hiram's clothing to
my boarding house, and went to bed. I
threw the clothing and revolver from a
ferryboat into the harbor.