The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1891-12-08
MURDER WILL OUT.
A Gold Coin Leads to the Detec-
ton of Mrs. Greg0ry's Slayer.

The murder of Mrs. Amelia j. Gregory,
farmers wife, who was killed at her home
near Middleton, N. Y, on the afternoon of
October 14th, was a peculiarly brutal one.
the woman having been shot twice and had
her skull crushed in by frequent blows with
some heavy weapon.
The murderers left no clew behind, and
Till recently the perpetrators of the crime
were entirely unknown. The chance pass
Ing OF a $50 gold piece at a bar in Middle
town furnished clew, which has led to
the detection Of the murderers and the
obtaining OF convincing proof of their
crime.
Near the Gregory house lived two farm
laborers named Frederick Mcclure and
Warren Brazington. They had been often
employed by Mr. Gregory, and Braziugton
was one of the hired men at work in his
celery field on the day of the murder. Both
are poor and had earned precarous living
by days work at farming and wood
chopplng. Mcclure is a stout, medium
sized fellow, with sulen and surly ways
and deep-set and vicious gray eyes. He has
borne bad reputation as drinking and
dangerous man.
Brazllgton comes from reputedly low
family in Sullivan County. Mcclure was
suspected OF the crime from the start and
was arrested and Intercepted on the night
oil the murder, under a warrant sworn out
by Captain Gould of the Midletown police,
but not a particle of evidence conld then be
found against him and he was discharged.
BraZingt0n was not unsuSpected of q guilty
knowledge Of the crime, but the fact that
ne was at work that day with others in Mr..
Gregory's field was satisfactory evidence
that he took no active part in the crime.
The police and detectives were about ready
to give up the case as an unfathOmabIe
mystery, when, by remarkable chance. a
clew was struck which brings to light all
the main facts OF the great crime.
1t reached the ears of the officers that
Bennington had passed twenty-dOllar gold
piece at a hotel bar in Middletown. Such
piece OF money was among the $50 or 80
stolen from the Gregory house by the muir
derers, and The possession of coin of that
value was suspicious circumstance in the
case OF man so poor as BraZingtnn. He
was arrested and told that the piece was
counterfeit. and he must tell where he got
1t to save himself from prison. He finally
weakened and made a confession, as fol-
lows:
know Frederick Mcclure. and 1 know that
he committed the murder OF Amelia j. Gregory
on the 14th day Of October. 1891. | talked the
matter over with him before the murder was
committed. II was not the intention of COM
hitting murder when We talked it over. The in-
tenti0n was TO rob Gregory OF his money. We
both knew he had been collecting lakes and
that had quite large amount In the house
McGuiIe wanted me to go to The house with him
at night and steal the money. We went up there
together few nights before the murder TO COM
init the robbery, and backed out and would not
go in. saw Mr.. Gregory in the kiIch n read
Ing. This was about or O'clock at night.
knew when the Gregory boy came TO The
field and said his mother was murdered that
Mcclure must have done ii. 1 did not know he
was there for sure. l went to McGuiTe's house
me same night the murder was committed and
told him about il. His woman was present He
al fist pretended that he didn't know anything
about 1t. Before | went out lie told me hat he
done L, and asked me 10 keep still A few nights
after that talked with him. and he told me he
had the money hid In the woods. aud when he
took 1t out he would give me 20 cents on the
dollar II | would keep stll. He told me II told
on him. and he ever got loose, he would blow my
brains OUT.
He came TO my house one night after that and
my wife was TO bed. He slipped into my maud a
twenty-dollar gold piece, and after thai, about a
week. be gave me SO aud little more la silver.
the murder in The hands OF Mcclure revolver
He had IL In his house. L think it was five
shooter and was q tDiIty-two callber. He most
always carried one. l asked him what he did
with it, aud he said he hid it. He rold me he nd
the pistol IN the wall. He told me he gol Sl2S;
that il was in the box.
He told me that when he went in the Gregory
house that day he went IN the kitchen first and
shot her there; that she was very stout woman.
lie proposed TO ME TO 60 up there n The daytime
ana shoot the woman While she was alone, aud L
refused 10 have anything to do with that. We
shOoK hands that we would never tell about the
matter. He wanted me TO take my oath would
never tell told him was willing to DO It."
In addition to his confession Brazngton
says that Mrs. Brown, McGuire's compau-
ion, adm ted TO him that she knew of the
intended murder and went with Mcclure
part of the way 10 the house. 1t is believed
that she took an active part in the murder.