The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1891-12-11
THE STORY OF A FIEND.
ISAAC SAWTELL TELLS HOW HE
KILLED HIS BROTHER.

"Didn't Intend to Do It," But Matters
Came to the Worst He Admits HaS-
ing Lied at His Trial.
CONCORD, N. H., Dec. S.;-Isaac Sawtell
stood up before the judges of the supreme
court yesterday and told how he killed
and buried his brotherhood it all without
trace of emotion of any character visible
on his cold, sharp face.
He was offered chair. He preferred to
stand Stand he did, without tremor Of
his legs, for three long hours while he told
the story of his cold-blooded, heartless
crime and underwent a searching cross
examination, both by tho chief Justice and
by the attorney general
He told how he met Hiram ct the depot,
how he bought the tools, how he drove on
toward East Rochester, denying that he
met the Willeys and thei- load Of lumber;
how he bought the lamp, pen, ink and
paper at Sinclair's store, and then de-
scribed the rest of the journey.
He declared that Hiram did not get
scared anywhere on the miles Of lonely
road beyond East Rochester until he got
far down on the marsh road, and turn
was made to the left on still more dreary
EOdu WHICH 1cttuS luUO ULO WOOuS
Then Hiram Objected.
He wasn't going into any such place
and jumped out of the wagon. Hiram
was induced to return to the buggy. They
drove on short distance and on the turn
into anoJher road leading to the deserted
hut, where Isaac expected to corner Hiram
and make him sign certain papers, Hiram
again objected.
Isaac said he had produced the papers in
the buggy; one, an agreement on the
brothers. part to give certain property,
the other promise not to tell of the
events of the day.
The witness tripped a little when asked
by the chief justice to tell what were the
contents of the paper, but he later stated
them as above.
Isaac declared he presented the papers to
Hiram in the buggy, at the same time
drawing his revolver and saying,
''Sfgn or Take This"
Meaning take a shot from the revolver.)
Hiram jumped out of the buggy and ran
toward the horses head, losing his cap.
Isaac jumped out, too. They clinched,
Hiram holding Isaac's hands. "Let go my
hands; 1 won't hurt you," says Isaac.
pointing the revolver.
The murderer says he wished to get his
brother into the deserted hut, for he was
certain that once within he would sign the
paper He declared he never expected It
would come to the point where he would
have to kill Hiram, but he was prepared
to do so if things came to the worst.
On the march to the hut Hiram started
to run. "Stop! Stop, Hiramr' shouted
Isaac, 81 won't hurt you. Stop! Stop, or
I'll shoot you"
Isaac says he then fred. This is the shot
the defense claimed
Took Effect in the Skull,
and he knew he must.have hit Hiram for
he fell to the ground. Isaac went to his
brother and shook him, shouting 'Hirama
Hiram!'' but Hiram was dumb.
Isaac went and secured his horses. He
returned, put his ear down to his brothers
breast, but he heard no sounds of breath
ing. 'T guess he must be in pain," said
the murderer; "I can't see him suffer, and
30 I will fire other shots" Then he fired
the three shots into the body.
Isaac created a general laugh by saying
he contemplated suicide, but didn't kill
himself when he thought ofhis poor horse,
which would starve to death.
This laugh caused a rebuke from the
chief justice, who said there wasn't any
thing funny and that laughter was not
even decent.
Isacc described how he dragged tho
body TO the grave after kissing it, and
for the burial Then came
The Improbable Tale
Of his being scared by the ight-the light,
d he thought Of q wagon, but which
proved later to be only the light Of the r.
ing moon
Scared as he was he hastened to get the
body in half made grave II wasn't big
enough, % of came the bead and anna
Chopped off with hatchet. He told how
be did the hacking, gesticulating in a real
lstic manner without q tremor, without q
tear. No man but this convicted muir
derer-s -self-confessed Cain-could act the
part.
Then Isaac filled the grave, put the
clothes of Hiram in the rear part Of the
buggy, drove on and buried the head. He