Telegram-herald., 1891-02-04

fetAE - BEFORE tEe et1<T QUEeF1 AL
the recoxters. He Was taken baek 20
the roon where ths otneTs ssf, zDd
saade = fail confession Bates wrote
out the statemsat, and ~ rs eonelg-
slea tes murderer and those wbo had
heard the story ssznsd the paper the
later a. Witnesses lis confession q as
followss
81 seat from DimondAle 20 Jones-
xsils Tuesday morning. | bought a
round trip ticket. Ihen l meas from
Jonssyllis 10 ColdsaEer. weat around
town ltlle ana then 10 the State fab-
ile school. cannot tell IL the saperin-
tendent Is the same man whom saw
at Dmondzle or not. l told hlfn there
that WAS from Parma. and that nay
name Was c. Hendershot. | received
the grl at the depot from Que OF the
employees of The school. had made
arrangements with the superintendent
70 give the child good home. then
took the girl 10 Dimondale. After ieas-
lng the tTaiu there we took the road Tor
Harrlson's. We went as far as the
bs<kyith woods and then through them
10 the WateFstreet road. Then We
went east 10 the county line until We
came 10 another strip OF woods From
here We went through the fields tlll We
Came TO patch OF woods owned by
E-der Bishop, where We sat on the river
bank near where the body was found.
Alter talking u time the glri hegan 10
cry and did not know what 10 do with
myself. | must have been out OF my
head. threw her on the ground and
ehoked her TO death with one hand.
She made no outcry. then undressed
her and threw the body in the river
where.t was found. The clothes you
Will ind under the door OF Harrison's S
COW stable.
Alter dIsposing of the clothes went
TO my room aud retired. don't know
what IN the world possessed me To do
THIS never even asked the girl her
name. / wish some one had shot me
before ! Went to Coldwater. | want to
cay emphatcally that did not outrage
the girI."
The COW shed a. Harrison's farm was
searched this morning. Under the
fioor IN the alley. just where Garfield
said they would be, were found rolled
up the poor garments he had stripped
from the dead holy OF his victim. lie
had taken a hoe handle and showed
them long distance under the floor.
The dark striped cloak was torn. On it
were portions of the murderer's beard,
which sne had torn out during the
struggle.
Nellie Griffin was the only child of
Oliver Griffin and wife. She was born
Sept. 10, 1873, in Mason, Mich. Her
father WAS not of very bright mind.
He and his wife separated when Nellie
was years old, and her grandparents,
K. +. Griffin and wife, took her To bring
up, but she proved so wayward they
couldn't govern her, and she was sent
by their :nstIgatiou to Coldwater two
years ago, the 9th ult. Mr.. and Mrs.
X. +. Griffin say she never had any dis
ease while there. Her Skin was smooth
and fair, and she was ciaste. Il. F..
Griffin sa highly respected and wealthy
citizen, and was mayor in 1872. Nellie's
mothers people live IN Grand Rapids.
Edward Taylor, county agent of
Jackson county, and superintendent
Newkirk, of the State Public School at
Coldwater, had an interview Yesterday,
and now Mr.. Taylor announces that
Mr.. Newkirk violated the statute in re-
leasing Nellie Griffin from the State in
stitutlon, and he also says it is not the
first instance where there has been a
similar violation. He says when the
message came asking about one "Hen-
dershot," he began searching the rec
ords, and found no such farmer in
Jackson county at all. Pending this
search for information, Mr.. Taylor says
the girl was released ard gwen over
to the care of supposed Jackson
county man, without any Endorsement
from him. There have, at other
times. been children sen. into his coun-
~, so says Mr.. Taylor, to people whose
character he never has been called upon
to attest