Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1891-12-09
HOW 1T WAS DONE.
ISAAC B. SAWTELLE TELLS HOW BE KILLED
HIS BROTHER HIRAM.
The Claim Made that The Murder Was UonmlNea
in Maine, Because Maine Has No Zap
it,l Punishment LawS-A Sick
ening Recital.

CONCoRD, n. H., December e.-1saac
B. Sawtelle, appeared yesterday oelore
the Supreme Court full bench to tell the
story of the killing OF his orothef
Hiram, on motion for a new tIlai'
Isaac is already sentenced to ole ID Ne"
Hampshire and the present action Is W
establish the fact, which the prisoner
alleges, that the murder was done III
Maine where there is no capital PUNISH
ment, instead Of New Hampshire under
the laws of which State he Is unoer
sentence of death. The spectacle Is
presented of j. murderer conlessihR
murder OF his brother to save his own
life.
Sawtelle's story consumed three hours
In the telling. He told how he met mis-
brother at Rochester, n. H., February
5, 1890, whittier he had lured MIN from
Boston by telegram, saying MS chiiu
was there. Isaac had revolver In MS
clothing, a pick and shovel IN Tue
wagon, and be had writing materials,
with which, in a lonely shanty over the
Maine line, he Isaac intended to nave
his brother sign to him certain boston
property or kill him for refusing. Inc
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 turned in the little
path near the woodman's shanty In the
woods, ! saw he wanted to get out and
did, then he got in again. said: Ill
ram, | came down here to talk with
you. don't want to lose the property
on your account, and l don't want you
to lose it. / have got some papers here
that want you TO sign
81 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. lie fell
down and said, don't Isaac, don't
II said, No, Hiram, l won't. Do as
1 want you to and won't hurt you
''He held my hand in which the re-
volver was until after promised not to
hurt him. Then l stepped away and
he got up.
81 then said: 4 came here not to do
you any harm. l want some OF the
property from mother He then began
to walk toward the shanty, and after
going some twenty feet broke into a
run. started after him and called
several times, Hiram, Hiram, stop or
will fire. and as he kept on running, L
fred. After the firing he ran little
way and fell. / then ran up to and
shook him. He said nothing, and as
thought he was going, | shot three
more shots into his body to put him out
of pain.
I then took hold of the boots and
dragged the BODY about 100 yards nd
began digging a grave. l took oil his
clothing. The grave 1 dug was not
large enough and took the Ratchet and
chopped off his head and arms. | buried
the arms, but took the head and put il
into the bag with his shirt around 1t;
put the bag in the wagon and finally
drove into the woods and buried the head
under some birch trees. | dug hole,
took the head out of the bag, and as
buried 1t, said goodbye Hiram. l threw
! the axe, lamp and shovel into the river,
as / passed from Maine back to Roches-
ter; took Hiram's clothing to my board
ing house and went to bed. Threw the
clothing and revolver from q ferry boat
| into the harbor.
Considerable excitement was caused
by the fact that the skull supposed tc
be that of Hiram Sawtelle, had, when
found, no teeth whatever in the upper
| Jaw, and but six front teeth in the
lower jaw Mrs. Sawtelle stated in
Boston to-day that her husband had
several teeth in the upper jaw, and thai
those in the lower jaw wore good and
regular.
The government, it is said, is not in
elm ed to admit that the head Is that o.
Hiram Sawtelle until good and sutfi
Gent evidence is offered on that point
Mrs. Sawtelle is on her way here Il
give testimony.