The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1891-02-12
CANFIELD is IN PRISON
MERITED DOOM OF NELLIE
GRIFFIN'S SLAYER.

Pleading Guilty Tor Fear OF MOO NenSe-
ance, He Is Sent for Lie to the jackson
Penitentiary- Speedy Justice for an In
human Wretch.
charlotte (Mich.) dispatch.l
Russell G. Garfield, the inhuman MUIR
derer of little Nellie Griffin, escaped the
lynchers' rope by pleading guilty and
receiving the sentence of life imprison-
ment Less than twenty-four hours ago
he was captured, and tonight he is in
the State Penitentiary at Jackson.
Justice has been swift in his case, but in
the opinion of the enraged people here
she has been far too merciful. Horri-
fed and maddened by the fearful crime
of the monster, the people demanded
blood and had Garfield been still in the
jail here this night would have been his
last 1t was his fear of mob vengeance
that caused him to confess, and dread of
the VigilanteS rope drove him to plead
guilty and seek safety behind the solid
walls of the States prison. Sheriff
Pollock saw the prisoner in his cell this
morning and told him of the danger he
was in from the enraged people. He
seemed to feel this by intuition, and
seemed to be willing to do anything to
save his miserable neck. When the
Sheriff asked him if he desired to plead
guilty as he had confessed he replied,
eyes, I'll plead guilty to numbering the
girl at any time" The prosecuting at
torney was seen and Judge Hooker
notified. Early in the afternoon Garfield,
the Sheriff and the prosecutor slipped
quietly into the courtroom by side
ho oh tn Gam
field. His dull, sleepy eyes looked un-
easily at the windows as if fearing bull
let He hardly understood the reading
or the Importance of the charge as it
was read to him. When it was finished
he was asked: edo you plead guilty or
not guilty?" II am guilty." said the
wretch, and he shivered as if with an
ague chill. Judge Hooker then SEN
fenced him to mprisOnment for life, and
at once the Sheriff hustled him on
Michigan Central train, and he was taken
to the States prison to undergo his life
long punishment
The story as told by the murderer
and taken down is substantially this:
Garfield went from Dimondale to
Jonesville on Tuesday morning,
Jan. 27, by rail, from the latter place
going to Coldwater. After spending
some time in this town, he visited the
State School and had a talk with Super
intendent NeWkirk. He told the latter
that he wanted to adopt girl from the
institution, saying he would provide
good home for her and alleging, as was
true, that he was possessed of a COM
Portable property. He gave his name to
the Superintendent as G. Hendershott,
and finally made arrangements to take
Nellie Griffin with him to his alleged
home. In company with the girl he re-
turned to Jonesville and thence to
Dimondale. After getting off the train
at the latter place Garfield, with his
victim, took the road leading to Mr..
Harrison's farm. Before reaching it he
struck off the travelled highway, going
through several tracts of wood until he,
with his charge. reached the piece of
timber by the river where the body
was found. They talked for a few
moments and Nellie manifested great
distress of mind and wept bitterly,
begging Garfield to take her back to the
institution at Coldwater. Turning
deaf ear to the girls pleadings, Garfield
struck her down and choked her to
death. He then denuded her body OF
clothing, and, taking the corpse in his
arms, threw it headlong into the river.
The clothes he took to HarrisOn's farm
and hid them under the floor of the COW
stable. Garfield maintained stubbornly
to the last that he had not abused his
victim.
When Garfield had signed this con-
fession of his guilt he was at once locked
UP and guard placed over him. Sheriff
Pollock, after taking precautions to
guard the jail in case of an attack,
started for Harrison's farm, near
Dimondale, to search for the girls
clothes. Under the floor of the COW
stable on Mr.. Harrison's farm the
clothes were found wrapped in bundle.
To the people who read Canfield's
confession, his admissions concerning
the crime seem incredible. Very nat
urally the reader would picture him to
be a bloodthirsty-lo villain, with
| brutality stamped on every feature, but
this is not the case. He is a mild-man-
nered, Notwithstanding man Of slen-
der build, and rather below the average
height He says that he is So years old,
and his appearance indicates this to be
the truth. He has regular features.
| full beard, mild, honest-looking blue
eyes, and is as far from looking
the villain he acknowledges himself to
be as can be imagined The Har-
IlSOu fanny 1oI "Hoh1 il0 aAof0 q III ~
wagon daily to Lansing, refused to be-
lieve him guilty until his own confession
forced them to admit it. They state
that he was quiet, unObtrusiVe man
who never had much to say and did his
work well. He is understood to be fairly
well fixed, and has an income from
small farm that he rents, preferring to
drive milk wagon for Mr.. Harrison
rather than conduct his own farm and
do his own cooking and homework.
The other convicts in Ghe penitentiary
say they will knock him on the head
when he gets to work.
A SUGGESTION has been made that