The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1892-07-08
WILSON, THE MURDERER.
HE CONFESsES THE CRIME
While the officers are Trying to Protect
Him from the Mob, He Escapes.

While the officers are Trying to Protect
Him from the Mob, He Escapes.
In the annals of crime OH the Pacific
voting details the murder on June 22d, near
I Milwaukee, Clackamas county, of little
Mamie Walsh by Charles Wilson. The
| deed was committed i'll the country where
the girl had been picking berries and her
body was mutilated and hidden in the
underbrush. The citizens of that neigh
borhood and the officers of the law made
every effort to ferret out the mystery and
discover the murderer. Several persons
Were arrested on suspicion. but all succeeded
in establishing their innocence with the ex-
| oeption of Wilson, young man who was
employed in that vicinity. The detectives
had been working on the case and were
| drawing the chain of evidence closer and
! closer about him until last Friday, when
sufficient pressure was brought to bear on
him to break down his former evidence and
induce him to confess his guilt and give
description of the manner in which he com.
mitted the deed. Following is his story as
he told it to a reporter:
81 was working that Wednesday after
noon, digging post.holes a short distance
from my brothers house. I saw Mamie
picking berries, and when she approached
within short distance of me, an uncon-
trollable desire to kill her overcame me. I
thought how easily I could kill her. Like
hound after rabbit, 1 sprang toward
her. 1t took me just three bounds.
I grasped her by the throat before she knew
! my intentions. She was a pretty little
thing and so innocent. She struggled hard
but could make no outcry, for 1 hal a firm
hold on her throat. The blood oozed from
hel mouth. but that did not affect me. But
how the little thing d1d fight. 1 was the
stronger, however, and she soon became in
sensible. [ held on for awhile until l thought
| she was dead. then dragged her into the
| brushes, and went off to see if there was
anyone around who could have noticed what
had done. Satisfied that had not been
seen, returned and after looking at the
body 1 mutilated her somewhat,
and after examining her to my satisfaction,
began to consider what disposition I should
make of the remains While thinking l
noticed the body move. placed my hand
over her heart, and found it still beating.
I tn an covered her mouth and nose with my
hand until knew life was extinct. Then
shouldered the body, and carried it west
toward the lane. l laid it down in the
brush, and went to look up and down the
road. Seeing no one, 1 carried my burden
to the fence, and in attempting to- lift it
over it fell to the ground the head striking
first, cutting a cash and m ,king a sound
that caused me to slrudler. This was the
first and only time that repentance has come
to me. Carrying the body across the lane
dragged it underneath the barbed- wire
fence. Then took off my shoes, and pick
ing up Mamie resumed my way. I never
had any experience in carrying dead bodies,
and did not know how to handle this one.
She was very heavy, and several times l
lad to lay her down. When l arrived at
the three stumps referred to in the Oregon.
| ian I was almost exhausted. I rested.
while, and then threw the body over. 1t
was terrible hard work, and did not feel
much like walking further. l found fairly
convenient spot, under a big stump and laid
the body down. l thought then that it was
not the best place, but was too tired to go
ahead. So l arranged the clothes nicely
about her limbs and gathering few ferns
spread them over her, then sat down and
viewed my work. 1 felt that l would be
found out, but did not care. 1 was not IN
the least sorry, in fact 1 don't remember
now just how did feel. Bat I went back
to my work, and you know what interest
haye since taken in the case. On my return
hid the bucket, and hat Mamie had, near
the trail had followed. They were both
in plain sight, and it is a wonder the search
ers did not find them.''
''Suspicion pointed toward me, and l
hardly knew what to do to overcome this.
Sunday morning heard my brothers little
girl talking about the arrest of Rates.
Here happy thought struck me. l made
up my mind to strengthen the suspicion
against Rates., went out and found the
bucket and hat The latter I tried to burn,
but it had become wet, and after wasting
several matches 1 buried it. / smashed the
| bucket with my foot and took it to Rates.
wigwam, where hid it near his door. The
hook to the bucket threw in the hollow
stump. l congratulated myself that 1 had
erased all traces behind me, but I was
doomed to disappointment. All l could do
to throw the officers off my trail was with
| out success, and at last they have struck
upon the right man. Here I ain. 1 confess
the crime and expect to die for it,
Wilson was taken from the Jail at Oregon
| City to Portland by the officers as the ex
| citement i'll the community ran so high
when it was learned that Wilson had con.
| fessed the crime that 1t was feared he would
| be lynched if kept t'l.re. A mob followed,
| however, and for awAile excitement was high
| around the Multnomah county nil. The
officers had taken the precaution to spirit
the prisoner away so that when the mob ar
rived on the scene he was not to be found
and they finally dispersed after searching
the Jail.
Sheriff Kelly. of Maltnomah county, an
ticipating another visit from the mob and
| fearing that he might not be SO successful in