, 1892-04-04

MURDER WILL OUT.
A TRAIN ROBBER AND MURDERER
CONFEsSEs AT LAST.

The Crime at PixIey, California
Comes to light i'm Curious
Manner Way i'm which a sailor
was Forced to Confess.
Honolulu, March 16.-John r. Griffith,
sailor on the whaling ship North Light,
which left here today for a cruise in North
Pacific ocean, addressed letterunder date
of March 18th, to United States Consul
Severance, in which he confesses of having
perpetrated In company with two compan-
ions, the daring train robbery which took
place near Pixley, California, February
22nd, 1889. Three men boarded the train
at that point and after the train had left
the station climbed over the baggage car
into the cab of the engine. They ordered
the engineer to stop the train, but he did
not obey quickly and as consequence
lost his life. a passenger who emerged
from the coach after the train came to
standstill was also shot and killed.
sssThe robbers then went through the mail
and express cars taking everything they
could lay their hands on and escaped.
Grltfith's letter in full is as follows.
SHIP NORTHERN LIGHT, March IL, 1892.
To the Right Honorable American Consul
Honolulu:
DEAR SIR: I wish to give myself into
your hands here, a fugitive from Justice to
be held prisoner until the state authorities
of California and the postal authorities of
the United States are notified and can
move in the matter About s O'Clock n. ~
OF I'D of February, 1882 the San Francisco
and Los Angeles local express train was
stopped by three highWaymen near the
town of Pixley, in Tulare county. Califor-
mia and Wells Fargo g. Co.'s, forced and
robbed of $1,000 in gold. Mail pouches
were riAed and several registered letters and
other papers aud packages of minor value
secured. Two men were killed in the me-
lee, the fireman of the train and passen-
ger from the town Of Modesto. California.
There is standing reward for the appre-
hension of the parties who perpetrated this
crime. The state offers a reward of Sc. 600
and Wells Fargo 6 Co., So, 800 besides two
or three smaller rewards by private parties.
Myself and two other Young men were the
perpetrators and were the sole actors in
this crime. The leader in this is a well to
do insurance agent doing business ~ Fras-
no, California, at the present time Nv
self and the other fellow have been at sea
together most of the time since then. I
have lived in constant fear since then
Every moment of my life I have been in
terror and now have every reason to be-
lieye that facts will be made public before
my seip reaches San Francisco, hence this
The other fellow shipped on
the John P. West with the intention Of
running away on some remote islands near
the equator and when he found out the
ship would not put in at those islands /
have every reason believe that he is the
man who set her on fire. will turn states
evidence and make clean breast Of the
whole thing as soon as see YOU.
! Will make written statement
q all facts and swear to It
before notary, am turning myself over
to you because l can't stand this wretched
fearful 2! existence any longer and hope to
get OH lighter by acting thus. If you take
me IN charge, do it quickly as my ship will
leave here at once. This must be ended !
at !. once and Tor good, even # II ends in
self destruction. NY father IS a wealthy
business man OF Fresno, Gal. am 26
years OF age, light complexion and weigh |
l40 pounds. Respectfully,
JOHN r. GRIFFITHs.
Z; S.-March II, am, lS92.-This is
step am taking, sir, after long