Daily tobacco leaf-chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1890-1895, 1892-08-19
HE LOVED BLOOD !
And for That Reason He Killed
an Aged Couple.
The Fall River (Mass.) Mystery
Finally Solved.

Cnartes IA. IecAhaHs ok Oehbr1A sAh"'
Westport, Mass, surrenders to the Fall
River Authorities and Confesses the
Double Murder of MIR. and Mrs. Bor-
den-The Daughter Suspected.
FALL RIVER, Aug. 19.-Charles Fl.
Peckham, of Central Villa, Westport,
Mass, walked into Central police sta
ton Thursday morning and said to AS
sistant Marshal Fleet:
"Well, Mr.. Marshal, killed Mr.. and
Mrs. Andrew J. Borden, and have
come from home to give myself up. l
went over the back fence and through
the rear door of the Borden house two
weeks ago today and l killed both of
those people out of pure love of blood.
| went out of the rear door and over the
back fence and walked over the New
Bedford road home Pm the murderer
and | want to be locked up"
The marshal took him to the cell
room and searched him. He found
pocketbook with a few receipts in it
and also unearthed some official cor. =
munications from the Russian bureau
at Washington. Peckham is sixty-two
years of age, about #. 6 in. tall, and
has thin gray beard. He says he
leases farm from Edmund Davis.
The police have started to hunt up his
relatives and friends.
This is the mysterious double murder
for which Miss Lizzie Borden, daughter
of the murdered couple, was suspected
and arrested.
When asked why he committed the
crime, Peckham said he had good
reasons for doing it, which he did not
care to state.
Fleet asked him what clothes he wore
and he replied that he wore the same
that he had on. He was asked If they
were not spotted with blood and he re-
piled no, there were no spatters because
the first blow caused death and stopped
the hearts action. He said he struck
the other blows by way of precaution.
He then told the deputy marshal that
he expected no sympathy and wanted to
be held. He had borne the knowledge of
the crime as long as he was able and
now wanted relief.
Mr.. Fleet further questioned him re-
garding various particulars of the
tragedy and he answered in a coherent
manner.
Immediately after he was locked up,
Mr.. Fleet telephoned the mayor of New
Bedford for particulars about Peckham
The mayor replied that he knew him
very we'll and that he was in some way
an eccentric person, but was never
thought to be insane.
He said that Peckham leased small
farm from the Davis estate in Westport,
situated a few miles out of the city of
New Bedford.
Mr.. Fleet also communicated by tele-
phone with Andrew j. jennings, at
torney for Lizzie Borden. Mr.. Jennings
replied that he wished to see the pris-
oner
The Crime.
Andrew J. Borden and his wife were
found dead at their home, 80 Second
street, Fall River at II o'clock Thursday
morning, Aug. A. The killing goes on
record as the most remarkable murder
New England has ever known.
Both had been frightfully mutilated
about the head and face with an ak,
cleaver or razor. Mr.. Borden lay on a
sofa in room on the floor of the house.
His head had been cut, and gashes from
four to xix inches long were found on
his face and neck.
Mrs. Borden was in her chamber, on
the upper floor, and the condition Of her
face and neck was the same as that of
her husband. No implements that could
have been used in the commission of the
crime were found.
Borden was q wealthy real estate
owner and mill man, worth $500, 900, and
was seen on the street half an hour be-
fore he was found dead.
1t is said that the servant, Bridget
Sullivan, says she went to his room to
make some inquiry of Mr.. Borden about
five minutes before Lizzie Borden gave
the alarm. He was then sitting ON the
sofa reading newspaper. Mr.. Borden
was on the streets and in several of the
banks as late as 10 o'clock.
Public indignation had reached such
fever heat that the police were neces-
sarily impeled to action.
The finger of suspicion pointed to
Lizzie Borden, the seventeen-year-ol
daughter. She was accordingly arrest
ed, and is now confined in the Jail.
Two days after her incarceration, that
changeable public opinion once more
changed in favor of the girl
Many believed that her arrest and i'm
prisonment had nothing tangible as
basis and naught but the enormity of
the crime, calling for speedy vengeance,
brought about her temporary disgrace.
NORTH SAVANNAH, Ca, Aug. TO-
William r. Cole. formerly Central
railroad engineer, while under the in
fiuence of liquor Wednesday morning,
shot his wife and himself at their home