Pawtucket tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 1890-189?, 1892-08-19
AN INSANE FARMER
Confessed to Killing
the BOrdenS.
MIND WAS UNBALANCED,
Retra acts His Statements When His
Senses Return.

FALL RIVER, Mass. Aug. l9.-Goorge ii.
Peckham, m honest, harmless and pious
bid farmer and ex-soldier, stood In surprise
In the guard room Of the Fall River police
station last night, and wondered why he
was the cause of so much eycitement He
had como 70 his senses,or rather his senses
had come TO him.
lie had just been awakened from O
sou 0d sleep. and IA ho arose from cell
bunk he failed utterly to comprehend his
surroundings, to understand the semi-ex-
PLANTATION made that he had been held be-
cause he confessed to killing Andrew J.
Borden and his wife.
Peckham halls from Westport. He has
o small farm there, but nearly all the
work on the place devolves upon his wife
and l4-year-old son. His war record Is a
good one. He fought with Grant But the
saoriice he made for his country was q
great one Physically and mentally
He is q Wreck.
HIS service In the army brought about
ruin to what had been rugged constitu-
tion.
He Is now on his little farm, fretting
with his wife q great deal more about the
big mortgage on his home than about the
sensation ho had caused.
While Peckham was renewing his mental
faculties at the police station. q reporter
went to the old mans farm In Westport
and talked with his wife Some one had
Just told her that her husband was under
arrest for the murder OF Mr.. and Mrs.
Borden. and she was very anxious to show
that he could prove a strong alibi.
Why" she remarked, with tears In her
eyes, he has been Ill since July 10, so
that up to last Friday he has not been
able TO go to Fall River for marketing.
He hasn't been out OF my sight an hour
since July l3,until today. Then saw that
One OF His Spells
was coming on. and. although 1 tried to
keep him at home, saw he was deter
mined to go, and I could not help myself"
Last evening Constable Grinnell of West.
port, accompanied by Mrs. Charles H.
Peckham, arrived Mt the central station in
a farmers wagon
Peckham was let out of the cell and
brought into the guard room He Jagged
behind Captain Desmond. talking with
Mayor Coughlin, who told him he was GO
ing home. Charlie straIehtened up. gave
a Comanche war whoop, and then. break
Ing loose from Dr. Coughlin's arm. per-
formed n sort of SKIRT dance, and ended
By jumping three feet In the air
Outside the station Peckham halted. A
crowd of officers and reporters surged
about him. He looked around nc the
crowd and asked, amid the hearty laugh
ter NJ all hands: "Well. what are we
here forr'
"Flannagan, outFlannaganed," said
tho mayor, as the famous remarks Of the
sage OF Flannagan's Mills. Tex. was 30
aptly repeated.
Then Peckham was told that he had
Confessed TO the Borden Murder.
That's u lie. l did not say any such
thing" he said. Then he turned 10 the
crowd and said he had had a "flne sleep"
and felt good. but he could not for tho life
Of him understand why be had been
locked up
He suddenly remembered that Captain
Desmond had told him his wife was wait
ing TO take him homo Hello, girl" he
said cbeerily, as he grasped his wife's
hand, and clambered into the wagon.
"Did you hear what those fellows have
beer giving mef" did not commit no
murder; didn't say did, nuther."
Then followed more amusing remarks
about his incarceration, and as Mrs Peck
ham took a seat In the back OF the wagon,
and Peckham and the constable crowded
each other on the blanketed board In
front, Peckham craned his neck. and, eye
ing the crowd quizzically, said Borden
murderi Hel Hel good joker and he ut
tered fervent God bless you, boys,
good-by," aud tho wagon drove down the
alIpr