Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1893-10-26
BUTCHER AND LIAR
About Rounds Up the Charac-
ter Of j. E. Stone.
SOLE SLAYER OF THE WRATTENS

The Notorious Confessor Confesses Again,
This Time That He Alone Committed
the bastard Deed. and l. Sure of the
Divine Forgiven.ss-A Letter to His
Wife and Chil,Ircn-Ths Bloody story
He Tells-His Tools Found.
WASHINGTON, Ind. Oct a6-James +
Stone haa made second confession, COM
pletcly generating the persons whom he
implicated in the first confession in the
Wratten murder on Sunday morning.
Tuesday he stated To Deputy Prosecutor
Hastings that his first confession was in
the main untrue; that he alone was guilty
OF the atrociuu- crime. and that he had
no accomplices. He said that he and
Martin Marlboro last summer spoke OF rob
bling the bouse, but Marlboro had backed
down. He said that srIning himself with
n small AZ and corn knife he proceeded
to the house. Calling Mrs. Wrdtcea to
the door he informed her that he had
case Of JoOthache and Mrs Wratt,n
brought him some Wizard oil As she
brought it be struck her To- the floor " it'll
the corn knife
The Butchery at the Others.
He then rushed into the room where Mr.
Wratten and the children were Ellen
Wratten. the ll-year-Old girl who survived
the horrible blow She received that night
for several day., first awoke, and recogniz-
ing Stone, exclaimed Mr. Stone, what
are you doing here?' He struck her, then
turned to the helpless patient [Wratten
was i'll in bedl He struck him fatal
4.
the small children. lie then tried the
door to the room Of old Mrs Wratteu. out
could not force it, 80 re forced the window
by breakiIg it with his foot Then a ter
rible struggle eusucd. for the old lady WAS
rs strong ~ IN her prime; having killed
her he passed through tne rooms in which
his other victims lay. Mr.. and Mrs Wrat-
ten were both still living, but delirious.
He gave them the final blow.
The Lord Is Very MorcifuI.
Stone did not get any money and said
that after the tragedy lie did hot care for
money. stone then hid his clothes and
bloody pons. lie was the first at the
Wratten homestead when the alarm of the
murder WIS given. He was d pall-bearer
at the funeral and assisted the undertaken
in dressing the bodies for burial. He says
that he has been forgiven by the Lord aud
is happy man.
Told Where His Tools Were Hidden.
II the confession Stone told the officers
where TO find the weapons with which the
deed was done The officers went out and
found them where Stone had stated A
small. bloody axe and ca corn-kuife were
hidden under a log in a piece of woods
close by the scene OF the tragedy. The
weapons are now in the hands of the grand
II 81. rapnrfaI hot he, no
BILE went TO arrest Stone he invited the
constable into family prayers after he said
he would 60 with him. His wife has been
brought t. Washington for protection, as
she feared violence from the murderous
gang to which her husband belonged
Writes Letter to His Family
He wrote the following TO his wife and
children:
"DEAR CECILIA, SALLIR, EZRA AND
HAREY-I don't think l will ever see your
faces again. Raise these children to fear
God l will tell you that today / am
happy in a Sayior's love. ! sought Christ
yesterday evening and all last night. |
have found him precious to my soul and
am now ready to die and am n happy man
Please meet me in heaven, all of you.
Tell Cecilia TO write me as soon as she
gets this, and that she did just right in
telling the truth on me TO the grand Jury
/ am saved Pray for me, Cecilia Good
bye. JOHS +. stone"
The last story of the self-confessed muir
derer caused intense excitement in this
city and is generally regarded as being the
truth, but he is such a notorious liar that
some still doubt that he tells the whole
truth. 1t is the general opinion that he
believed himself to be in a tight place and
thought best to make Il clean breast OF
the whole tragedy. The weapons being
found just where Stone said he had placed
them has banished all doubt rs to his
guilt. The crime stands without parallel
in the history Of southern Indiana. Steps
are being taken to liberate the six men
now confined in the state prison who were
arrested and placed there on Stones first
confession