Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1897-04-17
DRAPER CONFESSES He
MURDERED HASTINGS
Was Caught Taking Papers Wrong
fully From the Safe by
Hastings.
HE USED HIS POCKET KNIFE
Makes His Confession TO a M
vile n;iH!stcr.-lt ~ Thought
To Mitigate His Pun
ishment.

Jacksonville, ILL.,, April 1~0.-Charles L..
Draper, who has been in jail here since
April /, has made a full confession 10
Rev. A. Il. Morey, pastor OF the state
Street Presbyterian church of this city,
stating how he killed Charles l.. Hast
ings on the night Of March 81. The con-
fession caused great excitement here.
The general opinion is mat Draper
made the confession 10 save his neck.
The Confession.
Jacksonville, Ill.--To the Rev. DR..
Morey, Pastor Of State Street Presby-
terrain Church-My Dear Sir: As my
pastor and spiritual adviser. desire to
make TO you, and through you to send
10 the coroner OF Morgan county, a full,
true and perfect statement Of the facts
and circumstances that led TO the death
of Charles l.. Hastings Oh the evening
Of March 81 last.
"OD the evening Of the 31st Of March
] entered the office Of Judge Kirby, be-
tween s and 9 O'Clock. When entered
the office there was nc n there. | a
with me at the time an unlighted Ian
tern, wfffch q ,ir.tsa sf1Sn- asttinQ in
the office. | knew the combination OF
the vault n yer and opened n
look out a book therefrom and placed
1t on a desk next 10 the vault. / had
barely opened the book when ! heard a
noise at the front door.
when / heard footsteps on the stairs
/ extinguished the light Of the lantern
and started to the front with the view
of leaving the room by the door leading
to the closet. When Hastings opened
the door hat led from the hail to the
abstract Office, / had not been able to
reach he door Of my intended exit. AT
this time II was very dark in the room
and NJ object could be seen. AS soo
as he entered the Office he struck a
match N the light from II enabled him
to see me for a moment. He called me
by name and rushed upon me and SEIZED
me. | had on my oyercoat at the time
when he seized hold of me. In the strug-
gle | WAS thrown down, with him upon
me. While in this position | took the
knife (Which is now in possession Of the
%coroner) and began 10 use II as best ]
could to free myself from him. The
struggle was altogether in the dark and
i could not tell where or how the knife
took effect.
ITO the best of my knowledge the
struggle lasted fifteen or twenty min
utes. After the struggle, ! replaced the
book in the vault, locked II and left the
room by the front door, with my over
coat stin on. After reaching the street,
| Immediately started east 10 my own
Office and entered the same, and while
washing my face Alfred Morrison ann
to the door and said that he had seen
blood on my face and wanted 70 know
IL he could do anything for me.
The keys l had TO Judge kirby's Of
flee can be found i'm the furnace room
at my house, on the wall next 10 the
cold air duct, in the northwest corner Of
the furnace room.
Amy statements made by me at the
coroner's inquest or elsewhsre are un-
true so far as they conflict with this
statement. l had no right TO be in Judge
Kirby's Office at the time and | do not
seek to justify it in the slightest; and
but for my knowledge of this wrongful
entering his Office without leave. 1
would have told the whole truth at
once. 1 am, my lear sir. sincerely
yours, Charles l.. Draper"