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 SON
Vile Minister--lt Is Thought
20 Mitigate His Pun
ishment.

jacksonville, ILL.,, April 10.-Charles l..
Draper, who has been in Jail here since
April /, has made a full confession to
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-
fesslon caused great excitement here.
The general opinion Is Jhat Draper
made the confession 10 save his neck.
The Confession.
Jacksonville, Ill.--To the Rev. Or.
Morey, Pastor OF state Street Presby-
terrain Church-Aiy Dear Sir: As my
pastor and spiritual adviser, ! desire 10
make To you, and through YOU To send
10 the coroner Of Morgan county, a full,
true and perfect statement Of the facts
and circumstance that led to the death
of Charles l.. Hastings Oh the evening
Of March 81 last.
ION the evening Of the 31st Of March
! entered the Office Of Judge Kirby, be-
tween S and 8 o'c.ock. When I entered
the office there was no one there. | had
with me at the time an unlighted Ian
tern, wffich 4 iishtsd astoH sattinS in
the office. / knew the combination OF
the vault and ven and opened and
took out a book therefrom and placed
It on a desk next TO the vault. l had
barely opened the book when / heard a
noise at the ron door.
when l 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 that led from the hall TO the
abstract Office, ] had rot been able 10
reach the door of my intended exit. AT
this time il was very dark in the room
and no object could be seen. Us soon
as ne entered the office he struck a
match and the light from 1t enabled him
to see me for a moment. He called me
by name and rushed upon me and seized
me. | had on my overcoat at the line
when he seized hold of me. In the strug-
gle | w.s thrown down, with him upon
me. While in this position l took the
knife (Which is now in possession OF the
coroner and began 10 use 1t as best
could to free myself from him The
struggle was altogether in the dark and
/ could not tell where or how the knife
took effect.
ITO the best of my knowledge he
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 stlll on. After reaching the street,
/ Immediately started east to my own
office and entered the same, and while
washing my face Alfred Morrison came
to the door and said that he had seen
blood on my ace and wanted TO know
If he could do anything for me.
The keys / had to Judge kirby's Of
flee can be found i'm the furnace room
at my house, on the wall next to the
cold air duct, in the northwest corner Of
the furnace room.
ANY statements made by me at the
~coroner's inquest or elsewhere are UNI
true so far as they conflict with this
statement. | 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, /
would have told the whole truth at
once. / am, my lear sir, sincerely
yours. Charles l.. Draper