Birmingham state herald. (Birmingham, Ala.) 1895-1897, 1897-01-28
A FIEND INCARNATE
Murdered His Mother, Sister and Brother
and Then Fled to st. Louis Where He
Was Captured--Mind Unbalanced.

st. Louis, Jan. 27.-Arthur Palmer, of
Mamaronlok, N. Y. was arrested by
Capt O'Malley and Detective hooking, of
the st. Louis force at the Planters hotel
this afternoon. Palmer is a handsome,
well-dressed man about As years of age,
and has been at the hotel for q week,
registered as Paul Jones'
The arrest was made ON a long dis
lance telephone message from Sheriff
johnson, of Westchester county, N. T.,
who said that Palmer murdered his
mother, brother and sister nine days ago
and fled to parts unknown. The sheriff
telephoned that Palmer had been traced
to st. Louis and could probably be found
at one of the hotels. During his stay
at the hotel, Palmer kept closely to his
room. When on the ground floor he
would find secluded corner in the libra
ry away from the crowd. AT 2:30 o'clock
this afternoon Police Capt. O'Malley and
Detective hooking located Palmer at the
Planters.
Manager Cunningham pointed him out
sitting in a corner of the library. When
told that he was a prisoner, Palmer col
lapsed and had to be helped to the patrol
Wagon. He was in such apparent help
lessness that officers did not press him
with questions.
On arriving at the four courts Palmer
was carried to the sick wards of the pris-
on and DR.. Lppe, of the city dispensary,
summoned. The physician found the
prisoner suffering from ague and general
debility. 1t was p. m. before Palmer
was sufficiently revived to be questioned.
He was taken into the office of Chief of
Detectives Desmond. Under a steady fire
OF questions Palmer at first made a weak
show of indignation of his arrest. He
denied that his name was Palmer, and
claimed to be a land Spectator from
Denver, Col. His mental distress and
physical weakness was not long proof
against the questions, and by degrees he
broke down.
AT 9 o'clock he admitted that his name
was Arthur Palmer and that he had as
sumed the name of Paul Jones for bust
ness reasons. He declared that he had
left home on Sunday, the day preceding
the triple murder. Without baggage he
walked to Larchmont, two miles from
his home, where he boarded the last car
of an express train as it left the station
for the west. This western trip, he said,
had been in his mind for a month, and
when he left home all his people were
we'll. His mission in the west was to
seek a location for a dairy.
By $3.50 p. m. he had admitted every col
lateral fact necessary for conviction upon
circumstantial evidence of the triple
murder, but stoutly denies all knowledge
of the crime. His constantly repeated
remark is: wait till get back to New
York, then you will know everything"
Palmer's conflicting admissions and de-
mails; his sunken features, restless eyes
and hesitating vacant manner of speech,
plainly indicates an unbalanced mind.
The first knowledge of Palmer's pres
ence here was received in New York early
this morning when a letter arrived there
from him bearing st. Louis postal mark.
The long distance telephone as stated
before, was used to. call up the ST. Louis
police and within an hour after receiving
the assignment, Detective hooking had
Palmer behind the bars in the four
courts A full confession from the pris-
oner is expected.