Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1898-05-05
MURDER WILL OUT
BESTOR AND FULLER CONFESS
TO AN AWFUL CRIME.
NOW LODGED IN WAUPUN
Suspects in the Black Earth Tragedy
Make a Clean Breast of Their
Bloody Deed-Overwhelming Evi-
dence and Fear of Mob Violence
Makes Them Break Down.
Madison. Nav

Madison, May l.
Justice was swift in the case of Will
liam Bestor and William Fuller,
charged with the murder of Andrew
Nelson and wife at Black Earth last
Wednesday night. Sixty hours after
the commission Of the CHASTITY deed,
the fiends were on the way to Wau-
pun, after making full confession OF
their guilt. The confession was
''sweated' from them at the jail Fri
day night when they were confronted
with overwhelming clrcumstantial ev-
idence against them and told that they
would likely be mobbeu if they did not
make a clean breast OF it and allow
themselves to be taken to Waupun
without delay. Sheriff Moulton was
fearful that mob violence would be at
tempted and in the absence of the To-
cal militia thought it best to enjoin the
strictest secrecy regarding the confess
sion until he should be safely out OF
town with the prisoners. But the
news was too good to keep and by day
light it was the common talk on the
street, a number OF persons in no Of
fetal capacity having been let into the
secret. 1t was stated that the sheriff
and district attorney feared that if
the people of Black Eartn were sure
Bestor and Fuller were the guilty par
ties they would come to Madison,
overpower the authorities, batter down
the jail and string up the fiends. These
fears, however, appear to have beea
groundless. Miss Wlnden, Mrs. Nell
sons sister, who was upstairs while
the ghouls performed their dev1llsh
work below, recognized the voice or
Bestor, who was a sort of foster son
of Nelson, and it was her story that
led to the swift arrest Of the murder
ers. Then, too, it was known that W.
+. Pierstorff of Middleton was said to
have seen the men on the train going
to Black Earth on the fateful night.
These things, together with the knowl
edge that they had been In Madison
the previous day, besides the charac~
ter Of the men and many other con
viGcing circumstances left hardly
shadow of doubt as to who the guilty
parties were. It is to the credit of tn
good citizens of Black Earth, however,
that they had confidence in the justfc
of the courts and let the law have its
course. In the city there was no no
ticeable excitement though all de
plore the awful tragedy.
The confession is a tale of horror
! scarcely credible in this peaceful time
and community. Bestor, who appears
to be the greater coward, told his
story first Fuller held out but when
confronted with Bestor's confession
broke down. Their stories agree sub
stantially but each charges the other
with the actual killing of Mr.. and
Mrs. Nelson. They came from Wau-
kesha Wednesday to rob Nelson whom
they supposed had money in the house.
They went west from Madison on the
passenger train leaving here at Gas
p. M. riding on the platform between
the baggage and mail cars. They
dropped off the train at Black Earth;
went by the stock yards, where one
Of them picked up a piece of rope.
They went to the Nelson residence,
with which Bestor was familiar, hav-
ing lived in the house From this
point their stories differed. Bestor
says Fuller went in without knocking,
finding the door unlocked, and Mrs.
Nelson up; that he (Bestor) stood at
the outer door and heard Fuller strike
the blow which knocked her down,
then following him into the house saw
him strangling her with the piece of
! rope picked up at the stock yards; he
says that after choking her to death
. Fuller went TO the bedroom adjoining,
t where Mr. Nelson was in bed, and
where light was burning; that the
! old man had raised up to a sitting
posture, and Fuller struck him on the
head with a club, knocking him down,
and then strangled him with a piece
! of cloth he picked up in the room.
He says that Nelson cried out, For
! Gods sake, don't murder me-" and
that Fuller replied, Then tell me
! where your money is" 81 haven't
any" replied the old gentleman. Then
| Fuller finished his horrid work, and
both began a search for money. Both
agree that all they got was about So.
| Bestor says that they then carried
the body of Mrs. Nelson into the bed
room and laid it beside that Of her
husband; that Fuller then took the
top off the lamp, sprinkled the oil
about the room and over the bed and
bodies, scattered matches about also,
and then set the fire which they hoped
would destroy the evidence of their
crime. They then left the house,
walked to MaZomanie, and caught the
fast stock train and rode home to
Waukesha, where they were arrested
the Waukesha sheriff.
Fuller says that when they arrived
at the house Mrs. Nelson was in the
yard, going from an outbuilding to
the house; that Bestor said: You
hit her, Bill" and that when he re-
fused Bestor struck the blow which
felled her, then seized some cloths
hanging on a line near by, tied them
about her neck and choked her to
death; that they then went into the
house and that Bestor killed the old
gentleman in about the manner Bes-
tor says Fuller did the deed; that both
then carried the body of Mrs. Nelson
into the house and laid it on the bed
beside the other, and that Bestor then
took the top off the lamp, scattered
= Ill