The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1898-01-25
A CONFESSION BY B0INAY
CHARGES WEEKS WITH THE MUIR
DER OF HANS BOHNER.

A Hermit Who Was Killed About Year
Ago-The Confession Supported by Cir
cumstantial Evidence-Says That Weeks
After Numbering the Old Man Burned
His Dwelling.
The Bridgeport Standard last evening
printed confession of Charles A. Boin-
ay, now in state prison sentenced to be
executed April IA for the murder of
George Marcus Nichols, in which Boin-
ay accuses David Weeks, his partner in
the Nichols murder. of the murder of
Hans Bonner on April 6, 1897. This
confession, the Standard affirms, is sup
ported by considerable circumstantial
evidence. The confession is in sub
stance as follows:
Myself and David Weeks started out
February 6, 1897, to do some canvass
ing at Long Hill, Easton, Newtown and
vicinity. and incidentally to rob some
one that Dave had worked for. After
stopping at several houses and drink
ing two or three quarts of cider we went
on and came to the shanty of John
Bohner an old and inoffensive man.
We knocked. and as there was no an
swer we broke in and helped ourselves
to some of the old mans wine" Boin-
ay said further: There were several
barrels and kegs in the cellar, and as l
did not know which one the wine was
in, I tried several. Suddenly l heard
four shots in rapid succession. Before
the shots We're fired | had heard con-
siderable noise upstairs. L concluded
that the old man had returned and that
he and Dave were having tussle.
II rushed out of the cellar. and as /
entered the door I saw the most sick
ening sight that I had ever beheld. The
old man lay on the floor with one end
of a common dirt pick in the back of
his neck the point coming out just un-
der the chin. The floor was covered
with blood. Dishes and tinware were
scattered around the room. There was
dim light burning. Dave was search
ing the old mans pockets. He got three
cents and an old silver watch. / was
too Mortified to speak. Finally Dave
explained: The old man came in and
I grabbed him with the intention of
| throwing him on the bed and holding
! him there till you came up with the
| wine. He recognized me, so shot hin,
at once and finished him with the pick.
Dave knew the old man would have
| him arrested, so he killed him in order
| to escape. The old mans house had
| burned down few years before and
| at that time he had had narrow es-
| cape from death, and Dave said the
| best thing to do was to set the house
| on fire and cover up the crime. Dave
explained that the neighbors would
| think the old man was drunk and did
| it himself We went to the cellar and
drank some wine and remained there
| about two hours, as near as | can re-
member 1t was too eraly to fire the
| house.
Then Dave went up stairs. and, $50
| he told me- poured kerosene oil all over
the floor and bed, and then set fire to
4 the shanty. We went to Long Hill
| burst open the school house door, en-
treed, built a fire there and remained
| until daylight. Dawes hands were COW
cred with blood. There was no water
| in the school house, SO I went out and
| got some snow. I melted this over the
| fire and gave him the water to WASH
| with. His handkerchief was pretty
| well spotted with blood, so he burned
| that in the school house stove.
| According to Boinay's confession, the
| two wretches then went to Jersey City
where Dave Weeks pawned old mar
| ID orse fah