The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1899-11-25
BE KILLED Els FATHER.
Elijah Moore, Aged Nineteen, Confesses
that He Killed His Father, Rev. Jesse
Moore, Near Dexter, Mo.

Dexter, Mo-, Nov. 20.-The mystery
surrounding the tragic death of Rev.
Jesse Moore, who was assa~ssinated
last Thursday morning while he lay
asleep in bed, at his home, six miles
south of here, is cleared. The son,
Elijah, 10 years old, held under sus.
picion, to-day made a full confession
of the deed. He also said that his sis.
ter, Mary, knew of his intention 20
murder his father. although in a sub.
sequent statement he completely eX-
onerated her and declared that he
alone was to blame.
Since his arrest, Elijah seemed in
different and maintained a sullen atti-
tude toward his Jail companions and
the officers until Saturday, when he
broke down and cried. Last night
Prosecuting Attorney Farris put him
in the "sweatboX' again, and this
morning when this officer told him. as
a bluff" that a mob would lynch him
unless he cleared the mystery, he AZ
claimed in trembling accents My
God! man, save ME from this horrible
fate, and l will tell the whole story"
Upon being assured of the laws pro.
lection and a fair trial. Elijah gave the
following statement, which was re
peated in the presence of two wit.
nesses:
Moore's Confession.
Il tiren the fatal shot that killed my
father, Jesse Moore, on the morning
of November 16. / had contemplated
and planned this deed for two weeks
previous to his death and thought ~
l returned home each night from M
daily labor, that | would carry it into
execution. l could never summon ur
sufficient courage, however, until last
Wednesday night, when / made a firm
VOW before going to bed that il
should be his last night on earth. This
determination was strengthened by n
stormy scene which was occasioned in
the family by an outburst of anger on
his part on that day. Before retiring.
l walked owe to where he lay on his
back sleeping, noted the position OF
his body, the position of the windows
in the room and decided in what por,
ton of the face the shot must be fired
in order to lend credence to the belief
that he was shot from one of the win.
dows.
Two weeks before this time. sistec
Nary knew of my plans and we took
fathers gun and secreted it behind d
row of -four barrels in the kitchen and
covered it carefully with Il pile of OLD
rags. This was done to add credence
to the story which l told on the morn
ing of the assassination. that father
had loaned his gun to some neighbor
and the neighbOr came back in the
night time, killed father and put the
gun in its accustomed place in the
rack on the front porch.
about ten o'clock | walked ont tc
the front gate, scanned the road as far
as | could by moonlight, and listened
attcntively for a few minutes for any
noise IN the vicinity. ] walked back
in the -onE: and noticed that my broth.
ers-Charles, aged ten, and Hance.a@ei
seventh a trundle bed in the sans
room, were restless in their sleep. Thii
deferred me from carrying cut my
! purpose at this hour. l blew out the
light and went to bed, but not 10
sleep.
AS the clock struck three, the baby
in an adjoining room reused me out OF
a dcze. | got up. slipped into the
kitchen, got my fathers gun, came
back and placed the muZzle within
about ei9teen inches Of his face and
fired. My aim was decided by the
moonlight. which poured through the
window and fell slanting across his
bed and face. My youngest brother
raised up in bed half asleep and cried
out: Charlie, what was that?" Charles
gave him Il half intelligent answer and
went back to sleep. l crouched to the
floor during this time. When all was
still 1 took the gun and half opened il
where it breaks, and put it in the rack.
/ went back TO bed for a few minutes,
and then and made a fire in the
family loom, and did the chores about
the place.
Motive for tho Murder.
4 breakfast time | went in the
kitchen, and told mother and Mary 10
make no outcry, hut some one had
come daring the night and shot IA
Tiers head off. We went TO the room
where father lay. This was the frs,
time ] saw the body since l fired the
shot. As | looked on my bloody work
/ woT.ld have given my life, ten thou.
sand times over, if | had never COM
mittsd the deed. We sent the neigh
Dor word and they focked in.
"aIy motive for the murder was
this: Father was n cross, grabbed man
to his family, and, at times, was harsh
and cruel. He never allowed me and
Mary any pleasure. His idea was a life
CT servitude and hard work. and he
enforced this with rigid discipline upon
his whole family. l had an ambition
to do something and be something in
the world; to mingle with my COM
panions in 4 social way; to have sweet
hearts and get enjoyment out of life,
and I knew l could never do it as long
as father lived. In his death l saw all
these things and more-that l would
| be at the head of the family and make
money for myself.