The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1899-11-07
WALLACE TELLS
OF MURDER
Says He Struck His Com.
mon Law Wife With
q Hammer.

some cell in the county Jail here, Harr
Wallace, the self confessed murderer 9
his common law wife, Mrs. Mollie Perry
ia calmly awaiting his fate. He murdere,
the woman this morning in cold blood
ed manner with an ordinary carpenter
hammer. He crushed her skull and lei
her weltering In . pool OF blood In tn
fire place OF the farm house kitchen, nea
Deakyneville, New Castle county.
The murder occurred betwe and ],
O'Clock this morning and the murdere
after leaving his victim wandered alonl
the tracks OF the Delaware Railroad OF
far north as Mt. Pleasant, where he WA
captured by employees Of the railroad
turned over to Magistrate Reynolds, o
Middletown, Who III turn placed him il
the custody Of State Detective Waiter
Witsil
The murder is one OF the most bruta
in the history OF crime In this State and
the description OF the awful deed 10 besl
given by the confession Of the murderer
himseli.
Standing OF the grated door Of his darh
cell tonight the murderer Of Mrs. Perry
in a cool aud uniinpaseioned manner
gave to your correspondent the follow.
ing story Of his crime and the events
leading up to it.
eve qusrreled over $40 and my leas.
ing the farm to accept position In Phil.
adelphis. wanted to keep the money
until I had worked long enough to re.
cure some for my own use as il is custo.
mary for some shops to hold back g
weeks pay from It's employees.
"'You shall leave at once" she said,
money or no money! l told her ]
would leave, but not until the boat ar.
rived and that was going out to husk
some more corn. r."
"You will get outright away, for am
tired Of yeur nonsence. You have got
right back in your old tricks and ! fee
just like killing you Saying this she
picked up hammer which | had left ly'
ing on the window sill where had been
knocking nail out Of our little girlf
shoe.
Mrs. Perry let the hammer fly at me
and it struck me on the shoulder af,er.
wards bouncing off aud flying into q
corner.
81 then struck her in the mouth with
my fist. She had store teeth and ]
think knocked them out Of her mouth
When struck her with my fist she fell
over lounge onto the floor and as she
go, up she picked up the hammer and
starred for me again and when she was
about to strike me l wrenched the ham
mer from her hand and struck her once
in the forehead and she fell striking the
stove with her head and landed in the
fire place.
"Ihey say there were two wounds or
her head, but don't think | struck heI
but once, although l was excited ant
may have struck the second blow. Sh.
struggled but did not speak or rise.
went out in the yard and met a co|oret
woman who lived in the house with us
told her to go TO the school and tell tn,
little girl that her mother was sick ant
to come home from school. next wen
to Ranghley and told little Willie Rangh
ley to run in and ask his grandmother Il
g and sec Nam (that's what called
Nollie) because che was very sick
"" lille said his grandmother was moi
home so l kept on going until WI
stopped at Mt. Pleasant, by James
Downey and another man, who turned
me over to the officers. was on my
way to New Castle to give myself W
when was arrested.
poor woman, she is dead and gone
and hope she is in heaven. 1 woult
not say anything against, her and hop
she is at rest. S7;-. POS.
Events Leading Up to- Murder.
II have been living with Mrs. PER-,
for about seven years, and we have twt
children, both girls; the eldest is
years old and tho youngest about 5.
Everything went well with us unit
about three years ago, when purchased
threshiug machine. gave obligations
together with Mrs. Perry. Just the sa,n
as il she was my wife. The amount wa
about 5000,
"She commenced repairs to her hous
intending to spend about 5000 on il, bn
when completed it cost about 500. Tina
! made $1,000 we owed and then GU
trouble comm need. She sent for he
father, John Ii. Smith, and her siste
Cara. They lived at LindenvilIe, Adail
county, Mo.
ave were all sitting at the euppe
table one night discussing our trouble
when Moilie pointing to me said: i coult
all right il II wasn't for you, for
have to take care IF myself
4 "ltold her that did not intend t,
| give up all | had worked for and 20 GU
to work by the month again.
"Molies people told me that ough
to 90 70 Oklahoma and as an induce
Ii ent Molie told me if | wonld 60 sh
would save my share Of the place Tor m
when the bills were settled, as she hat
secured the services of Lawyer Harr,
Emmons Of Wilmington to settle up tn,
matter.
II told Mollie that that would be al
| right, but that | wanted to return I,
Harry ID. Boyer of Smyrna, a grinding
mill that | had Jailed to pay for. tolt
! her that she could sell the stock but
'ot"d Mr.. Boyer to have that machin,
back.
lier father furnished me ticket t,
Oklahoma and | went there, but fount
t',at there were plenty of men there 70
all OF the jobs THAT were to be done.
81 worked my way back to Delaware
| and arrived at my home on May 4, tn
day before the sale. Two days before
went to my home | worked in Whining
ton unloading barge, for which l re
ceived two days pay at the rate of |:
cents an hour. This money l invested
in clean linen and clothes as far as i
would go as l wanted to look as we'll a
| possible on my return.
| "Mollie received me in a cool manne
and told me to go away and she woult
look after my share from the sale AM
| give it to me.
81 wanted to see the children and sh
brought them out to me and did ask M
to eat a meal but refused.
~ was at the sale next day and fount
that some Of the goods had been run Of
and heard Mr. Enmons say somethin
about certain goods being excepted. II
liked it all right and lots of creditor
were beaten.
"My trunk, watch, carpenter tools an
other belongings l never got, althoug
they were to have been kept for me b
Molle.
"After the sale | worked for Robei
Powell until the latter part of Angus,
after which secured position in BALD
wins Locomotive Works at Philadel
pbia. wrote to Mollie and told he
that l was getting $3.50 week and ex
pected raise.
by appointment / met Mollie and hi
| pictor at Woodland nnonb 1uriufr Al