The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-12-06
KNAPP MURDERER JAILED.
coSrEssEs TO COMMISSION OF
c0LD-BLooDED CRIME.
duplicates Another Man ms Party
10 the Felony and Acknowledges
the Murder of shaBLiin Year
Ago - Lynching Was Feared.

gneelal Disnatch Ia the PoSt-IntelligeDcer.
TACOMA, Dec. s-Martin Stickeis. one
Of the fnurderers Of Mr.. and Mrs Cor
neiius Knapp. the aged couple who were
Killed In their home, three miles from
Castle Rock last Wednesday. IL in the
county jail having been brought here by
Sheriff Kirby Of Cowliiz county, THIS
morning
stfckeIs WAS given a preliminary exam
nation before Justice OF the Peace Joseph
Smith, of Kalarna. yesterday afternoon,
and the confessions ne made raised public
Indignation 10 such pitch that serious
talk Of Iynching him was heard. and IT
was decided to send the man to the Pierce
county jail for safe keeping.
sfickets told story Of crime, -actuated
by greed OF gain. TO the Post -fnteilieen-
Ger correspondent this afternoon which
IN many respects has few parallels. ana
recalls the terrible tragedies OF tho Ben
der family, In Kansas. He duplicates a
man named ED Pierce, and declares
Pierce did the shooting. while he assisted
in planning the tragedies which he mar
rates and received share Of the booty
Sheriff Kirby says Stickels Is alone re-
aponsble for the murder and that bad
feeling toward Pierce. who Is river
man. living on the Columbia and Cowlitz
rivers, has actuated Sticke's in implicat-
ing Pierce and throwing the burden OF
blame for the murders upon him.
In addition 60 the Knapp killing, Stick
els declaref that Pierce and himself are
responsible for the murder OF William
ShankliD bachelor who lived mile
and half from Keiso, and who was
Killed and his house Eet on fire by un-
known assassins a year ago, The assas-
sins approached the house In the dark
ness 90 the night and shot shankin
through Tie window. For this murder
shfngle weaver. who worked IN sawniiil
al kelsc. WAS arrested ami tried. Stick
els was present during the trial OF the
accused man, and, according 20 Sherim
Kirby. wore the watch which was taken
from the dead body OF Shanktin.
Stickeis IL fact 3 inches high and
weighs 40 pounds He Is ~ years old.
and there ia nothing in the looks or APP
psarance of the man that would indicate
him "a he d parry 10 the blood -curdling
crimes In which he confesses he took
part. He has been living in a scow. drift
ing about from place 10 place alonss the
Columbia. rowlits and Coweman rivers,
and il Jusf the type OF river man In APP
penrance that can be seen most any day
In a crowd or laborers fishermen. II
was only with the utmost persuasion that
he WAS he'd &c tell the facts Of the MUIR
dcrs. In his talk he betrays no animus
or bitterness against Pierce, bu. studious-
ly iAv i. the blame of the crimes upon
: him. acknowledging. however, that he
was present with Pierce. assisted Pierce
IN planning tho murders. and finally re-
eelved a share Of the booty.
The killing of shankIin.
'piercs did all the shooting" said he
I'm telling the story OF the crimes. THE
first man that was killed was Shankiin
Pierce and had met and made arrange
menta to do the wori, and naned time
and place ~ meeting. Piercs was then
living w Sew on Elizabeth island We
met half mi'a above the place where my
"a ID an hr2 -,
river. II was getting dusk when we met.
and we mude a b.e-line through the
woasis for shanklins house We kept off
ths roads ana traits. When within forty
feet OF the house ! stopped ard Pierce
slipped up Close 60 the house and when
near the window fred one shot. He stood
quietly for few minutes ana then went
instae where he remained ten or fifteen
minutes long enough 10 xo through the
house, and on coming OUT slammed the
door behind hsin. ON the Doorstep he
down placed tht HstttssA beneath the sill
The Harness leaped UP almost Immediately
he then came 70 where was stand
ing and ] asked him ho~ much he got
lie replied that he had between sec and
we He carried n sack on hts back which
contained tools Of different kinds which
: be has soften IN this heusc. He also had
Ehankn'a watch We went straight hack
through the woods IRE way we came /
sent him across ha Eowtitx river and no
went 10 his home aua returned To mine
BEFORE W. parted he hfa the SACK contain.
ina the tcass IN the brnah the vatrh
Pierre carried fof quite n white lie
finally togk Il apart ana kept III case
which was gold. and gave me the works
He ALSO gave me s. 80 the money which
be not ont ~ the house as my share.
1.-The knapr robbery was talked ~ for
some time before 81 happened Pierce
met ~. some time ago and said he was
haaiv in need ~ money and asked me ~
] knew where he could &c, some. told
him that | knaw af q man and woman
that had tived q ieAa time "a The neigh
bnrhaud Of Castle Rurk ard | suppressed
that thes had money Tor they had no one
to hook after hut themselves So about "A
week before the aYair took place we met
AMI made CMF piaaH. Getting the dny and
time when I was e. meet biir I aia not
knaw Ter certain whether Pierce intended
&c Kill Knapp ana bis wife or mot bat