The Lewiston teller. (Lewiston, Idaho) 1900-1905, 1903-08-04
BRUTE CONFEssES HIS CRIME
Hamilton Admits to the CorOner Jury that
he Assaulted and Killed Mabel Richards
Lynchins Is Feared.

lie Assaulted and Killed Mabel Richards
Lynchins Is Feared.
AsoTIN, Aug. 4 Especial )-Williau
Hamilton held in Jail here suspected o.
the murder Of little Mabel Richards ha.
made confession. Public sentiment i.
intense against him and lvnching i:
| feared.
Following the details of the horrible
murder of little Mabel Richards near
Anatone Sunday comes the confession oi
her murderer. William Hamilton ar
rested yesterday on suspicion and lodged
in the Jail here was put in the sweat box
by the officers and confessed early this
morning giving the details of his brutal
attack upon the innocent child.
Hahilton's story is to the effect that
he met the child on the trail which led
by short cut up the hill He was
coming down the trail leading saddle
horse. He stopped the child and partly
by persuasion and partly by force took
her with him to the deeper woods where
he attempted to outrage her but through
fear did not accomplish his purpose
After exacting a promise from the child
never to reveal knowledge of his attack
he was about to leave her when fear of
detection drove him TO murder. He re-
turned to the girl choked her into insen-
sibility and crushed in her head with a
dead pine sapling. He then mounted
his horse and rode rapidly from the
scene of the crime. All this was done he
says in thirty minutes and while the
mother waited at the top of the hill for
the happy child who started at the foot
to gather flowers by the woodland trail
lustful murder had stalked through
shades aud blotted out an innocent
childish life.
The murdered girl is the daughter OF
Robert Richards. sheriff of Asotin county.
His wife and the mother of the child was
Miss Marsilliot we'll known here and In
the Asotin county. Sheriff Richards and
family have been in camp in the noun
taius near the Parrish saw mill in the
Anatone county. Sunday morning the
mother and three children started to
attend Sunday school at the Kelly school
house three miles from camp. They
went in light rig and when about two
miles on the way came to heavy grade.
Mabel the Oldest child u I3-year.old girl
asked consent to walk by bride path
through the woods to the to- of the
grade, She went off gaily picking
flowers by the way and was never seen
again alive. The mother arrived at the
top of the hill and not finding Mabel
waited awhile and drove or without her
supPosing she was merely lettering along
Nothing was thought of it tell the family
returned TO camp and the child was still
missing. Alarm was sounded from the
saw mill whistle aud the country in the
vicinity gathered for the search. G Night
came and no trace OF the child was
found. Morning ,lawned and crowds
gathered to join the party but it was not
till 8 O'Clock in the afternoon when the
body was found in the thicket with the
clothes torn and the skull crushed The
body was soon borne, away and the
coroner summoned for the inquest.
Hamilton the confessed murderer is a
young mau about 23 years OF age He
has been known long as low minded
british fellow prone to evil habits. His
home is on Montgomery ridge in the
Anaioue section. He was brought to Jail
here last night and the sweating process
applied by the officers resulted in the
confession above related $50