Mexico weekly ledger., 1904-04-07
Il JUST CUT THEIR THRoATs,'
Is What the Confessed Slayer Of
Foster Parents at Warrenton,
Mo, Says.

|
ST. LOUIS, April --''Cold- -blooded'
is the word which describes the charc
ter Of William e Church, the con.
fessed slayer Of his foster parents, Mr.,
and Mrs Henry w. Yeater, at War.
renton, Mo-, last August, and even
that Is inadequate to express the idea
that one gets from conversation with
the murderer who was arrested one
week ago in Philadelphia, arrived in
St. Louis Thursday night and Is now
in George Collins former cell at the
-Four Courts.
u just went upstairs and cut theii
throats," is the laconie manner In
which Church confessed his crime to
the Star Friday morning
He said this in a calm, matter-Of.
fact tone, the same that be might use
In telling Of eating his supper.
81 kept thinking abous the thing"
said Church, In telling the story of the
crime, "and / finally decided chat 1t
had to be done.
"It was not planned | just took a
chance, and did the work
''On the night OF August 81 | was
out, AMI did not get in till late. Both
Mr., Yeater and his wife we're upstairs
In bed.
DRANK WINE TO GET UP COURAGE.
81 knew then my chance had come,
so ! drank lot OF blackberry wine to
get my courage up.
~ then went upstairs and into my
own room.
'Mr. Yeater heard me and, being
paralyzed, as you know, he called to
me TO come In and talk to him.
II talked to him while, as he was
restless, just ordinary conversation,
nothing that amounted toanything.
II then left them and went to my
own room. Ny razor was there and /
picked it up.
DIDN'T KNOW WHICH 10 KILL FIRST.
II went back into their room, and
they were both asleep
II hesitated long time, not know
Ing which to kill first. l hesltated
about killing the old man first, for /
knew that Mrs. Yeater was the light
er sleeper and she might wake up
81 finally decided to cut him first.
"His throat was tough, and hard to
cut, but he only groaned when slash
ed him.
II slashed twice, and then / at
tackled his wife. She turned over and
yelled and kept slashing her with
the razor.
Eat this time thought could hear
carriages approaching and l was terri
fled, but kept on. II it had been any
body coming, / would have killed
them, too.
RAZOR WAS GROWING DULL.
"I'then noticed that the razor was
becoming dull, and l worked feverishly
AFTER much worrying l decided
that would not try to hide the bodies,
but would leave them.
II ran out Of the house and ran for
15-or 20 minutes as hard as l could.
ut was still dark when l reached
the station at Gore, and I was afraid
to enter the place at that hour, so l
hid In q barn.
"When 1t became light / noticed
that there were blood stains on my
clothes, so bought an entirely new
outfit before got on train.
"As greater precaution I walked
to the next station, and on the way
hid my old clothes under sidewalk.
Church came In from Philadelphia
Thursday night with Sheriff George
Polsten and ]. B. CARRIER, prosecuting
attorney Of Warren county, and ]. e.
Young, of Warrenton, brother of Mrs.
Yeater.
At the Union Station theparty were
met by a detail of police and a patrol
wagon.
Church was handcutfed to Sheriff
Polsten and heavily manacled, both
feet and arms
At the Four Courts Sheriff Polsten
said he was afraid of the feeling of the
people of Warrenton againt Church,
and said be wanted to keep him in St.
Louis.
The prisoner was accordingly turn
ed over to Jailer Dawson, who placed
aim In the cell that was for nine
months the cell OF George Collins, who
was hanged week ago Saturday at
Union, Mo.
This cell is near that of Bill Rudolph. |
LOVE LETTERS LED TO ARREST.
Church was the adopted child OF |
Henry W. Yeater and bis wife.
After he left Gore he came to ST. |
Louis and then to Philadelphia.
He enlisted In the marine corps, and
then began 10 write letters to a young |
lady at Warrenton, with whom he was
IN love.
1t was these letters, turned over to |
the authorities, that led to the arrest