The Yale expositor. (Yale, St. Clair County, Mich.) 1894-current, 1904-12-30
George Bearss confesses He Killed
Mrs. Abel Brown
BECAUSE SHE WOULDN'T ELoPE
Details of Revolving Crime Which oc-
Cured In st. Clair County-Murder.
err Says He Didn't Assault Her
Will BE Sentenced at Once.

Port Huron, Mich, Dec. 27-"Yes, |
killed her. | will admit that. but |
didn't do any thing else to her."
George Bearss, a nephew by mar
Iiage Of Mrs. Abel Brown, the woman
found murdered in the cellar Of her
home in st. Clair county Friday, sat
il Sheriff Davidson's private Office
covering like a whipped dog, his
muscles twitching and his eyes en-
deavoring to avoid the searching gaze
Of the little party Of men who sur
rounded him. 1t was not until after a
full hours questioning that Bearss ut
tered the above statement. and he
seemed eager to free his mind Of the
awful story of one of the most afro
cious crimes ever committed in Michi-
gan.
Eearss' Statement.
After being piled with questions
Hcarss made the following statement:
81 went to the home of Mrs. Brown.
about 10 o'clock. l was somewhat
under the influence of liquor. Yes,
was in love with the woman and had
asked her before to leave her husband
ana come with me. That was my OBJ
jcct In going there Friday morning.
| again asked her to leave him, but
she refused. | asked her for some
cider and when she started down eel
lar l followed her, carrying the lamp.
When We reached the foot Of the stairs
accidentally struck her with the
lamp. She began to scream and l ran
upstairs and going to the granary Sc
cured the whitiletree. l thought had
killed her and was going to make sure
she was dead l struck her number
Of times with the whiffietree on the
head and body. l then went upstairs
and saw pairing knife on the table.
Taking this, | went downstairs and
cut her throat. / don't know why l
did this. ! must have been crazy.
then went home and washed my hands
ard changed my clothes and started
for Memphis. l stopped at the home
CT Charles Gray. l had a grudgs
against him. for I suspected that he
had been intimate with my wife. Yes,
/ struck him on the head with club
several times, but he grappled with
me. l then asked the marshal Of
Memphis to arrest me, but he refused
and | started toward Flint. Yes,
killed the woman, but that's all / did
DO"
The Prisoners Movements.
The balance of Bearss' confession
covers the route he took in reaching
Flint, where he was subsequently ar
rested and where Sheriff Davidson
finally got possession CT him and
brought him to Port Huron. The man
refused to admit that he had attempt
ed TO crimirally assault Mrs. Brown,
but the circumstantial evidence is
Overwhelmingly against his statement.
The officers are confident that he will
admit the assault, but the evidence
they have now, together with his
signed confession, is sufficient to land
him in prison for life.
If justice does not miscarry, George
DSdlSS WIZ DG III JdChSOH prison
tonight for life. 1t is the inte. ion of
Prosecuting Attorney Cady and Sheriff
Davidson to arraign the prisoner to-
Cay, and it is expected he will plead
guilty IN both courts. Sentence will
he passed Immediately.
Farmers Talk of Lynchlng.
There is good reason for this speedy
measure OF Justice. The farmer folk
Of Berville are sturdy men, and their
feelings have been wrought up to such
a pitch that 1t is almost frenzy to get
az the brute and lynch him. There
has been considerable talk along this
line, but the officers have taken every
precaUtion.
Bearss was married man, but his
wife ran away from him two months
ago, going with a man named White.