Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1909-01-12
LEAVES LETTER TO THE SHERIFF
Gives Horrible Details Of Struggle
With vietim-Latter Finally Over.
come by Ratchet Blows and Knife
slsshes-sodS Dismembered and
Burned Piece by Piece.
Try Associated PreSsl.

CARTHAGE, ILL, Jan. 1l.-Rev.
John II. Carmichael. pastor Of three
methodist churches in and near Adair.
Mich. confessed slayer Of Gideon
Browning. a neiehbor whom he slew
with a Ratchet and cremated last
Tuesday night In Rattle Run church.
committed suicide today in the toilet
room Of Miss Miranda Hughes board
ing house by cutting his throat with
a pocket knife.
The preacher left letter to the
sheriff OF Adair Mich. giving details
OF the murder acknowledging and in
cineration OF Browning and ascribinG
the act to self defense and moral
cowardice because Ct the hypnotic In
nuence that Browning, an illiterate
| carpenter held over him.
Leaves Questions unsolved.
While the confession Of the circuit
rider is rather extensive and on sotno
points minute, 1t leaves many ques-
tions in regard to the tragedy un.
solved. admitting that tie statements
are true.
Some Of the letter tends to create
the impression that the confession ID
really the production Of an unsoupd
satisfactorily how he and Browniag
came to go to the Rattle Run church.
or why both seemed bent on kseplng
j their presence there secret. except
to say that Browning wanted the
preacher to oflciate at Browning's
wedding that night s
This account does not explain tho
fact that the preacher evidently
knew that Browning already had ono
wife. II not two.
Nothing more than Carmichael's
letter to the Michigan sheriff has thus
far been uncovered in Carthage tend
| ing to explain the mysterious trag-
! edy.
Carmichael died without regaining
&C nsciousness.
BIed and Froze to Death.
He had prepared to leave Carthage
this morning and went to the toilet
, room in the yard before starting for
the railway station. There several
hours later Miss Hughes discovered
him bleeding and frozen. He had
cut his throat. but the wound was
not fatal except that long bleeding
and the zero temperature had sapped
his life
! The suicide left a letter addressed
to his vile in Adair. but IL has not
been opened.
| The preacher was unknown to any
enc In Carthage. and gave his name
as John Elder.
A coroner's inquest was begun to-
day. but little was done more than
viewing the body and reading the let
ter OF confession.
Some developments may be forth
coming tomorrow when officers arrive
from Michigan.
| Description Of Killing.
| After long. ram!!iEg and diScOu-
nected recital CT his meeting with
Browning. he describes the actual
killing and Incarceration as follows, In
the letter left for the sheriff.
| Il saw he was holding q weapon
of some sort M his sleeve. Instant
iy made a grab Ior IL and got the
hatchet from him and asked what he
mea to do with that He said IN
show you and from his overcoat
pocket drew OFT q knife in each hand
He came at me-. striking with both
hands while backed across the
church down The side aisle and across
the front. but I did not dare to tufn
'ptU tfVur Nv
threw the Ratchet and struck him
AMI he fell. ] turned TO open the
door when he grabbed me By the leg
and threw me down where my hands
came upon the hatcher.
Desperate Struggle ensued.
There was a desperate struggle In
which ! used the Ratchet until he laid
quiet and still. I can no; tell all that
happened after that. was Wild to
dispose of the body. was in hor-
riIf" terror. so began pulling on hts
garments that I might drag the booy
away somewhere and hide u. Then
when my eyes fell upon one 81 thoss
knives few into a rage and began
Ito cut him when he woke MP SD
grabbed me again. Then for While
" used that hstchet until was sore
The was dead.
Dragged Body TO stowe.
Then ] saw tina: the IRE wss h0t
enough 10 make the Stove pipe RI
rearIy &c the elbow 30 grsbbed hin
by the feet and dragged him down
] (Cou,inucd on Sixth PAgc,.