The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-01-12

the Ratchet with him and said nothing
nor did think anything at the time
about the change. Once at the depot
at Adair, he came out of the house in
his shirt sleeves and exercised me by
compelling me to walk the rails. all
the while felt as small as a bantam
chicken
Talked About Wedding.
when he arranged with me about
the wedding he said he would go to
Port Huron and meet me on the road
between that place and the church. I
Thought he really meant to get married
when he engaged my services, but when
We met on the road and he was alone
L began to feel uneasy, but he said it
was all right, the others would come
in a carriage. When we went into the
church I wanted to light a lamp to
which he dissented. saying. No, elder
no light unless they should come but
| presently he said. Maybe you had bet
/ ter have little fire. so I went out and
| passed wood for him through the win
dow. When had put in what I thought
would be enough, he said. Now, elder,
the moon is shining right in the front
door, and if you go around there to
come in some one may see you. Just
put up some wood here and come in
at this window / brought a few
the top of which he helped me INTO the
building. He let the window nearly
down again and we kept looking through
| the opening to see the others come
down the state road. Presently. he took
a big, hearty laugh, and said, There
| amt no use looking, for there amt
going to be no wedding. He was sitting
where the CLEANS of light shown on his
face and his eyes were so brilliant that
was thrilled through and through with
the queerest sort of feeling. 1 asked
him why, then, he had made the re-
cent arrangement, when he said, We'll,
elder, just wanted to have little
fun. You consider yourself an educa-
ted man and look down on a poor ig-
norant fellow ike me. and l just
thought 1 would show him what 1
could do. 1 knowed if 1 could handle
him I could handle other men too. and
make a big thing. out of it, Then he
hand" up she goes. see; that's no
dream and 1 felt my hand raise with
out any effort on my part. Then he
said. If l say, Let your hand down"
down it goes and 1 felt it going down
in a singular manner. BY this time I
was so alarmed that 1 was in a cold
sweat. L then leaned over to see if any
one might be on the road when he be-
gan to laugh again and l saw that he
was holding weapon of some sort up
his sleeve. Instantly I made grab for
it and got the Ratchet from his hand
and asked him what he meant to do
with that. He said, I'll show YOU and
from his overcoat drew out a knife in
each hand. He came at me striking
with both hands. While backed across |
the church. down the side aisle and |
turn about to open the door, |
Then / threw the Ratchet and struck |
him and he fell Then 1 turned to open /
the door When he grabbed me by the |
leg and threw me down when my hands |
came down upon the Ratchet. There |
was desperate struggle in which /
used the Ratchet until he laid quiet and |
still L cannot tell ali that happened |
after that. 1 was wild to dispose of |
the body. 1 was in a horrible terror so
l began pulling off his garments that |
1 might drag the body away some
where and hide it. Then when my eyes |
fell upon one of those knives flew |
into rage and began to cut it when
he woke up and grabbed me again.
Then for awhile I used the hatchet I'M
til / was sure he was dead. Then saw
that the fire was hot enough to make
the stove pipe red nearly to the elbow,
so l grabbed him by the feet and |
dragged him down there and cut him
to pieces, putting in each part as it was
dismembered. Then 1 began to put
the garments into the front stove,
when I remembered that it had a poor
draft and the things might not burn.
Then l saw that my clothing was torn
and bloody, while some of his We're yet
whole and 1 exchanged and then took
all but a few of mine and piled them
in along with the body. 1 then went
up nearly to Tunnel station where
turned my rig about and started it on
the back track. My big coat hid my
torn and bloody garments until 1 got
to Chicago, where / purchased others.
81 am tired of trying to hide, though
have succeeded in eIuding the detec
tives so far. If you get this while |
am yet alive, come and get me. I shall
not be far from Carthage, Ill.
eel H. CARMICHAEL
Widow of Preacher Crushed.
Adair. Mich. Jan. 12-There are two
crushed. heartbroken women in this SEN
John H. Carmichael widow of the
reacher-nlurderer. and Mrs. Browning,
Carmichael The minister's Wife, harrow
ed for six days by forebodings and uncer-
been found. and before she had fairly
grasped the news. she was told that he
aged Mrs. Browning heard in the news of
Carmichaefs death and his strange con-
fession the end of her hopes that the
Identification of the murdered man as her
Mrs Carmichael is FRUSTRATED but is
still firm in her declaration that her hus-
band was insane when he killed Brown
Il can not imagine anything now more
than before that would lead my husband
to do such a thing" she said. He was
two weeks before the affair. I remember
of his complaint about trouble with his
as if he were going crazy: that he was
going to have more trouble that I be-
leve brought on his insanity
After hearing her say she never knew
of her husband studying mesmerism or
nXDnOUSfn. prosecutor Brown said he be-
lieVed the widow has withheld nothing
she knows that would throw light on the
minister's action.
Browning was a weak, simple minded
man. said the prosecutor. Il doubt II
he even knew what hypnotism was He
certainly could not have exercised such
an influence over Carmichael 1 shall al
ways believe that there was a deep mo- II
tive behind the crime" ~
Brownings trunk was opened 1t con-
tanned nothing but his carpenter tools A
search of the home did not bring to light
which would tend to explain
either the strange intimacy between