The San Francisco call., 1909-01-12
CONFESS[S MURDER;
CUTS HIS THROAT
Rev. Carmichael Leaves Letter
Telling Horrible Details of
Killing Gideon Browning.
Body Hacked to Pieces aud
Burned in the Stove OF
Pastors Church

~1Aie il<AOcs, llls jail y ~o-
II. Carmichael, wanted for the murder
Of Gideon Browning at the Rattle Run
Methodist church in Michigan last
tuesday night, cut his throat In
boarding house here last night and dIed
at noon today
A letter of 10 pages has been writ
ten by Carmichael admitting his iden-
tlty and confessing that he killed
browning, cut the body up and burned
it IN the stove while under the hyp-
notlc influence OF his wife
The confession of Rev. J. III. car
michael was as follows:
Carthage, ILL.,, January 9, 1SO9-Io
Mr Waggonsteil, Port Huron. Mich:
Honored Sir: / write this letter TO
explain some things in connection with
the Columbus church tragedy i am
guilty only because am q coward The
man had such hynotic influence over
me that | felt that something must be
done. / felt greatly ashamed that a
man said to be short minded should be
able to compel me to yield to his Will.
but l said nothing about it, AT nrst
he said:
It's all right. elder don't be afraid,
then ne began to talk about how we
two could get rich. Three times he
came to the rear OF barn and talked
to me through the manure hole; twice
he was at the river when | went to
water my stock, and each time l felt
that he was doing something that he
was proud of.
MEET AT CHURCH
When he arranged with me about the
wedding he said he would go to Port
Huron and meet me on the road be-
tween 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
began to feel uneasy, but he said
it was all right and the others would
come in q carriage. When we went
into the church 1 wanted to light
lamp, to which he dissented, saying,
No. elder, no light unless they should
come. But presently he said, Maybe
You had better have a little fire. So l
went out and passed wood to him
through the window. When 1 had put
in what / 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 win
dow
II asked him why, then, he had made
the present arrangements, when he
said, Well, elder, just wanted to have
a little fun. You consider yourself an
educated man and look down on a poor,
Ignorant fellow like me. just thought
would show you what I could do.
knowed if 1 could handle you / could
handle other men, too, and make a big
thing out of it
BY this time I was so alarmed that
was in a cold sweat. 1 then leaned
over to see if any one might be on the
road, when he began to laugh again,
and saw that he was holding a wea-
pom of some sort up his sleeve In
stantly made grab for 1t and got the
hatchet from him and asked what he
meant to do with that, and he said, I'll
show you! and from his overcoat
He came at me, striking with both
hands, while / backed across the
church. down the side aisle and across
the front, but / did not dare to turn
about to open the door. Then I threw
the hatchet and struck him and he fell
Then l turned to open the door when
he grabbed me by the leg and threw me
down Where my hands came down upon
the hatchet. There was a desperate
struggle, in which I used the hatchet
until he laid quiet. 1 can not tell all
that happened after that.
BURNED BODY in STOVE
" as VIII 10 dispose Oh the BODY. Il
was In a horrible terror, SO / began
pulling off his garments that 1 might
drag the body away somewhere and
hide 1T. Then when my eyes fell upon
one of those knives 1 flew into a rage
and began to cut him when he woke
up and grabbed me again. Then for a
while used that hatchet until I was
sure he was dead. Then / saw that the
fire was hot enough to make the stove
pipe red nearly to the elbow. so 7
grabbed him by the feet and dragged
him down there and cut him to pieces
putting in each part as IL was dismem-
bered. Then began to put his gar
ments into the front stove, when / re-
membered that it had a poor draught
and the things might not burn. Then
saw that my clothing was torn and
bloody, while some of his We're vat
whole, and l exchanged, and then tool,
all but few of mine and piled them in
along beside the body. 1 then went nm
nearly to kunnelston, where I turned
my rig about and started it on the hack
track My big coat hid my torn and
bloody garments until I got to Chicago
where purchased others.
i am tired of trying to hide. tbonob
have succeeded in eluding the detec-
tives so far. If you get this while
am yet alive, come and get me. / SHAH
not be far from Carthage, Ill.
81. H. CARMICHAEL,