The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-01-13
LETTER TO BROTHER
CARMICHAL HAD d HORROR OF
 s- MEyMERIsM.
Michigan PreaeheR Seat Missive .se Ills Relatives in West virginia ; Showing state ef Mind T
 After MuraeR.sI ezs

Welisburs. w. Va, Jan i2.-Rev. John Haviiand Carmichael. who ended hts life in scarthages Ills. while the agencies of sthe law were . searching the country for him in connection with the murder of Gideon Browning. in the little church at Rattle Run, Mich. shortly before committing suicide wrote his brother M. e. Carmichael. of this pIace. confessing to Michi- gan homicide. fA
 The letter came today and Is in part as 4ollOwa:ssas tat %
 "Carthage. Iils.., Jan. 6. 1909. ''M. C.. Carmichael. Welisburg. W. Va:
 Dear Brother--No doubt you have heard of the, horrible tragedy of which have been guilty. cannot tell you how am, suffering, now on account of 1t. know that did the deed: but I hardly know how. .ors why, only that Browning had such q hypnotic power over me that. it gave me the horrofss
 "I shall soon deliver myself to the State authorities or to the Judge Eter. nal. cannot stand this being hunt. ed down. I am now in ., quiet place wh ere they may not find me: for a long time. but my conscience is here. and hell itself canfbe but little more fiery
 .'T am sorry that have so shocked you ali. but being sorry does not make amends SGood-bye and just pity me. because am your brother,
 Two brothers of the dead minister live here and their families are among the most prominent in this, sectton.e.
 It is stated here that as a boy the dead man was often mesmertzed and that he had horror of hyphotism.
 COnfessaOa Not Believed. s'-
 Carthage. Ill, Jan. 1s.--Whena police officials. attracted. to this place by the suicide of the Rev. John Haviland Car michael, 4, self. confessed slayer. of Gideon Browning at Rattle Run, ,Mich.. have fully satisfied themselves as to the circumstances. attending the last act in the tragedy, 1t is expected that inquiry will turn to- possible motive for the initial crime. qf'-
 It Is a curious fact that dispatches from Michigan reveal an unwilling ness on the part of officials and oth- CTS to accept the theory of CarTni- chaers insanity as evolved from his strange confession. One of the frat to voice this skepticism was Prosecu- tor Brown. of Adatr. Mich, who re- jected the idea that Browning had used hypIotic Influence.
 T shall always believe" said Mir. Brown. ''that there was deep motive behind the crime.'
 Similarly under. r.Sherifr Petit. of Port Huron, asserts his belief that Carmichael's last letter was not in- tended for death bed; confession but was written with the idea that he would be brought back to stand trial. Internal evidence also, 1t is said, points to the suspicion that the preacher deliberately made false state ments An ain example it Is indl- cated that he must have known. while writing a. wedding ceremony for Browning. that the latter had a wife, fact we'll known ln the community. Inability to verify other points in the confession also ~deepens the suspicion
 Sherin Wegenseil. who started for Carthage as soon as the fact of the suicide became known and Is today taking the lead in the investigation. was convinced that there was a wo- man in the ease and expressed regret that Carmichael could not have been taken home alive. 2
 In the face of these doubts, how ever, the general tendency seeins4 to be to accept the theory of mental fir. responsibility until tangible deveiop- ments'tend to overthrow 1t.