The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1909-01-15
Rev. Carmichael Murdered Browning
And Committed Suicide.

VUo SoUnttoO outCt0c.
Carthage. H., Jan. 12-Rev. John
Fl. Carmichael, pastor of three Meth
odist churches in and near Adair
Mich, confessed slayer OF Gideon
Browning, n neighbor whom he slew
with Ratchet and cremated last week
Tuesday night in Rattle Run church
is dead here. having committed sui
eide in the toilet room OF Miss Mi
randa Hughes boarding house by cut
ting his throat with a pocket knife.
The preacher left letter to the
sheriff of Port Huron, giving de
tails of the murder, Remembering and
ing the act to self defense and mora
cowardice because of the hypnotic IN
fluence that Browning, an illiterate
carpenter, held over him.
While the confession of the circuit
rider is rather extensive and on some
points minute, it leaves many ques
tons in regard to the tragedy un
solved, admitting that the statements
Of the parson are true. Some OF the
letter tends to create the impression
that the confession is really the pro
duction OF the subtle imagery Of an
unsound mind.
Some Things Left Unsaid.
The preacher does not explain salts
factorily how he and Browning came
to go to the Rattle Run church, or why
both seemed bent on keeping their
presence there secret, except to say
that Browning wanted the preacher
to onciate at Browning's wedding
that night. This account does not ex
plain the fact that the preacher evi
IDENTITY knew that Browning already
had one wife. If not two.
Carmichael died without regainine
consciousness. He had prepared tc
leave Carthage and went to the toilet
room in the yard before starting fol
the railway station. There, several
hours later, Miss Hughes discovered
him bleeding and frozen. He had cut
his throat, but the wound was MOI
fatal except that long bleeding and
the zero temperature had Slapped hi:
life.
The Confession.
The confession of Rev. John H. Car
michael follows:
Carthage, Ill.,, Jan. 8, 1909.
ITO Mr.. Waggonstell, Port Huron
Mich:
"Honored Sir-I write this letter Il
explain some things in connection
with the Columbus church tragedy.
am guilty only because / am coward
The man had such hypnotic influence
over me that | felt that something
must be done. ! felt greatly ashamed
that a man said to he short-minded
should be able to compel me to yield
to his will, but | said nothing about
1t.
AT first he said: It's all right
elder, don't be afraid Then he be
gan to talk about how we two could
get rich. Three times he came to the
rear OF my barn and talked to me
through the manure hole; twice he
was at the river when I went to water
my stock, and each time 1 felt tha
he was doing something that he wa:
proud Of Once when I was going ou
to Columbus, he was on the pike neal
the Pinkie schoolhouse. When / over
took him he asked me to ride.
II could not refuse. He asked me i
ever | had driven up the pike to Por
Huron, to which / answered no. Their
he said: Come, let's drive up; I dis
scented, but he kept on until he per
suaded me to go.
''He got out and stood at the cor
ner while I went to the barn will
the rig. Then after we had been al
the restaurant. for which he paid, also
for the horse, he gave me half-dollal
and said he wanted me to across there
and buy a small Ratchet for his boy
to play with. | began TO tell him tC
20 and do his own buying when he
set his eyes upon me in the queeres
sort of a look, something like the lool
of snakes eyes. Then | felt his in
fluence tightening his grip on m!
mind, so | went, intending to go int
the store and nut the hack way to ge