The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1909-01-12
Minister Writes Uncanny Details of Church
Murder, Admitting Guilt, Then Kills Self.
SAYS VICTIM HYPNOT|zED AND TRIED TO SLAY HIM
Preacher Declares Browning Exerted Mysterious Influence
Over Him, lnveigled Him to Church Then At
tempted to Carve Him With Knives---
Describes Death Struggle.

| the time about the change Once a,
the depot at Adair he came out of the
house in his shirt sleeves and exer-
cised me by compelling me to walk
the rails.
Plans a Wedding.
When he arranged with me about
the wedding he said he would so to
Port Huron and meet me on 'ho rad
between that place and the church.
thought he really m ,ant II get mar
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. We wen,
into the church. l wanted to light a
lamp, to which he dissented, saying
no, elder, no light unl~ss they should
come but presently he sad maybe
you had better have little fire, 81
i went out and passed wood for MIN
through the window. When l had put
in what / thought would be enough,
he said, now, elder, the moon is shin
ing right In the front door and if you
go around there to come in someone
may see you. Just put up some wood
''SAS ei'io SoiiS III d. tIIlo' WlINtt". i
brought a few sticks, laid them across
each other from 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.
Hearty Laugh.
fpraCant1Ny ha II
laugh and said, There ain't no use
looking, for there amt going to be n .
wedding He was sitting where the
CLEANS of the light shone on his face
and his eyes were so brilliant that [
was thrilled through and through with
the queerest sort of feeling. l asked
him why then he had made the pres
ent arrangements. when he said,
We'll, elder just wanted to have a.
little fun. You consider yourself an
educated man and look down upon
poor, ignorant fellow like me, and I
just wanted to show you what l could
do. l knowed If l could handle you
could handle other men, too, and make
a big thing out of it,
He said, Now, If I say raise up
your hands UP she goes, see, that's no
dream and I felt my hand raise with
no effort whatever on my part. Then
he said, If I say let your hand down,
down it goes and I felt it going down
In a singular manner. By this time
I was so alarmed that 1 was in
cold sweat. 1 then leaned over to see
if anyone might be on the road, when
he began to laugh again and l saw
that he was holding a weapon of some
sort up his sleeve. Instantly l made
a grab for it and got the hatchet from
him and asked him what he meant to
do with that. He said, I'll show you,'
and from his overcoat pocket he drew
out knife in each hand.
Desperate Struggle.
HE came at me, striking with both
hands, while I backed across the
church, down the side aisle and across
the front, but I did not dare to turn
about to open the door. Then I threw
the hachet and struck him and he fell.
Then turned to open the door, when
he grabbed me by the leg and threw
me down where my hands came upon
the hatchet. There was a desperate
in which l used the hatchet,
until he laid quiet. I cannot tell all
that happened after that. I was wild
to dispose of the body. I was in
horrible terror so I began pulling off
pis garments that I might drag the
body away somewhere and hide it.
Then, whey my eyes fell upon one Of
those knives I flew into rage and
began to cut him, when he woke up
and grabbed me again. Then for a
while used that hatchet until was
sure he was dead.
Cut Him to Pieces.
"Then I saw that the fire was hot
enough to make the stovepipe red
nearly to the elbow. so I grabbed him
~ the feet and dragged him down
here and cut him to pieces, putting
n each part as 1t was dismembered.
Then I began to put the garments in
he front stove when I remembered
hat it was poor draft and the things