The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1909-01-12


Carmichael, who last Tuesday night. in
the little Methodist church at Battle
Run, Mich, killed Gideon Browning,
the village carpenter, and then burned
the body in the stove, committed sui
eide here today by cutting his throat
with a pocket knife. He died at the
county hospital after ne had been TAX
en- from the boarding house of Miss
Miranda Hughes where, as stranger,
he had been living since last Friday.
letter of 10 pages had been writ
ten by Carmichael admitting his iden-
tity and confessing that he had killed
Browning, cut the body up and burned
it in the stove, while under the hyp-
motto influence of his victim. This
letter is now in the possession of the
sheriff. Carmichael had been staying
here for the last two days at private
boarding house. His attempt at sui
eide was made on the premises of the
place at which he had secured room.
Assumed Name.
Carmichael arrived here Friday
afternoon and engaged board at
the house of Miss Miranda Hughes. He
had no baggage with him and gave his
name as John Elder, said he was
cabinet maker and thought of locating
In Carthage. Saturday morning he
telegraphed to Burlington for his va
lise and 1t was sent. He appeared mo-
rose, had little to say, and would eat
but little.
On Sunday he slept but little and
refused to eat, saying his fast was not
over and leading Mrs. Hughes to think
that he was Catholic. He took
short walk during the day. This
morning Miss Hughes prepared a spe-
cial breakfast for him, in an effort to
get him to eat, but he continued 10
fast. He acted strangely, but the land
lady thought little of It, After break
fast he packed all his belongings In
his valise, and left his room in perfect
order paying his bill and asked Miss
Hughes when the train would leave
for Bovine IL miles south Of Carthage.
Makes Discovery.
At TAO he went out into the yard
and nothing more was seen or heard of
him unit. o'clock when Miss Hughes,
fearing some accident, called the mail
carrier, Andrew Lowrey, who was
passing. He discovered that the min
lister had tried to kill himself. They
carried him into the house. where the
doctors found that Carmichael had
made small wound in his throat,
but the knife had not touched the
jugular vein. If he had not remained
SO long in the cold and lost so much
blood, the doctors say they could have
restored him to consciousness, but as
the thermometer stood almost at zero
he had become so thoroughly chilled
that he died at 12:40. Coroner Jabarr
ordered an inquest Sheriff Bertschi
was given Carmichaers suitcase, con-
tanning two letters, one addressed to
Mrs. Carmichael and the other to the
sheriff The letter to the sheriff fol-
lows:
Strange Confession.
The confession of Rev. J. H. Car
michael follows:
Carthage, ILL.,, Jan. g. 1909.-To Mr..
Waggonstell, Port Huron, Mich: Hon
ored Sir. I write this letter to explain
some things in connection with the
Columbus church tragedy. I am guilty
only because am a coward. The man
had such hypnotic influence over me
that I felt something must be done. I
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 first he
said: It's all right, elder, don't be
afraid then he began 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 I felt that he was doing some
thing that he was proud of. Once,
when I was going out to Columbus,
he was on the pike near the pink
school house. When I overlook him |
he asked me to rid, which could not
refuse. He asked me if I, had ever
driven up the pike to Port Huron, to
which l answered no. Then he said: |
Buys Hatchet.
"'Come, let's drive up to which |
dissented, but he kept on until he per-
suaded me to go. He got out and stood |
at the corner while I went to the barn |
with the rig. Then after we had bben |
at the restaurant for food for which |
he paid and also for the horse, he gave |
me a half-dolla and said he wanted |
me to go cross and buy small hatchet |
for his boy to play with. began to
tell him to go and do his own buying |
when he set his eyes upon me in the
queerest kind of look, something like
the look Of snakes eve. Then l felt |
his influence tightening its grip on
my mind, so I went, intending to go |
into the store and out the back way to
get the horse and rush off for home. /
When I turned to close the door he
stood looking upon me through the
window and just bought the hatchet
and came out again, but by that time
he had disappeared. so l went to the
barn. got my rig and started for home.
When. as I4made the turn into Mill.
tary street, he was at the corner to
get In. He rode as far as South Park.
where he got out to take car. He
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