Milford chronicle., 1910-12-02
TELLS HOW He
SLEW AGED PAIR
Sears Believed He Would H.
herit Pastors Estate,
QUARREL WITH VICTIM

Murderer Had Been Reprlmanded by
Rev. Armstrons-Went ou; Cunning
to Establish Alibi.
Pride over the idea, strengthened
IN his mind bv frequent repetition. i'm
10 belief that he was near relative
OF bis victims and would inherl' the
estate caused Aa.fbreed Jack Sears
il is thought by relatives Of the dead
couple to commit the murder OF the
aged Rev. AMI T.. Armstrons and his
wife at Dutch Neck, ten miles east ot
Trenton. ~ j., to which Sears has
confessed
Sears thought that he would then
inherit some OF the wealth OF the Arm
strougs. sears Confession preceding a
dramatic reproduction of the double
murder in the quiet and lonely parson-
age al Dutch Neck was followed by the
arrest Of his mother, Mrs Rache
Sears. a negress.
The old nanny" is said, il not TO
have actually Witnessed the murders.
Al least to have been told by her son
that he had killed his lifelong bene.ac
tors
Sears is thirtythree years old. and
for all but three weeks of his lie he
has lived with the Armstrongs. He
was ashamed Of his mother but proud
OF his white stock His constant dec
larations that he was related TO the
Armstrong family angered the mem
bers Of that family according to tn"
aunt Of Mrs Armstrong She said that
her son, a lawyer. had repeatedly sx
pressed his Indignation thar Sear
should so openly profess his lineage
The immediate proyocation for the
crime is thought by connections OF the
murdered man and woman 70 have
losn a reprimsnd administered by
rev Armstrong to Sears, his farm
head. for having sold some Of the
prlducts Of the farm and keeping the
proceeds for his own use.
In his confession. vouched for by the
police. Sears told how he shot down
Dr. Armstrong when the latter had .
come hurryius into the parlor. alarmed /.
by the frighuul screams of Mrs Arm I.
strong Then. using the same shotgun. /.
he fired at Mr. Armstrong who drop F.
ped to the aoor dying in a few mo (
ments
It is thought that in the confession I
that Sears reported to have made .
he told what ue did with the wa,ch ,
that was torn from around Mr. Arm
strons neck It is also unders ODD .
that detectives went TO the Armstrong .
home and fo1nd the time piece in the .
woodshed whore Sears is asserted TO
have said he put it
Sears. who is a halfbreed negro. was
not much given to associatins with
colOreI people He is or was mem
Der of the New Jersey National Guard.
helOnginc 10 a company at New Bruins
wick. and 10 was in this way that b"
formed the acquaintance Win Rudolph
N1rhaus. the young white man who
came 10 Dltch Neck TO go sunuin.
with Seas The prosecutor is sa;i,fld d
that NOrhqus has no knowledge oil the
double crime
Sears aother TIE housekcepor o
the Armstrong; is still at Dutch Neck
under watch. and it is understood that
Prosecutor Crossley will question her
further TO learn if she knows anything
about the murder
Around Dutch Neck. where the wo-
man is we'll known. there is a feeling
that sine is innocent of any connection
with the shooting She says she has no
knowledge of the murder i is believe
she told the story of seeing her son
come in at / o'clock only in order 20
shield him
OF 80 years Sears has been Of a
NOR . urn OF mind He is said To
have aiken dislike to his mother,
and al one time the Armstrong; wer
forced to send him away from the
homestead because of this. Later he
WAS permitted to return.