The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1910-11-26
Bulk of Estate Of Rev. Arm
strong Left 10 Negro
HAS CONFESSED MURDER
Boasts His Father Is Rich White Man.
Declares He Quarreled with Clergy
man Over Work and That Arm
strong Hit Him with Cane.

Trenton, n. j., Nov. 26.-John Sears,
the mulatto, confessed yesterday that
he shot to death the Rev. AMI L. Arm.
strong, the aged Presbyterian clergyman,
and his wife at Dutch Neck Wednes-
day evening. Immediately following the
confession came the declan zion that
lie is the heir Of almost all Of the
wealthy minister's property. This asser-
ton was made BY relatives who had
knowledge Of the will Of the dead man.
And the negro himself boasts that his
father il one Of the most prominent
white men in Philadelphia with rela-
tlyes high up in society. Whether or not
he will give the names of these people
vas not known. 1t was suspected that
ia his confession to County Prosecutor
Crossley ne had given the name Of his
father and the white relatives, but Mr.
Crossley refused to make public any
thing contained in the confession.
However, it was known that revenge
and impatience because the long life Of
the minister precluded the mulatto from
enjoying the large estate We're the chief
motives for the crime. The nulatto
had brooded over the wealth that was
to come to him. His poverty and the
possibility OF inheriting so much money
worked together on his mind, SO that
when he got into an alteration on
Wednesday afternoon with the aged min
lister and was struck on the head for
his inpertinence, his anger got the bet
TEL OF him, and he quickly planned the
murder of both his benetaetor and wife.
Sears said that he had a quarrel with
tie clergyman Wednesday afternoon be-
cause he had neglected some chores about
the place. The minister he said, struck
him on the head with cane That
angercd him and lie decided 70 kin Mr..
Armstrong. lie decided that he would
prepare 81 alibi BY going to New Bruins
wick and he reached there about on
Wednesday evening. He had told some
Of his friends that he would be away
tiil midnight.
But he returned to Dutch Neck soon
after he had shown himself at New
Brunswick and getting his shotgun en-
tered the front door. Mrs Armstrong,
VINO was frightened went toward him.
lie fired at her at close range.
Mr. Armstrong, who heard the shot,
rushed to the room from his study ad-
Joining, and Sears fired the second bar
rel. The mulatto said that he did not
attack his own mother because he felt
sure that she would not inform the po-
lice.
The mulatto confessed because he
broke under the strain of attempting to
explain how he had come into possession
OF watch and some money known to
have been the property 81 Mr. Arm.
strong. These were found III his pockets
At first he denied an knowledge Of
them, saying he did not know anything
about tile money or the watch Then
the prosecutor knew that he had his
man, and he persisted till the confession
came
The man had been raised by Mr.. Arm
strong He had been in the family from
his birth and his mother many years be-
fore that In fact the housekeeper had
been with Mr. Armstrong for forty
years, during the whole Of which time
he was the pastor Of the Dutch Neck
Presbyterian church. He had been pros.
porous and was a director Of the First
National Bank Of Cranberry. In addi-
ton, his wife, whom he married fifteen
Years ago, had brought him considerable
property.
The pair lived on the farm, one of
the finest in that part Of the state,
which had been left to Mrs. Armstrong
by her father Mrs Sears, the servant
and her son went with them. Tie son
worked about the place as he had done
ever since he was old enough to work,
and had been cared for BY Mr. ARM
strong all his life.
1t il said that Mrs, Armstrong had
been fearful of Sears, and that she al
ways kept a revolver under her pillow
at night. A revolver was found under
Ia pillow in Airs. Armstrong; bed