The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1910-11-28
MURDERER SEARS HALF WHITE
FATHER was THOMAS DUNCAN,
a SHIYTLESs FARMER.

Health Records and resaimsny 81 s~ars's
Neither In Duncans wHes Ds, eree
s0it Prove n-Has Csnspanie ns In New
Brunswiek Thought Him white.
TRENTON, y. j.. Nov. ?T.-The mystery
which has surrounded the origin OF John
Sears, the mulatto who shot and killed the
Rev. Amzi l.. Armstrong and his wife at
Dutch Neck on Thanksgiving eve, seems
TO he fully cleared by the records Of the
State Board Of Health A. well a. by testi-
mony taken in q divorce case thirty three
years ago in which Sears's negro mother
figured as n correspondent.
According to returns made to the State
Bureau OF Vital Statistics John Sears was
born at Locust Corner. a short distance
from Dutch Neck on May ~. 1877. His
father, according to the return. was
Thomas Duncan. a farmer and soldier
whose later day habits were both shiftless
and dssolute. Duncan married Elizabeth
4. Ayres. whose father. Enos Ayres. was
a man OF standing in the community.
Duncan lacked industry and after losing
his farm went into the army. He returned
tn Dutch Neck. secured another farm and
subsequently lost that. For four years
before the birth OF Sears Duncan had not
lived with his wife. although he worked
on various farms in the neighborhood
Mrs Duncan learned Of her husbands
infidelity in February. 1871. and brought
suit for divorce. naming. tho negre-s
himself left the neighborhood and al the
time The testimony WAS taken was be-
lieved TO he living in Philadelphia. he
divorce was granted mainly upon the
how Duncan had visited the farm on
which she Was working on several occa-
sions Before the birth OF Jack Sears
the woman swore TO an affidavit before |
George Dennison. then overseer OF the
poor OF the township. that Duncan was
responsible for her condition and that
she had kept company with no other
man. She gave similar testimony At the
divorce trial. at which she appeared with
her boy in her arms. Other witnesses
described Sears rs n child about half |
white with straight blaok hair.
AZ the time Of the birth OF her boy J
the woman was living AT the farm OF
Gilbert Ayres. brother Of DunCan's
wife. Three weeks later she was taken
into the household Of Elwood Rue. the
father Of Mrs. Armstrong. She lived
with the Rues until the daughters mar
rage TO the Rev. Mr. Armstro ng. when !
mother and son went TO live with the |
Armstrong;
The evidence IA to Sears's parentage |
is important because Of it's possible bear |
ing upon the motive for the crime and |
because il establishes positively that no
relationship existed between the muir
derer and the family Of either Mr. Arm
strong or his wife That there was such |
a relationship has been intimated by tn. |
SearS woman and il was thought might
hav. been believed by her son II ap.
pears now. however. that Sears knew who |
was his father and that within "A year "A !
magazine had come to him addressed a.
John Duncan The Rev Mr. Armstrong
destroyed the address, upon this maya.
zine and forbade S~ar~ To Use hts father
name
Tn. sullen disposition OF Sears s-erns
Ia hav. dated from th,. time when h..
harmed Of his white origin. He resented
the fact that white persons refused 10
associate with him freely He would
have nothing to do with blacks. and in
the neighborhood in which he lived had
few az no white associates The theory
81 the prosecution now il that Sears did
not think he was AN heir Ia the property
of the Armstrong;. although he might hsv.
expected TO benefit Indirectly by their
deaths
In New brunswick. where Sears spent
rs much OF his time A. possible. he Was
not suspected Of being ~ negro origin.
and ahe development OF this fact through
the murder surprised his comrades in
the National Guard