Gilpin observer., 1914-01-22

ry out threat made almost daily
that he would kill her if she ever
revealed the secret of the murders,
Miss Williams said she would have
told OF her mistreatment and the kill
ing Of her children long before to-
day. Ever since the discovery of the
bodies four months ago, she had long
ed to clear herself of the suspicion
of having caused the children's
deaths, but fear of her life kept her
lips sealed.
only on Thursday last, after he
and she had been summoned to ap-
pear before the grand jury, she said
her father threatened to kill her if
she told the truth. District Attor-
ney Johnson says that she claimed
he kept a loaded shotgun in the
house for years for no other pur-
pose than to kill her if she broke
the silence of years.
AN aunt, sister of her dead moth
er, who had recently come to Cen
trail City and District Attorney John
son talked to the girl yesterday and
convinced her that she was doing
wrong in withholding the truth, if
she really knew who had killed the
children
THAT Miss Williams would con-
fess became known late yesterday af-
ternoon. Mr.. johnson had talked to
her for several hours, when she
broke down and told him that this
morning she would be ready to tell
the whole story. Accordingly. a
meeting between her and Johnson
was arranged for 10 o'clock
THE girls father was not aware
II this agreement, but for fear that
he might learn OF it and harm his
daughter, he was placed under arrest,
as a suspicious person, last night.
The murder charge was not entered
against him until after the grand
$50 nSdS made its report to- Judge
Glass this morning.
" The story told by Miss Williams
is the most remarkable and, at the
same time. the most grewsome !
have ever heard during the years
that / have practiced law said Mr..
johnson over the long distance tele-
MI nt to1 1ax- On se- sv,n in.
ed to doubt its truth, but l know
Miss Williams and | know that she
is not lying. To say that all of us
who heard her were shocked is put
ting it mildly.
Miss Williams told me that the
murders were committed on Nov. II,
1901; Aug. 10. 1903, and July IA. 1905
She said that there was no one in
the house but herself and her faith
er when she was about to become
a mother. She had no attention from
anyone except her father. She lay
helpless and was compelled to watch
her father as he choked out the lives
of the little ones.
Two of the children, she said
he strangled with rags, while the
third one he choked to death with
his bare hands. wrapping the bod
les in pieces of quilt and putting
them away in the garnet while they
were still warm. Not once did she
have the attention of a physician OF
a woman friend.
"'All the evidence collected by us
pointed to Williams as the murderer
of the babies. The evidence was
strong enough to warrant the grand
jury to return the indictments with
out having heard the girls confes
sion. The indictments had been de
cided upon before Miss Williams hat
broken her silence of years. an
convinced that we had enough evi
dence to secure Williams convic
ton. but / am glad that Miss Will
ans has confessed.
The confession proves what ev
erybody in Central City and Blacl
Hawk has suspected ever since th'
bodies were found.
Miss Williams has the sympath.
of every man. woman and child II
the city. She is an ignorant girl
who. in my opinion. even toda,
does not realize what she has done
Just to show how closely her fathe
watched her at all times and trie
to keep her in ignorance. want t
call attention to the fact that, a
though she is now 80 years OF ag'
she had never been permitted
leave Black Hawk or Central Cit,
Until had her come to my office l
Denver. about three months ago, sh
had never been in Denver. One car
not help but feel sorry for her."
civilians took his arrest quietl,