The Monmouth inquirer., 1925-04-02
Horrible Murder in
Monmouth County 1902
Peter Stout Kills
Thomas Williams

A few years ago we visited the spo
where this murder took place, nea
the dividing line Of Upper Freehold
and now the Ocean County linz
and was told the grusome aeconn
Of the murder. On the morning of Nov
10Th, 1902. boy by the name o
Thomas Williams, son OF Daniel VII
llams Of the township of Dover, ther
Monmouth County, was found not fai
from his fathers no use murdered IN 8
horrible manner, his skull broken, his
head nearly half severed and an axe
living within a few feet of the body,
The magistrate summoned Jury anc
among them was Peter StoNt, aged "
years. of the same township anc
ssTheir verdict was willful murder by
some person or persons unknown
Shortly after Stout, who was consider
cd partly deran ed, and was the but
OF fun for all the youths in the neigh
borhood. confessed, and was committed
to the Monmouth County jail by Justice
Daniel Conklin,
He informed the Court he did not
want any counsel ASST ned him and
Justice Kirkpatrick then passed the
sentence Of death.
Rev. John Woodruff, who, was al
that time pastor of Tennent Church,
was sent for by the prisoner, to whom
be confessed religion and he was bap-
tised.'
At the trial Stout betrayed not the least
emotion for his crime as he was of such
a feeble mind hat he was not cap
able of such intelligence. He informed
the Court that he wanted the sentence oil
death.
We have this sentence in full. 1t con-
cludes:
Having now set before you the ma
ture of your crime and the awful sit
uation into which it has brought you
and having also directed your atten-
ton to the only so rec from which a
dying man can draw consolation, it only
remains for me to perform the pain.
full talk Of pr%onouucing the ssntetfct
Of the law upon you, which is:
That you be taken from the Bar OF
this Court to the prison of the County
from whence you came, that you be
there safely kept, until Friday, the
Thirteenth day of May next, that
on that day you be taken from
thence, between the hours of twelve
and three in the afternoon, to the
place Of public execution there be
hanged bv the neck until you are dead
and may the God of love in His infinite
goodness and mercy recel e your soul
During this sentence the prisoner
was unmoved and seemed not to under
stand.
THE CONFESSION.
His confession was in the presence
of Rev. Simon Pyle and Caleb Lloyd
and signed by the prisoner q few hours
before his execution, reads:
"a few days before the commission
of the crime for which | have Justly re
lceived Hhe sentence of the law to suffer
death, Thomas viii ams, q boy OF
about IA years of age, the unhappy
victim of my barbarity had given me
some abusive language, such however
as did NOT deserve personal chastise-
ment from me; but as | was at that
time hardened in guilt from q long
and continued course of licentious
conduct and crime, the offence was
deemed sufficient to inspire ME with
the horrid resolution of taking his life.
Having formed this design | only want
ed a suitable opportunity to put it in
to execution. and it offered but TOO
soon. A few days afterward. it being
some time in the m nth of November
last, supposlng that the boy had gone
outinto the field. l took up an axe,
which Law at the door of David Let's
house. where / then resided and walk
ed on early In the morning to meet
him. We met and after speaking to
each other as in a friendly manne,
walked together for some distance tow
ard the house of David Let's; | can
not say that | then felt angry with the
bow. but. believe myself, to have been
urged on by the devilto commit the
act. / stepped suddenly behind the
bow and gave him stroke on the back
part of the head with the eye of the
axe which felled him to the ground. AS
he fell he exclaimed 20 dearl' | gave
him. as | think q second stroke on
the head, threw down the IKE and re-
tired TO a short distance. Supposing
him not quite dead, / aaain advanced
and to complete the horrid work l
had begun | gave him another stroke
with the edge Of the * OF the back
of his neck which put an end to his
existence.
Leaving the axe at the place Of ex-
.ecution, as j had no wish that my
crime should be concealed, or tt take
any measure for my own safety. /
returned home and soon afterward
set out for Samuel Brinley who lived
at a short distance and kept q public
house in order to get some liquor to
drink. Ihad been long in the habit of
drinking to excess, and al that time
particularly felt an inclination for
drinking to relieve my mind. On my
way | stopped at the place where /
had committed the murder rubbed
my hand over the bloody face of the
deceased and then on my pantaloons
that the blood mightbe discovered on
me.
When / arrived at Samuel Brinley's
II held out towards him the palm of
my hand that he might observe the
blood. There was blood also on my