The Monmouth inquirer., 1925-04-02

face and BY way of engagingMr b inley's
attention / observed to- him that my
nose had been bleeding and
went to the door and washed my
self in a tub of water. drank about
! one gill of spirits and returned home
[ afterward went to mill for David
Let's, and when I came home, felt
again an inclination for drinking and
set out for Reuben Potter's shop from
whence secured a person, with
whom I sent one dollar to 60 and buy
liquor, but owing TOT the uneasy state
of my mind wept home without wait
ing his return and retired to my cham
Der. While upstairs | heard some
person telling the family below Of the
act that had been committed and inn
mediately John Potter called me, and
relating to me what | too well knew,
took me to the place where the de-
ceased lay, where som people were
collected together to view the bloody
ed me with being the perpetrator. l
whatever should happen to me. next
went to MIR. Potter's to get the liquor |
had sent for and on my way begged of
God that my guilt might be discovered.
In the afternoon, being the same day on
which the murder was committed, I was
told at David Let's that / was judged
to be the person who had killed the boy.
Notwithstanding this, | staid at home
the night of that day and slept with as
much cOmposure as usual.
Having, as before stated, no desire to
provide for my own safety, / continued
at home until some time in the forenoon
of the next day, when ! was summoned
to attend as a juror upon the view OF
thu body Of the deceased. At first /
felt a disinclinafion from g1ing and
accordingly. made some excuse; but
Mr.. Let's coming home and being also
summoned as q juror, proceeded with
him to the. house of Daniel civilians,
the father of the deceased, and was
sworn to enquire as to the manner
of this death. We soon came to a
decision unanimously, agreeing to
find Ia verdict of sWilfull murder. ;
| did net as vet feel impressed with
the prolier sense of the enormity of
my crime, but remained in a state of
Indifference and unconcern, giving my
self up to intoxication, swearing and
other i'll conduct, when on the third
day after the murder, | was appre-
hended and taken before a magis-
trate, who upon the oath of Daniel
Let's, to whom in conversation I
had given cause of suspicion, issued
his warrant, by virtue Of which |
was brought to the prison where Lam
now co fined and from which / shall
this day depart to suffer, by an igno-
mineous death for the crime commit
ted by me, of which now heartily
repent and hope to be forgiven through
the mercy of God. PETER STOUT.
Monmouth Prison, May, the 18th, 1903.
st ut was publicly executed in Free
hold, probably in front of the Court
House, where the Monmouth Guards
were drawn up around the scaffald.
1t was es estimated that 5000 people
were present. After the singing the
27th Psalm, Rev. John Woodruff
preached the sermon at the prisoners
request. Rev. MIR. Brindle offered
PRAYER and an exhortation.
The prisoners hands were not bound
at his reques as he had promised the
Sheriff not to use them to take
hold af the rope.
After taking leave of the clergy, he
pun Oh OIS zap, RAAC0 ~ OFCt lis
ia 9, clasped his hands as if in the
act of a praying posture, then the
scaffold left him, the shock was so
great that he raised his right hand
within two or three inches of the rope
as about to seize it, but apparently
recollecting himself, took it down
and closed it with the other.
Tradition is that his body was bur
led along the fence in the Freehold
public butying ground, near whore lat
er the murderers Cline and Woolley
were inferred. The mounds of these
graves being half way down The
hill at the real of the old Ellis
slaughter house.
The Williams family named above
were descendants of Thomas Williams,
who purchased froiu Abraham Lincoln
in 1923 the blacksmith forge property Of
twenty acres and the 200 acres planta-
ton both lying Sputherly of the Bur-
path in Upper Freehold town.
ship over which sale came the litiga-
toni 1850, and this murder probably
took place on the land in dispute.
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