Year: 1869

M. BrOnsOn-A Struggle for Life.


On Thursday last Stephen Abbott, who has
murder of Apollos NJ. Bronson. made a con-
tession, the material portions of which are the


He says he had agreed with Bronson to help
TO poison man named Welton, and burn his
barn. for which he had received money and q


night when both were under the influence of


liquor. Abbott says Bronson had a jug; 1t mad


aEe up TO- MenTy Weton told Si% that


would have no haHd In It, He said had got TO, for


told RaS him would saVe no act ore or part any


thing further He insisted upon It, told him


wSnd the whole plan when up


and cluiched the axe that stood behind the


door. He came towards me with the axe


barn that McCook used to plane out little Stats


for fence. lodged around that and he struck


1t by the handle. and never let go of Il again.


We had quite struggle for the mastership Of


the axe; got the axe from him. He then got


q strip of board and struck at me with IL. He


hit me blow, SO that at the time / was


arrested my left arm, from the elbow TO the


shoulder, was black and b:ue struck


him with the axe flatways, or meant to do so.


He fell upon his hands and knees and grabbed
me by the legs. We had a good tusse before /


got free, but I still held on TO the axe. | came


upon my feet about the same time that he did.


We were both down at that time. He grabbed


me by the knees, and put me over backwards.
He hung 10 me like tick. Wnen got liberated


from him hit him again. He drove for me
Il
struck him again. and he lay senseless. did
not strike him more than three times. The last
time struck him think hit him In the back


or side of the head. When he lay there and did


not show fight, Iwent and took hold of him and


lifted him up, and found he was dead. had no
idea OF killing him. / went to the door, and


thought would go and tell Mr.. Human what


had done. My courage failed me, or the devil


door, as l said and the thought struck me that


MT. COOK and his man would be there before
could get back from Mr.. Htnman's and get him
around there. The IhOuQht struck me that
would hide him under the floor. i knew the


pianks were laid down loosely. The cuts on on
him must have been made in the scufhe by the
axe, or the wabble OF the axe, In striking MIN.


or In some such way never used knife on
him. put him under the floor. lifted up
the bed and put 1t up in the corner on shelf
! picked up The boards we had scattered around


shavings 1 saw around there, and put
them under the floor Mr.. Cook worked In the


barn all the next day, right over the BODY OF
| THIS man. bound up my thumb, which was
| cut. was in and around there all night and


staid in the barn that night About O'Clock.
| think II was Thursday morning, took up
up the hoor, and took him and carried him
| towards tie point east of where they bed
| oy ysters. took the money out OF his pockets.
There was a ten.dollar bill, a five, a two, and
some small curGency-not over S25 in all. l
| hundred rods. laid him down on the beach
and took off my clothes and stripped myself
| and waded out where the water was three
or four feet deep, on the flats, and gave
him a shove from me in the direction of the
| Lighthouse. I saw him float some four or
then came TO the barn. and took the bloody
feather tick and ripped it open, and shook the
| feathers out on the floor OF the barn. In our
| struggle In running back and forth We got the
| bed all bloody. i took the tick and the other
| clothes and burned them on the same ground
| Where Bronson had burned up the straw LICK
| the Tuesday nignt before we went to New
| Haven to get rid OF the bugs. | picked up
| shav1ngs and put them on the fire, 80 that II
would burn more readily. went into the barn


men ana looked for blood around on
1 Ine moor. There were some spots of blood,


and l took the axe and shaved them of


anT nn poured down some paint, and
| LOOK some shaVings and rubbed it around,
| to hide the marks OF blood carried Bronson's Is
| wntch over 10 Roger Aliens. ana gave IL 10 Mrs.
| alien. her husband was digging potatoes. l
went out 10 where he was, and told him had
| Ieit Inc watch with Mrs Allen. had a oOnver-


SALON with hmm about u before. About IL