Year: 1869




The execution Of Josiah l.. Pike for the
murder Of MIR. Thomas Brown and his wife,
of Hampton Falls. took place within the
walls Of the State Prison, in this c4v, to-day.
The last affair of the kind in this State was
that Of Samuel Mills, who WAS hung at IIaycr-
hill on the 9th of May, 1865


THE MURDER AND WHAT LED 10 1T.


The citizens of the quiet village Of lIamp-
ton Falls We're startled, on the morning Of The
Sth of May, 1868. by the announcement that
Mr.. Thomas Brown and his wife had been
most toullv dealt with and that their resi-
dence had been robbed of a considerable sum
Of money On the previous evening Il neigh
Dor spent an hour OF so with the aged couple
and left them about eight O'Clock, at which
time Mr.. Brown WAS sitting before an open
fire in u fireplace, with his feet upon the and
irons and his back to the door opening from
the sitting-roo to the kitchen. No sound
was heard proceeding from the house dur
ing the night and il was only when labor
er in Mr.. Browns employ came to the house
early in the morning. and after repeated at
tempts 10 gain admission to the house, was
finally admitted by the nearly murdered
Brown, that the knowledge Of the bloody
transaction Of the night before burst upon
their neighbors with startling effect


Mrs. Brown was found lying on the kitch-
en- floor, where She was fellcd Ivy the assas-
sim unconscious from 2 blow Of nm axe re-
ccived in her forehead. She hal been partly
covered with rugs during the night by her
nearly murdered and unconscious husband,
and pillow placed under her head She
was removed to u bed, and brc.,thed uncon-
sciously until Saturday morning, when death
ensued.


Mr. Brown, covered with blood was assist
ed to u bed, in the bedroom, where he hal
apparently passed = pogtion Of the night, as
he was partly undressed and blood was found
upon the bed and ON the loors of both the
sitting-room and Kitchen He lad received
blow from ln axe on the left side Of the
frontal bone, nearly four inches IN length,
and no effort Of the surgeons in attendance
could restore him to full consciousness while
he survived, which was until the "Wednesday
following. Further examination showed that
a bureau, standing in the southwest corner
Of the sittingroom, had been ritled of peck
et-book, and similar one had also been
taken from Mr.. Browns inside vest pocket,
and that an oycrcoat Of his was missing
The axe with which the double murder
had been committed was found in the sitting
room. Having done his bloody work, the
assassin proceeded to Il bureau in the sitting
room, in u drawer i'll which he knew his vic
tins kept their money. which he rillcd OF It's
contents, and after taking an oycrcoat be-
longing to Mr. Brown he made his escape
from the scene of his bloody work.


ARREST OF PIKE.


The murder was discovered by u man who
worked for Mr.. Brown, early on the morn
ing of the Sth. The neighbors were at once
summoned and Mr.. Brown upon being
questioned as to who did the deed, implic:t-
ed a man known by him rs John Ross, who
was no other than Josiah l.. Pike. The olli-
GERS were at once put on his track and be
ing traced to Ncwburyport he was found in
bed at the house of his mothcr-n-law. The
overcoat belonging to Mr., Brown was found
in the room, and about $3.50 OF the stolen
money was found in his clothes.


Ills PREVIOUS HISTORY


Pike was the youngest of four children,
and was born in Portsmouth, May 26 1887
His father was y confirmed incbriate and
Josiah was allowed to grow up without any
of those moral influences that fall to the lot Of
very many other young men. As result he
led vagabondish life, and at an early arc
he served two years in the Charlcstown State
Prison, his parents having removed to New
buryport At the age of twenty-one he mar
ried Lizzie Burnham, of Ncwburyport, and
for eighteen months of their married life he
was very good citizen. At the expiration
of that time she died of consumption, and
Pike again relapsed into his old habits. In
1861 he enlisted in one of the four companies
from Massachusetts that were attached to the
10th New York (MozarD regiment, and re-
mained in the army upwards of a year, when
he was discharged in consequence Of wounds
received at Williamsburg. He afterwards
enlisted in the navy, and was on board the
Richmond at the battle of Mobile Bay After
being discharged he committed 4 theft in
Newburyport and was sent to the Ipswich
House of Correction for two years On his
release from this institution he engaged to
work for MI Brown, where he was mode
rately steady for u considerable time


A VERBAL CONFESSION.


After his conviction he made verbal state
ment to Sheriff Morse. He SAYS he was al
ways y black sheep in the world, and that
nobody ever cared for him. His idea in Wis
iting the Browns was to secure their money.
and he says the idea of killing them never en-