Year: 1859

OctNeen us that, as soon rs Won and your
father came near enough for our purpose


we should rush together into the trail be.


fore you; my associate was then to level


his gun at your father and demand his


purse, while | was TO level mine at Won


and fortid your interference or attempt


to draw weapon.


1T was as you may remember, between


ten and eleven o'clock in the forenoon


when you and your father arrived at our
place OF concealment. We rushed forth


and acted as we bad agreed. Your fathcr


was IN advance of you n short distance


and both of you drew your reins and stop


ped when you saw us. He not only re-


fused to deliver his purse, but BEGAN TO


dismount on the far side of his horse owl.


IDENTITY Tor the purpose Of defending him


sell. My associate fred upon him, and be


fell to the ground. ! had no Heart TO


shoot you, and, as soCu rs you saw your


father iall, you turned, au& tired in the di-
rec'lon from which you came We went
, up AT once 10 your father, and found him
I already entirely dead, the whole load of


buck-shot having passed through his


body. STOPPING down, we searched his
/ pockets for money and valuaOlcs. In


turning him over, my left hand got dab


hled with BLOOD and happening to place


1t upon your fathers vest, q most distinct
impression of the whole hand was left


upon it. ! remember the incident dis
! tinctly, because, happening to speak of it


soon after we left the body, my associate


remarked that ought to have cGaccd the
! impression, as the peculiarly IF the ring


finger being off at the first joint, might
furnish clue to my detection. Seven
teen dollars in money, pocket compass
and penknite, pair OF silver sleevc-b but.
tons, which we unlooscd from the wrist


bands, and two pistols, were all the mo-
! ney and yaluables we found in the pock-


cts or upon the person Of your father. We
were greatly disappointed in the amount
of the money, as we had heard that he
was returning to Louisiana to pay for some
lands that he had bought there, and very
naturally concluded that he was carrying
a considerable sum with him. Put wei
learned, from the accounts Of the murder
which we afterwards read in the PAPERS
that large amount Of money, scwcd up
in belt which was worn next to the skin,
had escaped our search. We we're great
ly agitated, and in hurry to leave, and
so did not think Of searching anywhere
except in the pockets.


" In few moments we left the body
and began our flight, following the trail
between the stations, which, being covered
with leaves, upon which our feet left no
impression furnished the easiest and speed
lest path OF escape. As we were both good
walkers, stout and active, we were many, !
perhaps twelve or fifteen miles on orr way, !
by the time you and the settlers reached
the body of your father. We stopped at
a creek which crossed the trail, and wash !
ed the lampblack from our faces and the !
blood from our hands and clothes. Att
night we crept into dense thickot, and
remained until day, as it had cloudcd up
and became too dark for us to follow the !
trail As soon as it was light enough for /
us to see we resumed our journey, avoid, |
ing the station and white settlements on |
the route by making circuit round them !
through the woods. We bought provi. !
sons of the Indians, and stayed two
nights more with them in their huts.-I
They bought our guns the second day aE
ter the murder, paying US small triAe in
money for each.


y,
ed the Mississippi River, and were fortu-
nate in meeting, almost Immediately,
with boat, upon which we took deck
passage for New Orleans.


"On the way down we divided evenly |
between us the money which he had
found in your fathers purse; the pistols
fell by lot to my associate-thc sleeve
buttons, knife and pocket~compass to me.
Having no use for the latter, and fearing
to dispose of it to any one else, lest it
might lead to the discovery of my con
nection with the murder | threw it into
the river used the knife, which was
new one, until it was nearly worn out,
when lost it. The sleeve-buttons | was
afraid either 10 wear or to part with, and
so deposited and kept them for more
than thirty years in small box, in which
was accustomed to put jewelrw and other
little valuables of one kind or another
which picked up in my wanderings here
and there, and retained as reserved fund
upon which to draw whenever my money
gave out. Thinking that there could not,
after so long period, be any risk in dis
posing of them, ! staled and lost them in
a game, at Mobile, several weeks ago.
They came, as you told me before We
fought this morning, into your possession,
and have led to my detection and pun
| have never learned from my
associate what became of the pistols.


Gas soon as we arrived in New Orleans
we separated. Both of us became, and
have continued until the present time to
be, professional gamblers. have lived o
most miserable life, and have never ceased
to regret that | abandoned the humble,
but honest trade of a house-carpenter for
the harrassing, uncertain, and soul-des-
troying pursuit of the gambler. can trace
all my misfortunes, my evil life, my blight
ed career, and this untimely death, to my
and association with the
man who led me into the guilt of your
fathers murder. lie is the most wicked
person I ever knew. have met him
but can never look on him
without loathing and aversion as the real
author of my ruin. He passed through
Mobile only few days before left that
city, on his way to Yicksburg, Mississippi,
,ybora ba eaid ho pxnected TO gppnd thel