Year: 1866

The Hartford (Ct.) Cowraat of Thursday says. Al
bert L. Stsrkweathcr has confessed the murder Of
his mother and his sister, for which crimes he was
convicted on Wednesday. The substance of the con
fession is as follows:


In the early part of the week preceding the mur-
der his mother, he said, came to Hartford and exc
cuted deed to him of the homestead Previously
lin 1862 she had delivered to him the deed of LOT
containing sixty-three acres though the deed had
never been recorded. In giving him the deed of the
homestead, she had required him to give in return
Ella, his sister On the Saturday following. he said
he went to Rockville, and securing the services OF
lawyer there, had the sXythrec acres of land given
to him in 1862 and the homestead which had just
passed into his possession, decided to Emerett Camp
bell thus dlSposing to her OF all the estate to which
he held title. On his return homo that evening he
stonped at Mr. Campbel's house, and gave the deed
10 Emerett.


what he had done, and she, very naturally, censgrcd
him for doing what she pronounced to be very fool
finally told him, however, that if he was willing TO
take the deed of the place. pTe5ious agreed upon,
and let the note Of fifteen hundred dollars in favor
Of Ella stand as il was drawn and would keep the
deed in his own name and live on the premises the
arrangemeHt she had made with mn = IN regard 70
marry him she could come there and live: but if he
chose to treat the matter as he had-deeding away
all he was w0Tt-he should not have an inch of the
ground The words quoted are precisely those used
by her as stated by starkweahcr in his confession;


He told her that be would do nothing OF the kind
would not take Lack the deed he had given to Eme-
rett-and then accused her Of interfering with his
own ana MISS tamlOtll arrangements, some fur
ther conversation Of an excited character ensued,
which resulted in his mothers going and getting the
deed and note (Which were in her p0ssessiOnl and
tearing them up in his presence High words fol
lowed, and told her, said he. that would be re-
yenged' The destruction of the deed and note. it
will be observed rendered the deed he had given to
Miss Campbell totally valueless.l From that time,
he added 'uuti the time of the murder, the idea OF
killing mother aid not leave my mind He said he
thought of it constanty-all night Saturday and
Sunday, and Sunday night, and of all the following
day, and the more | thought Of 1t the madder |
grew were the words be used


Monday night he made up his mln;. TO do the
deed as favorable opportunity was presented by
the absence of the hired man and boy. His mother
and sister sat up 10 very late hour, as they were
frequently accustomed to do Toward morning,
took the axe from the woodshed and the knife from
adrawer. and proceeded to the bed chamber of his
mother up stairs On getting there he Immediately
struck her blows upon the head with axe, and In
so doing startled his sister Ella, who lying in the
back part of the bed. and she sprang and jumped
toward him. He did not expect to kill her, but awak-
ing as she did. and as he supposed, seeing him. he
was led knock her in the head in order to put her
out of the way that she might not be witness to
his crime against him.


ITO make certain work, he used the freely, and
then stabbed his victims with the knife. Having
done this much he says he knocked his head against
the wall and made bruise on his forehead, and one
on the side of his face and then took his jack knife
from his pocket and cut his shirt and his breast 50
that the story he had decided to tell relative to his
being assaulted by two men. might be believed.


After this in order 20 cover up the crime. he set
fire TO the beds particulars of the finding of which
by Mr. White, to whose house the murderer repaired
and gave an alarm. have appeared IN the testimony
of that gentleman.