Year: 1870

Mica County misss


ave, unknown persons, have
duly organized q court martial al
Favorite Island, Tunica county
Mississippi, this the 10th day Of
August, A. D. 1870, after satisfac.
tory evidence, passed sentence oi
death on Charles j. Beck, for the
murder of Matt Goode and Mrs
Goode, on the 10th of May, 1870
The prisoner made the following
confession:


I am Is years Of age, was born
in Indiana on the 31st Of March
my father was a farmer, and / was
raised to work on farm; l did not
live in a town very much; / left
home a long time ago and was
employed with a managerie cir
Gus for a short time; afterwards !
had been coming and going ;
working at different places. The
first bad act ever committed was
on the 23d Of July, 1859, I stole
my brothers horse, sold it, and
was caught, was put in Jail, and in
about two months after, one oi
the prisoners broke Jail and / es-
capped. then changed my name
to VIM. Saunders on the 10th Of
May I killed Mr.. and Mrs. Goode;
l killed them at l or 2 o'clock,
directly after dinner, / was
in the habit of hunting an
hour or so every day after
dinner; but that day / took
the gun to the corn crib and when
the old man came there after the
bridle l shot him; he was looking
up at me laughing when l pulled
the trigger; he never spoke, but
fell dead. I got down out of the
loft and put my hand in his right
pocket and got So and some odd
cents; l left the gun at the crib
with one barrel loaded and went
Immediately to the house. Mrs.
Goode was sitting by the fire in
her room smoking when l went
in, told her one Of the cattle was
in u hole and, Mr., Goode wanted
her to come and help get it out: |
took an axe along and walked be-
hind her into the woods on the
path. then struck her on the
head with the axe, and dragged
her to one side of the path, when
| caught hold of her body to drag
it away, one OF her slippers fell off;
afterwards at q short distance the
other came off. did not move
them; | dragged her body ten or
twelve feet; / hit her on the side
Of the head; she fell at one lick,
and never spoke or drew a breath
afterward, though l did not notice
much. l dragged her on her back
by the feet and her clothing slip.
ped up. | did not commit u rape
on her, as was reported, and can
not say how it was that the part
of her clothing under her wns
straight, while that over. her was
displaced. did not disturb her
remains. She made no nose and
mistrusted nothing. She thought
a great deal Of me. ! was sorry
directly / done it. | had nothing
against her. | hated to kill her
in the house, because l could not
do it in her face. l thought / would
have Il chance outside behind her
back without looking at her. | re-
turned to the house directly after
killing Mrs. Goode. The reason
the beds were not made that day
was that Mrs. Goode was busy fix
ing them, making slips, etc. Mr..
Goode sent me to the store on the
Arkansas side, for the shot l
bought there. do not think any
of that shot was in either load,
but as you say some of the shot
cut of the crib puncheons were
the same size as those sold me at
the store, they might have got
mixed. | did not buy it to kill
them. | left the Island at three
or four o'clock. 1t might have
been later. l was confused, and
could not be quick. | took q
wash-pan, a hatchet, his gun,
trunk, watch, some of his clothes
and her lOcket. l got $40 in his
trunk. knew how much money
he had, because / was at the store
when he changed it, | crossed
the river to Stewards landing in q
skif, angling down. When
landed, ! tied the skiff, and met a
white man near house. He told
me where the General Anderson
would land. and went with me to
the skifT. l gave him a drink oI
whisky. Soon after a small boat
came along. 1 hailed her in, and
shot oil both barrels Of the gun.
did not know what boat it was;
did not know the name. l cannot
read nor write. / took passage
as William Saunders to Memphis,
l put on Mr.. Goodies pants, boots
and coat before l left the Island,
My own coat l put in the skif to
sit ON. Some negroes came to
the bank, when / hailed the boat
They helped me with the trunk,
and 1 gave them the skiff until
called for it. l had offered to sell
/ L n. II