C()]NFES81()WS GEO.P.BEALE AND GEO. BAKER r T. Ai, ()|^F.-(W ;\[^vA^' i; ,.,,., MlUDKli OF !)ANIEL DELANEY. SKX TIFR 9th \>A\ \M .\l.'^. iMi.V -\LRM. OREOOX CONFESSIONS GEO. P. BEALE AND GEO. BAKER HUSG AT SALEM, OREGON, MAY 17, 1865, FOR THE MURDER OF DANIEL DELANEY, SEK, THE 9th day of JANUARY, 1865. SALEM, OREGON : ORKGON STATESMAN POWER PRESS. 1865. COX^'ESSlOK OF GEORGE P. BEALE Al.KDut the 1st of January, 1865, Baker came iato my saloon. t spoke something about Delaiiey's money : said, as near as I can recollect, that old man Delaney had a large sura of money, and It was doing no one any good ; and t also said that the old man ■•'."•ht to divide his money with his boys. I think I said, it was that some one did not rob the old man, as the country was full of robbers. Then something was said about what an easy matter it would be to rob the old man of his money — by myself or Baker ; I do not recollect which. 1 said that 1 thouglit I knew where the money was. Then Baker proposed to go and ret the old man out, catch and tie him. and take what money wc wanted, but leave the old man plenty to live on, even the largest I)ortion. Considerable talk of that kind passed between us ; clo not recollect everything that passed between us on the siibject •at that time. On the Thursday Ijcfore this ti-ansaction (the murder) I went out to my farm, but came* to town the next day. Adklns liad Bome horses which he wanted to send out to iVlr. Taylor's pas^ tore. I told him that I wouhl take them out. which I did tlic next Sunday. Mr. Pearce MaliafTcy started from town on Suwday morning with me : went as far as the upper bridge on Mill credv ; there lite horse mired and lamed one legi He had to return to towii. » CONFESSION OF BEALE. I left William Taylor's house on Monday, a few minutea before eleven o'clock ; went by Stipp's j close by Olinger's, leaving him on the right ; went close to Rector's, leaving him on the rio-ht • came in the road close to a white house that stands close by the bridge. I will here speak of young Witzel : It is painful to me to say that that young man either saw some one else or swore a false- hood.' About the time I got to the road, I saw two men close to the mill-dam, one on horseback, and the other, standing by a horse shooting toward the creek. I walked down the creek, to see if I could get across the slough to the bridge, and the men went toward town. As I <;ame back, I saw Baker coming. Baker and myself w^ent up the creek, and close by it, going to Herren's bridge. I was afoot, and Baker on horseback. Baker went to the bridge and found it was gone, when he returned, met n^-?. and informed me of the same. We then went back to Rector's bridge. I pulled off my boot? and waded the slough. We then went through Dan'l Clark's pasture, 1 wading another slough ; passed by Clark's house and out at the far side of his pasture, next to Raymond's ; went to the left on a ridge in the timber ; stopped here and ate a bit of dinner that Baker had in his pock- ot ; went directly through the timber to the Eyres place ; went down a hollow, crossed through fir timber to where the hoi-se was hitched. This was about six o'clock in the evening. We passed olong the fence toward the house until we came to a hole of water. There we got some black. bark from a fir tree, and blacked our faces ; from there went to the house, as described by witnesses. Before leaving the liorse, Baker and I both drank some spirits from a bottle that Baker had brought with him. Baker had been drinking very freely before that, and was nearly drunk. Oh ! would to God that I had died there, as I expressed a wi^^li at the time. I will say that the deatli of old man Dela^ CONFESSION OF BE ALE. 5 ney was unintentional and accidental. We reached the gate. Baker on the inside and I on the outside. The intention was to call the old man out, catch and tic him, and then get the money* I called him out. Baker was to catch him, and then I was to assist in tying him. Baker had set his gun by the fence. When the old man came out, he had a knife in his hand. Baker, see- ing it, started to run toward his gun. As he ran, I thought it was his intention to shoot, and hallooed to him to not shoot ; but he, misunderstanding mo, thought I said " shoot," instead of " not shoot." I hallooed to him three times to not shoot, but ho said he thought I said " shoot " every time. The first shot struck him in the left breast, and he fell on his hands and knees. Ba- ker then shot at the dog. I tliink a scattering shot from the charge intended for the dog struck the old man in the head. I van and caught tlie old man,Vnd asked him if he would have some water, but he did not speak. He died almost instantly. I then drew my pistol and told Baker his time had come, for I in- tended to kill him then and there. He asked me why I told him to shoot then. I saw his mistake, and told him better. He fell upon his knees and cried like a child. I laid the old man straight, and crossed his hands. By this time the little boy unlocked the door, which the old man had" locked when he came out, Ad went into the house, taking the dog with liim, and locking the door after him. We tried to push the door open, but could not. I picked up a stick of wood and broke the door in. I broke open one trunk and found some money, and in a purse I found some more money. Baker went up stairs ; said he did not find any money. I did not go up stairs. We then left for town. I told the boy to go to David Dclaney's in the morning, and tell him. We wont to the horse, as sworn to by Headrick in court. I went on foot. Baker got on the horse. We came home, as sworn to in court, Baker drinking some on tlic road. Saw those 6 CONFESSION OF BEALE. three men in Davidson s lane, as sworn to in court. Wlien we carae to the creek, where one witness said there was a rail broken on the fence, there Baker brought his horse intp Strong's pasture, and we went down tlie creek to an old cabin ; there I gave Ba- lder some money — five hundred dollars ($500). I was afraid to give him more, as he was somewhat under the influence of liquor. We then came a short way together, and I left him and went home. When I got home my folks had not gone to bed ; it was between nine and ten o'clock. •! went to t]ie back door to wash, but could not find any soap. I crossed over the street to Baker's, and waslied back of Warner's paint shop ; then went home. By tills time my folks had gone to bed. 1 knc^cked at the door ; Mrs. Taylor got up, lit the lamp, and opened the door and let me in. I looked in the glass and saw some black on my C) e ; went to the back door and washed ; came back in tlic house right away and talked awhile with my wife ; then went to the kitchen and ate some bread and butter ; then went to get some brandy ; walked up street a short distance^; came back without getting any brandy ; then went to bed. My usual time of getting up in the morning was six o'clock. Next morning the clock struck six,whcn it was only five ; sol got up one hour sooner than usual ; we%t to the saloon about half- past five ; found the old Dutch tailor walking up and down the pavement in front of my saloon. I unlocked the door, went in, and locked the door after me, for the purpose of keeping the old Duch tailor out until I lit the lamps and made a fire. It is the duty of John G. Wright to inspect all cliimneys, stove-pipes, etc., in town. A few days before, he came to my saloon to look at the chimney, and drew the pipe out of it, and that morning, the pipe being loose, it had come out again and was smoking. I went up stairs with a candle and fixed the pipe. I speak of this for two reasons : First, there was some- CONFESSION OF BEALE. » thing Siiid by the old Diitcli tailor about me being up stairi? — >upjx)sed to have been stowing away money. There was also something said by a Mr. Evans about seeing cob-wol)s on my l)ack. This was on Tuesday morning. The room that the stove sits in, is a shed room, and to get to the chimney abovo I had to stoop on account of the .shed being so low ; and that was the way that I got those cob-webs on my back. This was, as I un- derstand, the talk on the streets, and I hope this short explana- tion will satisfy tlie people on this point. I will say something further about this Mr. Evans. He was indebted to me some forty-odd dollars, and went off and forgot to pay before he left. In reference to my wife's family — as it is well known that my motlicr-in-law, little sister-in-law and little brother-in-law testified in my favor in court, and it is believed that some of them swore f'll-c. One of my strgng points in making this confession is ) justify those who arc justifiable and condemn those who ought to be condemned. I will give the evidence and the cir- cumstances as tiiey were, then the people can draw tlieir own conclusions. Firet, Mrs. Taylor swore tliat the hat that was exhibited in court hung on a nail in her bed-room all the time that I was gone — Sunday and Monday. That was not true Still she did not swciir to a lie. 1 got a hat belonging to Ad- kina, a man that was in ray employment at that time, and living in my house, a hat similar to the other. I took the hat tliat hung on the nail down, put this one in its i)lacc, carried the other one over to the 8aloon,went up stairs and stowed away the hat that I was wearing and woix; the black o::c off. When I came back I changed tlie hats as they were beCorc, unknown to any of the folks that were in the house. If that was swearing to a lie, may God puuiah me for it and not her. She swore that I wore a watch wnth a steel chain. That was correct, although I had on, when arrested, a watch with a ribbon guard. That was my wife's watch. I took it tliat morning to get a crystal put in it ; 8 CONFESSION OF BEALE. the same I told the sheriff the next day after my arrest. Tlio same day my wife came to the jail, saw the watch, and told the sheriff that was her watch. The sheriff will say this is true, and will also say that that watch had no crystal. The little girl swore that she combed my hair on Sunday morning, and placed on my head a white hat. That was true. The boy testified to the hat-band ; said that the hat had none on when he saw it out at the farm. It had no band on ; that is true. About the time he swore to, or a little before that, I was gathering apples, and pulled the band off that hat on an apple limb, and afterwards sewed it on myself. That is the same hat that I wore, and that is the same band that was found by Ben Yaughn where the horsef was hitched. I hope the peo' pie will analyze this matter and consider well, for death is noth- ing to me in comparison with the reputation of innocent per- sons. I will now go back to where I left Baker, close to Dan the butcher's slaughter-house. I came from there straight home. Came over the hill by Jo Smith's ; crossed the creek on the foot bridge ; came down to the new grist mill race ; put what, money I had under the plank race close to the dam ; left it there until next evening ; went about six o'clock, raised the money, and went up the creek by the brewery, by Mr. Dillon's, and by Mr. Waller's house — the one that stands in the field, close by the creek ; about one-fourth of a mile beyond that, in the brush, I "ijuried the money in a cigar-box in the ground. The amount of money was fourteen hundred dollars, in twenty dollar gold pieces, and one old silver dollar that was Imttered on the edge. On Monday, the first day of my preliminary trial, I told Caton where that money was ; told him to go and get it and put it away until I told him what to do with it. He came to the jail, next day, I believe, and said he and Logan went, but could not find the moiley. He said that he and Logan came near having CONFESSION OF BEALE. 9 a fight. Logan accused him of playing him ; said that he knew where the money was, but wanted it all himself. He said that Logan told him that he was as great a thief as I was. Caton said he tried to get away from Logan and go alone, but he could not get clear of him ; he watdied so close. He tlien warned me not to tell Logan where any money was, for he would raise it and keep it. I had not told Logan where any money was. I told him this much Tuesday morning, second day of my trial in the court room. Logan told me that I. R. Moores and many others had gone over the long bridge to look for the money. He said Dray had told that he had seen me go over the bridge the Saturday before, with a box, which he thought had twelve or fifteen thousand dol- lars in it. He then a^ed me if there was any money over that way. I told him there was not. He then asked me where there was any money, and I told him up on this side of the creek. He asked me what kind of money it was. I told him twenty dollar pieces. He said that was good ; he was afraid there were some of those d — d old sriuare fifty dollar pieces. He wanted me to turn Caton ent to it unless they would get up papers for Baker. So I was forced to trial, as I said before, without preparation. After my trial, and after sentence was passed, I think that about the last words tliat were said to mc in the court house by Caton and TiOgan were about money — that thirty thousand dollars. They talked to me separately, and wanted .iie to tell them all about the money, so they could raise it for the benefit of my wife : and Logan said he could hire men, if he had money to do it with, lo to themselves only. They should bear their sins and answer to God for the same. One or two more witnesses that I wish to speak of: First, a Mrs. Greenwood. She swore that I told her that I w^ould go and rob old man Delaney of his money, i^ I could get any one to go with me. I think that is not true. I am certain it is not so. I think that she was a good deal like Dray ; wanted to tell something, and that was the best story she could fabricate. She does not have the best name for truth and veracity amongst those that kpow her. She is considered, by those who know her best, to be an o}jsce?Te woman. . One more witness th^t I wish the people to know wlic> slie is and what she is, and that Is a Mrs. M. J. Pomcrcy, froni Walla Walla, an old resident of Salem. Tliis woman's ex'- , idence was in reference to an anonymous letter that was- left on her husband's work bench. The letter was found / CONFESSION OP BEALE. 15 by Pomero}', shown to I. R. Moores and others, and writ- ten by an unknown person. The common substance of that letter was a large amount of money belonging to an old secessionist, and wanted Pomeroy to go with him and rob him -of his money. Mrs. Pomeroy testified that I told her, when we were gathering strawberries, that I wrote that letter, and wanted her to persuade Pomeroy to go with me and get the money ; but she refused to do so, and threatened to tell her husband ; he was no such a man, and he would do nothing of the kind. She also said I told her that I had reference to old man Delaney and his money. This evidence is false, and I will give a few facts to prove it so : First, she swore that she liked me very well, and I came to her house afterward, sometimes in the evening, but always some one with me. I wish jsuch was the case ; but, I am sorry to say, it is not so. Better for me if I had never gone to her house. It is well known that many gentlemen of this town went to see her of evenings alone, when her husband was gone. I could name some of them, but they are well enough known. About the time this letter was left on the work bench, this Mrs. Pomeroy got badly stuck after a Mr. William Pettyjohn, and he promised to run ofi:* with her and marry her. They had all the arrangements made and the time set for their escape. Tbo arrangement was, that she in- tended to poison Pomeroy and her children before hand. She did poison her children. One died, and the other two came near dvin«c. The wav I came to find this out, 1 went to her house one evening and found this man Petty- john in bed witli Mrs. Pomeroy. There is another gen- tleman f but I will not mention his name. He is a young married man in the mercantile business; has a 16 CONFESSION OF BEALE. partner, and owns the half of a brick store on Oommer- <;ial street, Salem. Mrs. Pomeroj told this mercantile gentleman that I had done her a great wrong when she was a girl, and before she was married, and she intended to have revenge if it tOok her the last days *f her life. This evidence I wished to have before the court. I sent Caton to see this man. Caton said that he told him he would not come before the court ; and if I forced him to come he would swear something against me. This woman swore in court that she had me in her power. Pomeroy and his wife were sent for at Walla Walla to swear against me. Pomeroy told William Ruby, a well known citizen of Salem, before he came down from Walla Walla, that he and his wife were going to Salem to get revenge from Beale. He told Ruby, at the same time, that I was the cause of all the scandalous talk about his wife when they lived in Salem. If this Mr. Pomeroy had been a good, honest citizen, and Mrs. Pomeroy a nice, virtuous lady, why did not they inform the people of this thing at the time they found this letter ? Is there an honest man in Oregon that could love and respect his wife when he knew that she was friendly with a man that wanted her hus- band, through her persuasion, to do an unlawful crime ? If such should be the case, they should not be allowed the privilege of citizenship. I think it is plain to be see;i that this letter was written by Mrs. Pomeroy and Pettyjohn, for one of two things : First, Pettyjohn expected Pomeroy to go with him and do the robbery. When he found that he would not agree to do so, and had shown the letter to ^ Moores, then I think he and Mrs. Pomeroy thought they would put the whole thing on my shoulders. T)iis Mrs. Pomeroy is. a bad and dangerous woman. I honestly con- CO>sTE6SlON OP BEALE. 17 fees that I am to blame fov my intimacy with her. I have nothing further to say against any other witnes?? that swore against me. I desire now to say something about the Delaney boys. They have been fair and gentlemanly. Some of them came to the jail to see me before my trial, and all of them, except George, have come to see me since my sentence; and George went to his home at Walla Walla soon after the trial. They have done^ nothing but what was honorable and just, and within the bounds of the lav^^ I have taken a part in doing them a great wrong, and I would to-day give my right arm, my life, or anything that I could give, or do, in this w^orld, if I could make that wrontc right. I hope God will forgive me for this error, and I" ?ioj>e the Delaney boys will forgive me. I will now tell what I know about the- moneys First, the fourteen hundred dollars, in twenty dollar pieces, and the old silver dollar, battered on the edges. As I said be- fore, Caton was the only person that I told where the mon- ey was. Caton and Curl told me that they had got that money, and had found it just as I had told them. Caton tolcf me, in the presence of Curl, that he had thrown the old dollar in the river, or creek — ^I do not remember which; but one or the Other. I often spoke to Caton about that money, and told him not to disturb it, and I never knew any better until Judge Strong came to the jail, in company with Logan, the lirst week of the court, and said Logan had spoken to Him to assist in my trial, and wanted to know if I could make him se<3ure in his pay. I told him I could for any reasonable fee. Before he left the jail he said he would come back the next day and see what kind id arranerements could be made. But I have nevter seen 18 CONFESSION OF BEALE. him since. Before leaving the jail, Logan whispered ta me and said, he had told Judge Strong that he thought I could manage to pay him some four or five hundred dol- lars. I asked Logan if he thought that a reasonable fee. The next morning, Caton came to the jail and said that Strong was doubtful about his pay, and that that thirty thousand dollars must be raised ; that Strong had been making inquiries, and found that my land was held by a judgment for as much ag it was worth. I told him I would have to make nse of some of that fourteen hundred dollars. He then said, ihey made so d — d much ficss about the money^ that he had to divide it between Logan, 'Curlf and himself! This was the fisrst that I knew that that money had been disturbed. I spoke sharply to Caton ; told him that he had no right to disturb one dollar of that money* He said nothing further about the money, and left the jail mad. The next thing' that I heard of Judge Strong, he had left and gone to Portland. Since my confession, I told the sheriff and John Davis where the money was buried. They went to the place, taking with them Geo. A. Edes, and found everything just as I had told them. Same blue paper was found on the ground that had been in the cigar-box, but the box and money was gone. Ivow, something about this thirty thousand dollars, so often spoken of This is all a fabricatian of my own. A» I have before said, my attorneys, like everybody else, thought there was a large amount of money somewhere ; and money was what they wanted. I first told them the truth about the money, but they did not believe me. I thought that by telling them of this money they would at- tend to my case better, expecting they would get more money. I told Logan and Caton that Baker knew nothing" CONFESSION OF BEALE. 19 about this money ; that I had got it when he was not in the house, I told them that when we left the house, Ba- ker went direct to the horse, and that I took a circuitous route to a place t had prepared beforehand. I told them I had dug a hole, carried away the dirt, and brought stone to fill up the hole, instead of dirt. I first told Caton about this supposed money, and afterward told Caton and Logan together. Logan wanted me to tell the place, so he could send a man, by the name of Knott, that he had brought up from Portland ; said the man was well acquainted with the Delaneys, and I think he said he was out at Delaney's at that time. I told him that the money never could be found ifnlesk I could go myself, and if I never got clear, the money would never be found. He said the squirrels v'ould dig it up. I told him about bringing the stone and .illUig the hole with it. It was proven in court tht^t both our tracks went the same direction from the house to the horse. Caton acknowledged in the jail that the above statement was true. Tliat shows that money matter to be false. To show the great anxiety of my attorneys to get the money, I will here state one thing. They told me that they had got two respectable citizens of Salem to swear that they saw nie in town between six and seven o'clock in the evening, on the 9th of January. I did not believe any such thing. I knew it was false when I heard them mentijon the men's names. Whenever they desired me to tell them where the raeney could be found, so they could go or send for it, I got rid of them the best way I could. The first week of court, Logan and Caton came and told me that those two men would not come before the court unless they got big pay for it, and that beforehand ; that 20 COXFEaSION OF BEALE. they could nor would not stand the censure, of the people unless they got the money first. They told* me that one of these ^en sa^d that if I would give directions where to find the money, they would 'raise it, and this man would take it to San Francisco. When I first made this confession, my attorneys were at the Yamhill circuit court. I sent Sheriff Ileadrick and William Delaney to see them, and tell them what I had said about the money. They (Headrick and Delaney) say that when they first spoke to the attorneys (Caton & Curl) •about the money matter, telling them that Beale and Ba- ker had made a confession, and had somewhat implicated them with receiving what money they took from Delaney, and that they (Beale and Baker) did not wish to get their attorneys into a difticulty, but wished them to come to tho jail and talk the matter over before the confession came before the .public, Curl replied that that w^is all right ; that they would make it all right ; and then Caton spoke and said, excitedly, that they got no money; that Beale and Baker were telling d— d lies, or something to that ef- fect. Then the conversation stopped between Caton and Curl and Headrick and Delaney. The next day Headrick and Delany returned to Salem ; the attorneys (Caton and Logan) coming with them. Curl went to Portland. Caton and Logan came to the jail. Lo- gan said he got some mone}^, and it was mine. Caton de- nied that he had raised any money. Before he left the jail he said he had some Uv^ thousand. dollars of my mon- ey, but had not appropriated one dollar of it to his use. He would not say much about anything. When I asked him a question, he would refer me to Mr. Logan. This conversation was in th-e presence of George A. Edcs, CONFESSION OF BEALE. 21 William Dclaney, and the sheriff. Catoii aud Logau then set about to embitter the people against me, telling that which would suit their cause best, and published an arti- cle in the Arena, which tliO}^ wanted to appear as an edito- rial. I will say before God and man that it is falst|*'° throughout, and one of the most abominable things that ever appeared in any paper. Xot only, did they publish this and other falsehoods, but changed an article, to suit their own case, that I sent to the Arena for publication I Oaton, after telling every one that would listen to him, that our confession, in reference to the killing of Delaney and the money, was false, now comes to the jail and says to me that he did not wish to do me any harm ; that hv was willing to do anything for me he could ; that all ho wanted of me, was to say that I told him that that money J>aIpnK.ed to me ; that the way the thing was it put him in ah awkward position before the people; that if I would , say that I told him the money belonged to mc he would do all that he'could to help me. I have had something to say about Sunday preachers. ] am sorry to say, Tom, that you were, at one time, a very- religious preacher of this kind. You are the fourth one that has had something to do or say about my case ; and every one of you have been rotten and false. You have not only lied and betrayed me, but you have done the same thing to my wife. You cannot betray any further; but persist in telling the most barefaced falsehoods that your ingenuity can fabricate. Since we have been in jail, all kinds of persons have f^jonie to see us, and for all purposes. Some for religious purposes, some for company, othc r^for furiosity. Per- sons that have known us for yeara^Wpffld come to see if we were not or had ncft turned into some wj^pVfrican an- nials, that had to be locked in iron cells with balls and chains fastened about our person ; ntand, look and gap^. thinking that if we were to break jail, the town woufd be jullaged, stores and other places that have money would be robbed and the people murdered. Ladies have come 22 C0Np:ssi0N of beale. on the outside, stood on their tip-to6sand looked through the grates to behold the monstrous and hideous animals that were chained within ; thinking, if not for those iron bars, they would be devoured in a minute. Other ladies have come on the inside of the jail, talked kind, and sym- pathized with us, believing that we were human beings and not animals, and hoping that God might have mercy on our souls. Dr. McAffee, old man Durbin, Jack Donaldson, John Davis, and some few other gentlemen, have visited us in jail, been kind and good to us, and sorry to see us in our distressed condition. Revs. Mr. Waller, Mr. Dickinson, and tlie Catholic Priest have been our principal advisers in religious matters. They are of different churches, and of different opinions. I am not able to know which of them is right. I differ with them all. They have their opinions.; I have mine. Baker is inclined to believe with them. Something now about my trial: We had a just and ^.m partial one. I think the court and prosecuting attorneys did their duty. I have nothing to say agaiijst any of the jury.^ In my judgment they gave an impartial verdict. As for Judge Boise, he showed no partiality on either side ; but I do think, under existing circumstances, that we ought to have had a change of venue. We asked it ; and I think we had just cause to do so, as the people were greatly excited and very much prejudiced against us. I have a few more words to say about my attorneys : Curl did his duty, as far as I know, through the trial. His statement about the money is not correct. Logan worked well during the trial. I think he did all that he could to clear us. lie might have prepared himself better, if he had not been so eager to get more money. His statement about the murder and the money is not correct. Caton, I think, at fir^, iutea^ed to do what was right. After he got the mort%, my opinion is that Logan put him up to do what he did. It is evident that Logan has kept Caton be- tween him and danger ; that or something else has caused Caton to do worse thjin either of the others. He has de- ceived me ; he has deceived my wife. He has lied to me ; he has lied to my wife. His statement about the murder CONFESSION OF BEALE. 23 flftd money is not correct. I would now say to my attor- neys, that I always told them that money belonged to De- ianey, and it is Delaney's money, and it is my wish that they give the money — one thousand four hundred dollars that tney got of me'and five hundred dollars that they got of Baker — to Delaney. I am well satisfied that they got Baker's money. 1 do not make this statement, in refer- ence to my attorneys, through any spite or malice that I have toward them. They are facts, and they forced me to them. I have given them every opportunity that I had in ray power to make this matter right* They refused to do anything. The money they have got, and it is money they want. This matter can be summed up between these attorneys and myself in these words : I stole the money from Delane}', the altorneys stole it from me! May God have mercy on my souls. This confession was penned by myself, with the consent of Baker to nearly all of it, and we both agreed and ac- knowledged before witnesses that it was true. Kow comes Bakei\ afthis late day, and makes another confession. His reasons for this are, first, that it was false in some things, and put more of the blame on him that he was entitled to, and that I wished to take the blame off myself and family and place it on him and his family ; second, that he wished to clear his conscience, make his peace with God, and be ready to try the realities of another world. My time is short — being only seven more days — and I have but little to say about Baker's confession. I could say a great many things that would conflict with his Btateraents, but I will only mention a few facts. He has been told by several persons tiiat the people were prejudiced against me, and it was the ox)inion of every one that he was not to blame; tliat I had persuaded him into it, and laid the plans. I will say that Baker's statement, where it differs from the one written by me, is not true. He must have been so drunk at the time that he did not know what occurred, or he made the confession for some other purpose than the one stilted. He says I shot three or four times in the house. T will say to every one, go and see if you can fmd any bul- let holes in the house. >iamuel Headrick. — IBs treatment toward us has been 24 CON'FEaSION OF BExlLE. commendable. I have found him to be a g-entleman h.- every respect. He has always been good and kind. Our Hying has been as good as the mai-kct could afford, and v^e have had nice, clean, comfortable beds. He did for up every favor, great or small, that w^ would ask of him, and a great many that we did not ask. I do say that I tliiuk he did everything in his power^to make us comfortable. He always talked kind and pleasant. I have never heard him speak a cross word since I liave been in jail, and I must acknowledge that I have given him some cause to do 80. He has treated my wife with the greatest kindness ; giving her every privilege the law would grant. He is a man that has a good heart and tender feelings. Mrs. Headrick and Josie, her sister, have been as good to us as sisters could be to their own brothers. Mrs. Headrick's conduct toward my wife has been more like a sister than otherwise, ever greeting her with kind words and a goodly feeliug. I have not language at my command to express my thanks and gratitude for your goodness toward my wife and myself May God bless you ; may He bless you more abundantly for your goodness toward Maria. I hope 3^ou both may live a long life and a happy one. And v/hen the strong arm comes, bringing the message of Death, may j^ou be prepared to go to that place where there is a never-ending bliss, is my humble and sincere prayer. May God bless you and yours. Vive^, vale. I can say that I have been treated kindly by every one about the jail. My best respects to Billy *^Barker for his kind and goodly treatment. It is generally customary for persons that commit crime, after being convicted, to make confessions, repent, and ask forgiveness of their God, and to warn the people against such things. I do not offer myself as a pattern of morality to give good counsel to any one, but I would say to every one, particularly to }'Oung men, beware of ^dce and low company. Guard strongly against such things. And if audi a thing as an unlawful crime should ever enter your mind, cast it ofl' — get rid of it as soon as possible. Hon- <^9ty is most undoubtedly the best policy. It may be hard for some to live honest, but stick to it and you will "come out right in the end. - COXFESSION GEORGE BAKER. The reasons for making this confession arc these : First, that Beale, my accomplice in the murder, has writ- ten and is now having* published a confession of the r^iur- der, which is not true in many respects ; and I have al IPSieci.^hrough over-persuasion for an object, my name to be used m Beale's statements of the matter, which are false, and I wish to make my peace with my God and tell the truth. Tlie statements of Beale are prepared by him- self almost exclusively, and as he has said, were so shaped as to give him an equal show in the sympathies of the peo- ple, lie expected a commutation of sentence when ho lirst made the confession, and proposed to me to shape it as he has for that purpose. I now with to make a true statement of the facts in the premises, as the time is too short for a petition to be circulated fyv a commutation, and as I have borne, in his statement, tHoiH) of the guilt than is'due me. I am now preparing to die and meet my God in peace, if possible, and I have no further hopes of a change of sentence, and no object whatever in making this confession, butto tell things as they are, and letthe world know the truth, tjiat they may be benefited thereby. Without repeating what Beale has said, or referring to it further than 26 CONFESSION OF GEORGE BAKER. what I have, I will, as brie% as possible, saj what I know to be the facts, in tli3 matter, which are as follows: About the middle of December last was the first time tfiat anything was said between Beale and myself about ^* robbing old man Delaney. About that time, Beale said to me in his saloon, in Salem, '' that he knew where there was an old man that had a great deal of money, and that w^ could go and get it very easily;" to 'which I made no reply. A few da3's after this, I went into his saloon again, when he said that it was old man Delaney he had refer- ence to, and that we could go a:nd rob him and no one would ever know anything about it. I still made no re- ply to what he said about the matter. Some two days after this time, I was again in his saloon, when he again proposed the same' matter, and said that if I would Jeav-e the management of the matter to him, we could get ti money and never be found out, or that no one would sus- pect who did it. About this time one of my children was taken very ill, and there was nothing more said about the matter for over a week ; bat as soon as my child com- menced to get better, he again approached me, and want- ed to know when I would be able to go with him.. I then told him that my child would have to get a great deal bet- ter before I could go into such an arrangement. He then said we would have to go pretty soon, or it -^oukl be no use to go, as the old man was going to move over to Billy or Davy Delaney's to live, and we would never get it. He still insisted that we were both poor, and, by taking old man Delaney's money, it would give us a start in the world, and we could be somebody. He, at this interview, said that he knew where the money was; that he was very well acquainted with old man Delaney ; had had a great deal of business with him ; that he was at his house once, packing apples, and struck his hammer against a keg setting under the bed, which sounded like it was full of money ; that most of the people believed the old man had his money buried in the ground, but he knew better than CONFESSION OF GEORGE BAKER. 2T tbat ; that the money was in the honsel He also said that he had been out, or was going out, soon, after some butter, and that he had, or was going to, prospect and see where the money was. I do not recollect positively how he made this last statement, but I am sure it was in relation to pros- pecting, to see where the money was. He further said that he hqd already poisoned and killed the old man's watch-dog, but that he had got another one from Bilh', which was of no accotmt ; that he could run him out of the yard with a whistle. f About this time, I was strongly in the notion of enlist- in «: as a soldier, but Beale told me' that he had a better thing for me, and persuaded me out of the notion of enlist- ing. A short time after this interview, Beale went out to his farm, requesting me to come out the next day to avoid suspicion, saying it would not do for us both to go togeth- er. • I did not go out, nor agree to go out. When Beale •:inie back, he approached me in this style: "You are a 1 prt^tty fellow, not to come out as you agreed to; to iiave a man travel there and back for nothing." Next morning after the last conversation, I called in at Beale's saloon, and I agreed to go with him to Dclaney's after his money. We agreed upon this plan : Beale was to go out on Sunday to Mr. Taylor's, and sta}' over night, and I agreed to meet him next day at Kector's bridge, on Mill creek. On Sunday morning, before leaving, Beale gave me a bottle of whisky, telling me to bring it out next day, and told me to bring some small rope to tic the old man with. After meeting at Rector's bridge, we proceed- ed to Dclaney's, as published lieretofore in the Oregon Statesman, arriving on the hill, a short distance above Bcr laney's house, at the place testified to in court where the horse was hitched, at about lialf-past four, p. m. Beale ;i-krd rne if I had brought the rope. I told him I had no i"}'*' Ijut the one I had for a lass rope on my saddle. Left my horse, went down near the house, sat down in some under-brush in the timber, and watched the maneuvering ot the old man, and drank wUisky, Beale persuading mo to drink plenty of whisky, so that I would have good cour- age, and then there would be no back out in me. At this time and place Beale told me that he had been 28 CONFESSION OP GEORGE BAKER. there four or five times* before that alone, and' watched the ohl man, but coukl not get a good chance at him, or some- thing of that kind. About half-past five o'clock, Beale and i went back to where the horse was liitched and saw he was all right, and returned immediately ; stopping at a pool of water and blacked our faces from some lamp black that Beale. took from his pocket. We then proceed- ed to the house, or gate near the house. Beale then hal- looed "■ halloo," some three or four times, and the old man came out — Beale saying to him that be w^as a stranger in the country, and had got lost in the hills in trying to find the road to Duncan's, and wished the old man to direct him. At this time it was getting quite dark. As the old man neared us, Beale spoke to me in a low tone of voice, saying two or three tirne^" Shoot," " Shoot," which I did w^ith one barrel of my shot-gun, and the old man fell upon his hands and knees. The dog coming out toward us, I fired the other barrchat him. The old man, in the mean time, got up and started toward the house and ^fe]l for- ward. Beale got over the fence, ran up to the old man and shot twice at him with a pistol. When Beale started for the old^man, a little negro boy standing close by, start- ed and ran into the house, locking and fastening the door and taking the dog with him. After shooting him, Beale went to the door of the house and tried to get in, calling at me to " come on." In the mean time I was loading my gun at the gate. At his call for me to " come on," I came up and we both tried to push the door open, but could not. Beale then picked up a log of wood, some three feet long and eight or ten inches through, with which he bursted the door open, and rushed into the house and shot at the little negro boy some three or four times, as he (Beale) afterward told me. Beale- in the meantime told me to stay out in the yard and see that nobody came while he looked for money. Beale searched for some time, then came out and told me to go in and look and see if I could find any money. While I was in the house, Beale came to the door and told me to break open the stair door and look up there, which I did. I looked in s^weral boxes, but found no money. I then came down, \yent out in the yard, and Beale went up stairs. When he came back, he CONFESSION OF OEORdE BAKEHfc-^ 20 told me that be could not find anything up tbcr6. Ho told me to go into the kitchen and search there, -which I did," getting the key from 0ie little negro hoy, but found no money. At this time I did not know whether Bcale had got any money or not. We then left tlie bouse and went to where the horse was liitched, as described b}^ witnesses in court. We came to town on same route as sworn to in court by Ilarpole and others. On our way home, Beale asked me if 1 had found any money. I told him I had not. I then asked him if he had found aiix. He said he thought he had some sev- en or eight htmdred dollars, if it w^as all gold. There was nothing more said about money until we got to the old cabin in Strong's pasture. Here we stopped, tried to wash the black otf our faces, and Beale gave me fiv*e hundred dollars iu gold coin, saying that was half of what money he got. From this place we came a short distance togeth- er to a fence, when Beale left me and came on homo. I JiiicLthc lence down, took my horse through, laid it up 'ligain, and came down to Dan the butcher's slaughter house; laid another fence down and up, and went into the slaughter house to find something fo tie the money up in ; could not tindjany thing, came out, took the lining from my coat sleeve, tied the money up, went up the creek a short distance, and buried the money by an * oak stump. I then got my horse, came down and crossed the ford above the foot bridge, an«l went to the stable, put my horse away, fed him, and started home. I found Beale at the back of my house inquiring for soap to wash with. I went into my house, leit my gun, got some soap and a wash pan, went to the well, got sonve water, went to the bridge of Warner's paint shop, where they take wagons jif? and washed there together. Then IJeale left me, and 1 saw no more of him until the next day. After washing, I went into the house and went to bed. There was noth- ing more of importance until my arrest. ^ 1 had no idea that any one suspected me until my ar- rest. At the preliminary trial T wished to make a full confession of the murder, but Wiis induced not to confess by my attorneys, who said that* if I made a confession, fluch was the excitement among the people tliat a 00 CONFESSION OP G;i:ORGE BAKER. mob would r^fse and hang me before I could get out of the house where the trial was being held, or to the first sign-post they came to. Caton to|d me that there would be no trouble about getting clear ; that I would liave to stay in jail until court met in March, when I would come out all ri.s:ht. The first time my attorneys came to the jail after the preliminary trial, Beale made a confession to them, but did not tell it correctly. In a short time, Caton & Curl came in the jail again, and wanted to know how much money I had got, and where I had put it. I refused to tell them at that time. Caton said they would be ob- liged to have money to carry on the suit "Avith, or they never could clear me. I still refused to tell them about the money. Caton & Curl came back in a few daj^s again, and said that I surely had money, and that they would have to have it. I then told Caton where the five hundred dollars Were that I got from Beale. They then left the jail. Caton came back next day and said he could not find the money ; that he would have to have new direc- tions and a diagram showing where the money was^, which i gave him, and I also told him that I had three hundr.tl and eighty dollars of my own money buried in my wood- shed. He then said that there w^ere men digging up my wood-shed and looking for money, and if they found it, it would be evidence against me. I told Caton that if he found that money (three hundred and eighty dollars) to give my wife a portion of it, which he did not do. The next time he came back to see me, I asked him if he had found the money, to which ho made an affirmative nod of the head, and took me into my cell and told me not to let Beale know anything about it. [I have since sent the ' sheriff, Dan Delaney, and John Davis to the place where the money was buried, and they found it as 1 told them, but the money had been taken away.] At this time he told me that he would go to Portland, out he would tell the people that he w^as going to Yamhill ; that he would go by way of French Prairie, and hire a Frenchman and a half-breed to come and swear that they saw me on the 9th.* of January last, late in the evening, drunk, on French Prairie. In a short time after this, Caton again came to the jail and told me that all was right ; that he had hired CONFESSION OP GEORGE BAKER. 81 a Frenchman and half-breed to swear for me ; and said that there was no trouble in hiring witnesses down there j that he could have hired a dozen if he had had the mon- ey ; and said the only difficulty now" would be to get the Frencliman and half-breed to see me in jail, so that they would recognize me in court ; and if they could not get to see me in the jail, that he would have a friend of inine to point me out to them in the court house. ^ I never knew but they would be. there and swear as Caton said, until my attorneys said they would rest. I then asked Caton where the two witnesses, that he got on French Prairie,^ were. He said that they had broken into a store at Fairfield, and he was afraid the prosecuting at- torney would recognize them and impeach their evidence. Caton and Logan told me all the while never to make a confession ; that the people would hang me and my attor- neys too if I did. I told them that there was no chance to get clear, and that I would fare better to make a full confession, and throw myself upon the mercy of the court. '^hjjw said, no: that tliey would get me oat all right; that it \(^s not me the people were after, but Beale. Some tw*o weeks before court convened, Beale and I were separated. I was put up stairs, and not permitted to talk to my attornevs privately ; but when court met, Lo- gan got an order from the court to see me privately, and came up and had a talk with me ; said Beale had been telling him that he had got some thirty thousand dollars, and wanted to know if Tknew anything about it. I told him I did not. lie asked me if Beale left me at any time on the road home from Delaney's. I told him I thought not ; but since, upon reflection, I remember of Beale going ■ thrpugh Dutch Adams' field, on foot, while I rode around, an^ he got a short distance behind me at the creek, this side of V. K. Pringle'8,and whistled to me to stop, came up and told me I was riding too fast for him to keep up. He was again separated frorn me a short distance at Davidson's meadow,' but wiis out of sight only a few moments. From what I know about the matter, I think the money the attorneys got from Jieale was Delaney's money. I saw the old silver dollar that Beale speaks of, the next day af- te^ljie murder. I would Irere say to the attorneys, if they /US' 32 CONFESSION 01^ CI^OUGfi BAKER. «'ot the five hundred dollars that I told then: belonged to i)elanej, to give it back to the Delaney boys, as it is justly theirs, and the attornej^s have no right to it. And I am sure Caton as good as told me he had got the nione3\ I also thiuk that they ought to give the money the^^ got from Beale back to the Delaney boys, notwithstanding they say that Beale told them it was his own money— which, if he did, he surely was mistaken, or did it for some other pur- pose. What Beale says now about the money ($1,400) must be true, as there is no object in him or myself getting into an}' altercation with our attorneys. It would surely- make the matter worse for us to have the attorneys say^ve ' were not telling the truth, and we cannot tell the truth without implicating them in the money matter. I hold no malice against my attorneys or any one else. If my attor- neys' days were numbered as mine are, they might think somewhat as I do about refunding tlie money to the Dela- ney boys» Right here I wish to say that my wife is entirely innocent of knowing; anything of. or having anything to do with, the murder of Delaney. Slie knew nothing about it until I made a confession. I have committed a great crime, and ought to suffer the penalty of the law, but innocent per- gons ought not to suffer for the crimes of guilty ones. I regard my trial as a candid and impartial one, and have no reflec- tion to cast upon the officers of the court, or the ywy, or witnesses, ex- cept two witnesses on the part of the prosecution, who were mistaken in their testimony. In conclusion, I will sa; that my name is George Baker; was horn in Ohio ; was thirty-two years old on the 3d of July, 18li4. My life has been an unsettled one. I cme to Oregon in 1852; was married in 1855, and now have tour childfren — three boys and one girl^-all living. I have never committed a crime of great magnitude until this one; and yet I have not been a Christian man, but have lived an irreligious litV% sometimes mdulging in such vices as swearing, drinking, and keei)ing bad company, and but for my indulgence in intoxicatin ; drinks and vis- iting the dramshoj), I 8ht)uld never have committed the crime tor wl^ich I have got to die. And right here I would say to ail, and more es- pecially to the young men, to avoid the dram-diop, bad company, and evil practices, if you would avoid the consequences growing out of them. Since ray conviction, I have been reviewmg my life, and seeking par- don for my wrong doings, and hope to die in peace with God and man. I winh to say further that I feel especially grateful to the Sheriff and his wife for their kindness toward me since my arrest and imprisonment; and also thaiik others for visiting, counseling, and manifesting intereet in my future welfare. / .w I now commend my family, friends, and myh'clf to God. m