A Sensational Confession.

Te Aroha News, Volume IV, Issue 188, 22 January 1887, Page 2

A Sensational Confession.

The Albany " Herald " of recent date publishes what is believed to be a true solution of a mysterious murder which occurred at that place six years ago. The remains of an, unknown man, with a bullet in his brain, were found in the smouldering ashes of a straw-stack just outside of the city limits. After an unsuccessful search by the authorities to find out who the man was or who killed him, the matter was dropped. A short time ago a detective, who was in Albany on business, related the deathbed confession of a man named Harry McCollum in Idaho, which seems to fit tho case, McCollum formerly resided in California. He stated that the murdered man, who was in his employ as a hired hand, had seduced Mb only daughter under the pi-omise of marriage and had fled to Oregon. His daughter died, and he devoted the remainder of i»ia life and afortune of 7,000d01. to hunting down her betrayer. He stated that he followed him to Albany, thence to Brownsville and afterward to Harrisburg. He decoyed him to the place of hia death by writing him a letter warning him that some one was on his track for the purpose of murdering him, and that by meeting him at the straw/stack he would learn something to hia advantage. His victim came unsuspecting, and was shot in the head by the old man, who was lying upon the straw. McCollum said he took the letter he had written from the body, and after concealing the remains in the straw-stack set it on fire and left on the train the next day before the body was discovered. The name of the murdered man was not revealed in the confession, but that of his. relatives was, and they will be written to.