I was born in the year eighteen hundred and eleven in the town of Freeport, Cumberland county, Maine, of temperate, moral, and honest parents, who were kind, tender, and loving towards me, their unworthy son. Instead of adding comfort to their venerable years, I brought grief and sorrow to their heart, and disgrace to their gray heads. I lived with my father until I became nineteen years old, when I left home in consequence of my father’s contrary disposition, which I then thought I had much reason to complain of; but alas, to my sorrow, I since became sensible of my error, but too late. An uncontrollable desire to leave home seized me, I despised my father’s counsel, and strolled about from place to place associating myself with idle and dissipated company and by this means soon became one of the most idle and dissolute wretches in existence. In this manner I roved about, and finally went to Philadelphia. Here I fell in with a young man whose name was Hunt, a low gambling sort of a fellow. We agreed to join companionship and share equally in whatever we could make. We then kept a good look out. Whenever we discovered a man intoxicated after dark, or any we thought it possible to make so, we enticed him in to some dark alley, or other secret hiding place, and robbed him of what money, watches, or other valuables he happened to have with him. Some time late in January, we robbed a traveller on the Wilmington road, about five miles from the city. We rushed upon him, endeavoring to knock him down, but the blow missing its aim, he made a desperate resistance, nearly overpowering us, when, drawing a large knife which I always carried with me, I stabbed him in the back, when he fell, exclaiming, “I am murdered.” We then robbed him of four hundred dollars. Seeing an account of the murder, two days after, in the papers, and that the Mayor had offered a thousand dollars reward, I feared my companion might turn State’s evidence, and I should suffer; I determined to leave for New Orlines, or some southern city, as I had plenty of money, but I only reached Baltimore, when I was induced to stop. I then dressed up pretty fine, intending to play the gentleman. I here became acquainted with a very pretty young lady, whose name was Eliza Morton, whose father was a respectable merchant of that city. She received my addresses very cordially for some time, but at length began to suspect that I was not exactly what I pretended to be, and grew daily more cold and reserved in my presence. I then tried to persuade her to elope with me, but this she at once refused to do, declaring that she would never marry against the will of her parents. Finding that I could not induce her to accede to my plans, I then determined upon her ruin. I then persuaded her to accompany me in a ride for pleasure, and conducted her to a house of ill repute, called for a room, and desired not to be disturbed. I then locked and bolted the door. Perceiving this, she inquired why I did so.