Introduction | Testimony of Absalom Kimmel

Absalom Kimmel admitted his guilt from the very beginning, and during his entire imprisonment, constantly wept and bewailed his sad condition. His conscience seemed to goad him to desperation and would give him no rest until he had made a full confession of the dastardly crime. At 11 o'clcok A.M. and again at 3 o'clock P.M. on Sunday, July 7th, he asked the jailor to bring someone in to hear his statement and reduce it to writing. Finally, at 11 o'clock P.M., Judge Blake accompanied by two other gentlemen, went to his cell, when he made a voluntary confession, which the Judge reduced to writing, as it fell from the lips of the accused. Here it is in full:

CONFESSION OF ABSALOM KIMMEL

I, ABSALOM KIMMEL, of my own free will, do make the following confession in write; While we were going through the woods on Sunday, June 23d, 1872 from church, Mr. McLeod said: "Let us go a squirrel hunting." I told him we had no (caps, hard to recognize the word), that John Rieker lost them all on Saturday. Nothing more said until Jacob Kimmel came home, then McLeod asked Jake if any girls went west, and Jake told him that several went, and McLeod said: We will go out there." We then ran the greater part of the way. When we got to the spot where the murder was committed, she Mary Secaur, was within on hundred yards or more of us; and when she came up even with the place, he, McLeod, stepped out and said, 'hold on;' when she ran to the south side of the road, and hollowed, "let me loose," in a loud tone of voice. He then grabbed her by the throat and right arm , and took her behind the bushes and threw her down. We, Jacob and myself were off about two rods when McLeod called for us to come there. We did not go until he called us the second time; we then went to him and Jake stood at the roadside to watch, and I at the north of the girl and McLeod, when McLeod told me to take hold of her arm, which I did. At that time McLeod was holding bother of the girl's hands in his mouth--the palm of hands together--holding to her throat. He then had connection with her. I then watched until Jake had connection with her also and then Jake watched until I did the same thing; then Jake and I went off about twenty five yards, when McLeod again had connection with her, and as soon as he was through he picked up a club and her on the head; the club was about four inches in diameter and three feet long. I saw her throw up her hands and quiver when he struck her. He then came running up to us, and said that he had knocked her in the head.--We then ran home. I saw blood on his right wristband and also on the bosom of his shirt. When we got home, I ran into the barn, Jake went into the house, and McLeod washed himself at the horse trough and afterwards washed at the pump, and then went into the house, and all ate dinner. About 1 o'clock and about 6 o'clock, we went to water the horses, (myself, Jake, Andy and George,) and when we came back I met my brother Sam at the crossroads, and jumped with a lot of boys. We then went home at sun down, and a little after we ate supper, McLeod told me that he had been back there and was not dead yet, but that he had killed her. On Monday morning, my father told me that Alex, wanted me to off, but he wanted me to stick to the clearing.

ABSALOM (X, HIS MARK) KIMMEL Attest: R.G. Blake, Thornton Spriggs, D.T. Spriggs

Copyright 2000. David Kimmel. Heidelberg College. Tiffin, Ohio. All rights reserved.