Murder of Susan Newham, The

DESCRIPTION: "Come friends and relations, I b id you adieu, The grace is now open to welcome me through." The singer admits, "I killed Susan Newham as you have heard tell," bids his friends not to mourn, and looks forward to seeing her in heaven
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: 1921 (Burt-AmericanMurderBallads)
KEYWORDS: homicide execution reunion gallows-confession
FOUND IN: US
REFERENCES (1 citation):
Burt-AmericanMurderBallads, p. 178, (no title) (1 text)
NOTES [47 words]: According to Burt-AmericanMurderBallads, J. B. Crane was a schoolteacher in Hangtown, California, who became enamored of his student Susan Newham. She rejected him, and he murdered her in 1854. Crane reportedly surrendered to the police, but was captured by vigilantes and hung. - RBW
File: Burt178

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