There is no turnpike-road broad enough or smooth enough for a man
so guilty to walk in without stumbling. Every step proclaims his secret
to every passenger. His own acts come out to fix his guilt. In
attempting to charge another with his own crime, he writes his own
confession. To do away the effect of Palmer's letter, signed Grant, he
writes a letter himself and affixes to it the name of Grant. He writes
in a disguised hand; but could it happen that the same Grant should be
in Salem that was at Belfast? This has brought the whole thing out.
Evidently he did it, because he has adopted the same style. Evidently he
did it, because he speaks of the price of blood, and of other
circumstances connected with the murder, that no one but a conspirator
could have known.

Palmer says he made a visit to the Crowninshields, on the 9th of April.
George then asked him whether he had heard of the murder. Richard
inquired whether he had heard the music at Salem. They said that they
were suspected, that a committee had been appointed to search houses;
and that they had melted up the dagger, the day after the murder,
because it would be a suspicious circumstance to have it found in their
possession. Now this committee was not appointed, in fact, until Friday
evening. But this proves nothing against Palmer; it does not prove that
George did not tell him so; it only proves that he gave a false reason
for a fact. They had heard that they were suspected; how could they have
heard this, unless it were from the whisperings of their own
consciences? Surely this rumor was not then public.

About the 27th of April, another attempt was made by the Knapps to give
a direction to public suspicion. They reported themselves to have been
robbed, in passing from Salem to Wenham, near Wenham Pond. They came to
Salem and stated the particulars of the adventure. They described
persons, their dress, size, and appearance, who had been suspected of
the murder. They would have it understood that the community was
infested by a band of ruffians, and that they themselves were the
particular objects of their vengeance. Now this turns out to be all
fictitious, all false. Can you conceive of any thing more enormous, any
wickedness greater, than the circulation of such reports? than the
allegation of crimes, if committed, capital? If no such crime had been
committed, then it reacts with double force upon themselves, and goes
very far to show their guilt. How did t