Cleveland daily leader. [volume] ([Cleveland, Ohio]) 1865-1873, 1866-03-13
THE MURDERER OF THE JOYCE
CHILDREN.

4 tA uD-AAOEEEDAe concession
of the suspected Man.
We eondense the following from thu
Boston Advertiser, of March 9th.
The mystery which has SO long shroud.
ed the tragedy which occurred in West
Roxbury in June last, involving the
brutal murder of Isabella n. and John S
Joyce, only children of a widow lady re-
siding in Lynn, seems about to be fully
u~nraveled. For nearly three months q
person supposed to be guilty efthe henious
crime has been under surveillance of the
officers of the law, and it now appears al
most Individually certain that the criminal
has been discovered in q convict who is
now and has for some time been incar-
cerated IN the Massachusetts State Prison,
under conviction of an offense of much
less magnitude than that for which he has
thus far eluded punishment. Before pro-
ceeding to the exciting narrative of the de-
velOpments brought out by the vigilant
officers who have been so long at work to
bring the miscreant to justice, it may be
well to give n brief history of the tragedy
which presents features of such unparsl-
led atrocity.
BRIEF HISTORY CT II MURDER.
The two youthful victims, Isabella, q
beautiful girl of but fourteen years of age,
although almost a woman grown, and her
brother John, some few years younger
than herself, and and q great favorite with
all who knew him, had been spending a
week with their aunt who resides at the
South End. During the early portion of
Monday, the 18th of June, the two child
rem left the house of their aunt for a days
frolic in Mays Woods, u beautiful retreat
in West Roxbury, taking with them 3
small amount of change with which to
pay their horse-car fare, and a basket of
lunch, as il was-their intention not 10 re-
turn home until nesr nightfall. Before
taking the cars the children called at the
house of their grandmother, where they
were last seen. When the sun had set on
that Monday the two wanderers had not
returned. Much anxiety was felt for their
safety, and a vigorous but fruitless
search was made for them. All
night long, relatives, friends and neigh
bors kept up the search, Messengers were
sent to seour the woods and the highways
in the vicity, but no trace of the lost ones
could be found. 1t was not until Sunday
lDItL4OOHr 1lLlOSl II MtEh lTOLu luS Llllc
that the children had left on their holiday
excursion, that some gentlemen, strolling
in a tract of woods known as "Buzzey's
Woods" discovered the body of the young
girl stabbed in several places. There was
every indication of a most terrible strug-
gle between the girl and the person vino
murdered her, her hands and arms being
cut in several places, as if she had grasped
the knife or other sharp instrument by
which her life had been taken. Her
mouth Was found filed with grass, prob
ably to prevent her out-eries. The
body Of the boy was not discovered until
about an hour after that of his sister had
been found. In a thicket lying upon
his face, his body horribly gashed in many
places, the poor boy was discovered by q
party of lads who had Joined in the search
tor the brother, after it had been an
nOunced that the sister had been found.
Appearances indicated that the lad had
fed in d!smay, had stumbled headlong
into the bushes, had been overtaken by his
heartless, brutal pursuer, and had been cut
and gashed TO death. Near the body of
the girl were found some unfinished
wreaths of forest leaves, from which it
was inferred that the children had been
engaged in twining wreaths of oak leaves,
and constructing mounds of moss, when
the brute appeared before them, and the
iendish attack was made. The girls hat,
lying on the ground near by, was TASTE
fully trimmed with an oak-Ieaved wreath,
and the boys cap, found subsequently, was
also similarly adorned. Of course the dis
covery of this double murder oecasioned the
most intense excitem t in the immediate vi
cinity, and in the city and State as well.
Every person considered himself a self
appointed detective, and no effort was
spared to find out the perpetrator of the
atrocious crime. Several persons were ar
rested, but as nothing could be proved
against them they were discharged. Full
and ascomplete testimony as could be OBJ
tanned was taken before IA ~coroner's jury,
but no clue could be found to the muir
derer. Detectives eSted the grounds,
asked questions, collected notes, but did
not apparently meet with success. Heavy
rewards were offered, both by the city au-
thorities and by private individuals; but
money did not succeed in bringing the
guilty party oil parties to justice. The
bodied of the murdered children were
tenderly carried TO Lynn. and solemn and
touching funeral services were held, in
WHICH the school children sorrowfully
ARREST OF THE SUSPECTED MURDERER.
On Saturday, August 9th, a thief was
arrested at East Wilton, N. H, for the
theft of a silver watch in Gardner, Mass.
The culprit refused to give any other name
than "Scratch Gravel saying that his
parents were too poor to give him any
better. Although well armed, he. offered
no resistance to arrest, substantially to
the sherift-who was without arms of
any kind-"I don't care Il d-n for being
arrested for stealing u silver watch; butt
have done something which it would be a
feather in your cap to fasten on me. l
had rather go TO prison for two or three
years than to be travelling about the coun-
~ as L have BEEN Before placing his
in Jail, Mr.. Wetherbee took
liLl to his house and provided him with
upper. After supper, "Seratch Gravel
IS We must call him in the main part of
his narrative, sang with the little children /
# the sheriffs family, and entered into
conversation with the sheriff ) wife. Mrs.
Netherbee ~endeavored to draw his atten-
ion to spiritual matters, and to make
ONE moral impression upon him. For
his purpose she offered him IA Testament
With the request that he would read it.
Scratch Gravel refused to read it. saw
ng that he was too wicked that he had
one that since he had been in Massachu-
etts for which neither God nor man
would forgive him. Mrs. Wetherbee as
ared him that there was opportunity for
he vilest sinner to repent; but he persist
ntly refused to read the sacred volume,
nd repeated his declaration that he ltd
a deed which could not be for
iYen
SUSPICIOUS EXCITED.
The prisoner was found guilty and SEN
'nced to three years in the States Prison.
which he was taken August 18th. In
1ncert with two other prisoners confined
iere with him, he plotted the murder IF
lie turnkey Of the Jail. Surprising that
lat officer carried the keys of the Jail in =,
IS pocket, the plan was formed TO kill /;
m when he should unlock the cells in Z
Ie morning and let the prisoners out for !
-elr customary ablutions. "Scratch i
rsvel' was to break a leg from q stool a
his cell, conceal it under his Jacket. and i
hen the turnkey opened his cell door in i
e morning, was to fall upon him and a
lock him down with the club, take the :,
Us from his pocket, and escape with the
70 other ~conviets. On being tainted bv b
g of the other prisoners with a lack Of Il
urage to carry out this design, Scratch v
'avel, said he would kill a man If no II