The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-02-08
His Mental Memoranda Committed to
the New Hampshire Sheriff
"TWas Right There--Outraged the
Girl--Stabbed the Boy"
ADDITIONAL ATROCITIES
Women Ruined, and Children in Maine, in
Derry, N. H., and Other Places Out
ragged, Murdered and Buried.

John Joyce In Bussey's Woods, Roxbury, in June,
1885, is still fresh in the public mind. 1t was one OF
those inhuman and revolving outrages seldom per-
petrated In civilized communities, and one which
stimulated the whole public with feeling of re-
venge. Isabella A. Joyce, pretty child Of
fourteen, left lone, with her brother John, two
years her junior at eleven O'Clock in the morning,
OF Monday, June IL, 1865 They took Forest Hill
horse car to the terminus of that line OF road and
then went to Busseys WOODS on foot From that
time till the following Sunday nothing was known
Of their whereabouts. Upon that day two gentle
men who were walking through the woods discov-
cred the dead body Of the girl lying recumbent on
the ground, while around her were chaplets
Of oak leaves, which she had evidently
put together. An examination disclosed the
hct that fearful crime had been
committed and an alarm was spread quickly. A
few hours a,terward the dead body OF the boy was
found quarter OF q mile or thereabOuts from that
Of his sister; both had evidently been killed with
enc weapon. The discovery Of these bodies and the
dreadful revelations which they presented created
great excitement Every man in Boston seemed
to constitute himself an amateur detective, and,
stimulated by the large rewards which were offered
Is we'll as their own PRIDE the professional officers
worked to their utmost. Suspicion after suspicion
generated and was dsprOven, till most Of the
to the future to develop some new trail which
they might follow with hope Of success. A year or
80 elapsed when criminal known as Scratch
Gravel" confined in the Charlestown prison. was
suspected OF the crime, and upon being closely
pressed he admitted his guilt and detailed ali
the circumstances OF the tragedy. 1t was subse-
quently ascertained, however, that his story was
all q snam, and taat the prisoner was insane Still
later-sOme six or eight months ago-there came
story connecting the crime with barber, who
Is said to have told his tale IN Chicago and then to
have come to this city. Investigation proved that
this man. whose name was James Dew, had Nothing
to do with the affair, and that line OF proceeding
was abandoned Dew died of smallpox at Galop's
Island on the 25th ult. since then there has been
MJtle work on he case.
THE OLD MONSTER EVANS AGAIN.
But suddenly there turns up man who, tits
Believed Is the author Of the terrible crime. 1t is
NO other than the Old WRETCH, Evans, who outraged
and murdered little Georgiana Lowering, in New
Hampshire, and who was sentenced on wednes-
day to surer DEATH His crime, for which he is TO
yield his life on the scarold, he also ad-
mitted, and besides confession OF the
outraging and murder of the Joyce chill
dreh from his own mouth, substantiated by
other and conclusive evidence the declaration that
In 1858 he stole away and killed a little niece in
Deny, N. H., aged only five years. In 1861 he as
saulted and cut the throat Of girl of fourteen
years in Augusta, Me. flor which, by the way, an
other man died in PRISON. and in 1862, June TO- he
Ia charged with similar crime upon the person OF
woman found dead in the woods near Fitchbury.
All these were victims of his lustful nature, and
murder followed to cover up his previous Outrages,
and III every instance his crimes have evinced a
state OF depravity and cruelty almost beyond COM
AN APPALLING RECORD.
Since his sentence to death Evans has made full
confession Of all the crimes alluded to, and mis-
story about the murder OF the Joyce children is
such as to leave but little doubt as to Its general
truth He made the confession to Sheriff Drew,
who arrested him for the murder OF the little Love-
ring glrk. The Sheriff. in his account OF the confess
sion, says that "after Evans admitted the
killing OF Georgiana Lowering he ques-
toned him as to his whereabouts for
the last fifteen years. Finally, said Mr.. Drew,
traced him to Rhode Island, and then back to Rox-
bury Mass. His mention OF Roxbury and the
similarity Of the two murders suggested to me for
the first time that he might have perpetrated the
murder Of the Joyce children, Of which / then
had q dim recollection and OF the crcum-
stance OF which have now but little knowledge.
INTERCEPTED him on the subject, and
the questions on my part and the answers by
him were deemed OF so much importance that
Immediately reduced the substance OF the converse.
ton to writing.
ADMITS oUrRAcNe AND NUMBERING THE JOYCE
CHILDREN.
Mr.. Drew here produced his memoranda, and
read as follows ~
"Did you stop on your way home from Rhode
Island at RoxburyY" asked Mr.. Drew.
al did; about week." Evans replied
"why did you stop in Roxburyr'
al don't know"
swhere were you wnen the Joyce children were
killedS"
~ didn't hear Of 1t until got to Manchester"
''where did You live at the time the Joyce chill.
dren were killedf''
al did not hear OF the murder until got back to
Manchester"
"was there much excitement in Manchesteran
~ did not ask about it.v
"What an awful thing the murder OF those two
little girls wasp'
(Mr. Drew thought at that time that the children
were both girls.)
"No, Mr.. Drew; one OF them was boy.n
'No, Frank; they were two girs.n
sMr. Drew, one OF them was a boyn
"Which one OF them was the cderr'
'THE GTRL.n
GLOW old do you think the girl was',
az don't know. should think from twelve u
eourteen.v
GLOW old was the boy'"
Gle was younger than the girl"
Glow do you think they were killed."
"The boy was stabbed in the back several times
"Should YOU think more than four or five times "
eyes, shoud.n
(which OF them was killed first 7"
"The boy"
'Did he make much ado 20
'1won't answer another question; I see wha
your drift is.u q
''Well let it go; care nothing about it,"
HAUNTED BY HORRIBLE VISIONS.
Mr.. Drew then left Evans, and in short tim
was sent for by him, and went back into the room
when Evans asked him the following question -
"Mr. Drew, what did them men want this morn