Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1873-02-20
A MUItDnRER'S CONFESSION.
of Evans, thc NorthGell
MurxlcrCr.-fIc ('Onlcsscs tin. - Il rtlcr Of
the Joyce Children.

the Joyce Children.
According to the confession of fEvans,
IN 1858 he stole away and killed little
niece in Derry, N. H., aged five years.
In 1861 he assaulted and cut the throat
Of girl of fourteen years, in Augusta,
Me-, (for which, by the WY, another
man died in prison.) In 1866 he out
ragged the person of Isabella
Joyce, aged fourteen, and then
killed her and her brother John,
boy Of twelve, in Bussey's Woods,
near Boston. In 1872, June 10, he is
charged with similar crime upon
the person of woman found dead in
the woods near Fitchburg, Mass,
and during the year he outraged, mu.
tilated the person of, and murdered
Georgiana Lowering, girl Of twelve
years, in Northwoo6, N. H. His con-
fession in regard to all of the above
crimes is brief and indefinite
except as to the Joyce chill
dren, which was made to DEPUTY
Sheriff Henry A. Drew, who arrested
him, and had him in charge ten days
before he committed him to Exeter
Jail, and seven days before he revealed
to him the secret of the murder of
Georgiana Lowering. Mr.. Drew says
that after Evans had confessed the MUIR
der, he questioned him as to his where
abouts for the last fifteen years. Finally,
says Mr.. Drew, traced HIM 10 Rhode
Island and then back to Roxbury,
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
Joyce children, Of which I had then
but dim recollection, and of the cir
cumstances of which I have now but
little knowledge. I then interrogated
him on the subject, and the questions
on my part, and the replies on his were
deemed by me of so much Importance
that I Immediately reduced the SUBJ
stance of the conversation to writing.
The following covers the main points of
the confession elected in regard to the
Joyce children:
Question by Sheriff Drew-Well,
Frank, what you tell me, you must
tell me now; tell me all about il.
Were you in Roxbury or were you in
Manchester Tell me just as it isl
that boy and girl were killed.
Q.-Was he stabbed or note A.
Yes, he was, several times.
Odd the girl make much ado2
Ayes.
Q.-More than the boy did? A.
Yes.
Q.-Why did she2 A.-She was
raped. Don't ask me any more. I
have now told you.
Q.-Was the act committed before
she was kil]eds A.-Yes, Mr.. Drew.
I won't say any more. have told all
about it now."
Dwell, Frank, I guess you have;
but one thing more. Was the girl
bruised much? Ayes. Iwon't an
swer another question.
Mr.. Drew-Well, I won't ask any
more.
Mr.. Drew stated that Evans further
said that the house where the children
came from was on the left hand side as
you went into Boston from Roxbury,
and was two-story house.
Mr.. Drew said to him: "Now,
Frank, it was a little cottage house
on the right hand side as you go in
to Boston ~
Evans replied: eft was a two
story house on the left hand side as
you go into Boston, from Roxbury."
The following affidavit is corrobora-
tive Of Sheriff Drew's statement:
I, Azar1ah Waldron, of Strafford, in
the County Of Strafford, State of New
Hampshire, depose and say that was
keeper over Franklin B. Evans at
Henry A. Drew's house That I had
conversation with Evans in regard to
the Joyce children. Evans said to me, II
hope they won't bring that up till l
get through with this; if they do,
what will they do to me?" Ianswered,
"They will hang You twice" Evans
said, "They cannot kill me but once"
AzAR1AH WALDRoN.
Sworn and subscribed to before me,
HENRY A. DREW,
Justice of the Peace.