The democrat. [volume] (Weston, W. Va.) 1868-1874, 1873-02-24
NO. "a.
Evans, the Child Murderer.
HO oOufossol 10 Several Murders, Including the
Joyce Children In 1865.

Ho cOnfessca 10 Several Murders, Including tho
Joyce Children In 1865.
Franklin D. Evans, who wns tried,
convicted, and sentenced to be hung on
the third Tuesday of February, 1874, at
Exeter, N. H., for the murder OF Geor-
giRna Lowering Inst October, has made
the startling confession that the last If
teen years OF his life has been almost
one scene OF butchery, NIL his victims
being children.
In 1858 he says that he stole awayand
killed little niece in Derry, N, H.,
aged five years. In 1901 he assaulted
and cut the throat OF n girl fourteen
years Of age in Augusta, Me-, for which
another man died in prison while the
most startling of his numerous crimes
is tho murder Of Isabella Joyce, aged
fourteen, and her brother John, n boy
OF twelve, in Bussey's Woods, near
Boston, in 1865. These murders, it
will be remembered, created the great.
est excitement all through New England
at the time. It was plain that the girl
had been outraged, and the whole coun-
try was thoroughly searched for the
murderer. But at last the old saying
that murder will out is again realized.
It is also charged that on June 10, 1872,
Evans outraged woman found dead in
the woods near Fitchburg, Mass, and
during the year ho outraged, mutilated,
and murdered Georgiana Lowering, n
girl Of twelve years, in Northwood, n.
! IT for tpLnun TNun,1nr 1,n iu ,,ni1nr pnu
tencc. His confession in regard to MI
the above crimes is brief and indefinite
except as to tho Joyce children, which
was made to Deputy Sheriff Henry A.
Drew, who arrested him and had him in
charge ten days before he revealed to
him tho secret Of tho murder Of Georgi-
ana Lowering. Mr.. Drew says that after
Evans had confessed tho murder lle
questioned him as to his whereabouts
for the last fifteen years. "Finally,"
says Mr.. Drew, "I traced him TO Rhode
Island, and thento Roxbury, Massnchu-
sets. Mention OF Roxbury, and tho
similarity OF tho two murders suggested
to me for the first time that he might
have perpetrated the murder Of the
Joyce children, Of which l had then but
dim recollection, and of the circum-
stances Of which I hnvo now but
very little knowledge. I then in
terrogated him on tho subject, and tho
questions on my part and tho replies on
lis were deemed by me OF so much i'm
portance that 1 immediatelyreducedt the
substance OF tho conversation to writ
ing" The following covers tho main
points of tho confession elected in re-
gard to the Joyce children:
Question by Sheriff Drew Well,
Frank what you tell me, you must tell
me now tell me I'LL all about it <; were
you in Roxbury or were you in Man
cliester-tell me Just MS it is?
A. Mr.. Drew, | was right there when
that boy and girl were killed.
@. Was he stabbed or not?
A. Yes, he was, several times.
Q. Did tho girl make much ado?
A. Yes.
Q. More than the boy did?
A. Yes.
Q. Why did she?
A. She was raped don't ask mo any
more, have now told you.
Q. Was the act committed before she
was killed?
A. Yes, Mr.. Drew I won't say any
more; 1 have told all about it now.
Q. Well, Frank, l guess you have
butone tllingmore: Was thegirl bruised
much?
A. Yes; won't answer another qaes-
tion.
Mr.. Drow-well, 1 won't ask you any
more.
Mr.. Drew states tint Evans further
said that tho house where the children
came from was on tho lcft-hand side rs
you went into Boston from Roxbury,
and was n two.story house.
Mr.. Drew said to him, "Now, Frank,
it was little cottage.houso on the
right.hand side as you go toward Bos-
ton?"
Evans replied: at was n two.story
house, on the left-hand side MS you go
into Boston from Roxbury."
The following affidavit is corrobora-
tive of Sheriff Drew's statement:
I, Azariah Waldron, of Stratford, in
the County OF Stratfortl, State OF Now
Hampshire, dcpose and say that | was
keeper over Franklin B. Evansat Henry
A. Drew's house that 1 had conver-
sation with Evansin regard to the Joyce
children Evans said to me, 81 hope
they won't bring that up till I get
through with this !; il they do, what will
they do to me?" I answered, "They
will hang you twice." Evans said,
"Thcy cannot kill mo but once"
AzARIAH WAIDRoN.
Sworn and subscribed to before me,
HENRY A. DREW,
Justice OF the Peace.