The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1874-12-24
The Trial of Jesse POmerOy. the Boy
Butcher.
BosToS, Dec. IA.

BosToS. Dec. Il.
PROBABLY there never was before
known Juvenile criminal possessed OF
such murderous and fiendish prOclivitles
as the one whose trial for one of his MUIR
ders has just been finished in the Su-
preme Court in this city.
The story of his murders, including
that of little Kate Curran, and his va
rious atrocities, has already been told.
In the trial Tor the murder Of the MILAN
boy, Just concluded, it appeared from
the evidence that on the 22d day of last
April the body Of the victim, a boy scarce
~ four years old, was found in piece OF
marsh which lies north Of the Old Col
ouy Railroad and Dorchester avenue,
p IT the Crescent avenue station. ne
jy was still warm, and bore the marks
some fifteen stabs The throat was
cut and the hands Of the child were
badly lacerated The body was found
by tWelve-y ear-old boy named Powers,
who was out digging clans with a deaf
and dumb brother. Upon the discovery
Of the body by the little boy
Powers, he Jaw two men up
the marsh, ard ran and told
them u what he had discovered The
men were there fo practice with a gun,
but Immediately took steps TO notify the
police and care for the body. 1t proved
70 be that Of the lad Horace H. Milan
who had resided but few months at his
home on Dorchester avenue The last
the boys mother had seen of her child
was at ten O'Clock on that day, when she
gave him a penny to 90 to the bakers to
get cake. At half-past eleven he was
seen by other boys accompanied by the
POmerOy boy. Subsequent to this, about
twelve O'Clock, they were seen by other
parties together, gong toward MCk4ys
wharf, and thence By "a bridge to the
marsh. At the creek they were met by
another boy who was coming away from
where some meu were digging CLANS
The PomerOy boy spoke TO the last lad
and asked what the men were shooting
on the marsh, and So was recognized by
the latter. The Pomeroy boy was seen
ID lift the MILAN lad over the erect, and
their tracks large and small. were after
ward traced, side by side, 10 the spot
where the body was found All these,
together Will other strong circumstances
pointing % his guilt were brought out
q the trial
The line of defense adopted at the trial
was insanity, ard the points which were
proven were wei! stated by the counsel
~ his opening argument lie said that
when first he took charge Of the case he
had some doubts as TO whether the pris
onef was the guilty party; but as time
wore on 1t had come to his mind that
such was the TaCt Though he had
allowed the Government to proceed with
their case and put in such testimony rs
had bearing upon the case, he had ad-
mitfed mary things without holding the
Government to a strict proof. This boy
Was lust now past his fifteenth year and
at tie time Of The crime was but fourteen
years and five months old Had it been
tive months earlier it would have been a
question in law as to his responsibility
ioT between the years Of seven and four
teen Il IS disputed point whether per
son can be responsible for crime. The
circumstances of the case were re
markablc, as had been the boys life
and character since birth Before
ne was three years old he was
very -icky and was not expected to
live for 4 long time AT FIVE years old he
exhibited remarkable characteristics; he
was discovered on one occasion inhicting
cruelties on "a cat, and there were many
instances where ne showed peculiar traits
~ character II had been the endeavor
oi his mother 10 bring him up properly
and, aside from the pecuiaritics eXhib-
tied, he was "a good boy In August,
ISL, nt was very sick With pneumonia,
since which time be has acted strangely
and seemed 70 delight in human suffer.
ing The boy cannot control his feel
ings, and he thinks himself that no child
would bc safe when IN his hands The
counsel claimed that Pomcroy was in.
sane, and that the act committed by him
vas that Of an irresponsible person.
During the progress of the trial, which
commenced last Monday, there has been
the most intense public interest mani
tested. The evidence was all in yestcr
day, and to-day has been reserved for til
arguments for and against the prisoner
the charge of the Court and The verdict
of the jury
The ease was given 10th" jury al about
hdlfpa five this afternoon. and aft Il
aclibe ating until nearly eleven o'clJcl,
this evening they came in with dict
ut guilty OF murder in the first degree
W.aa "a recommendation TO mercy. The
ag prisoner manifested no feeling
never when the dread decision was
uaunced, hut his mother wert vic
leaJ.r. Although the public is satisfied
WtJit the verdict there is nevertheless a
popular disappointment, as il was gener
atY believed that the defense Of insanity
would be maintainedby the jury. There
Gus been great excitement all the even.
ing PENDING the deliberations of the Jury
and all the public resorts in the vicinity
OF the Court House have been flied Will
cfoWds anNiously waiting fol the yer
Dict