The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1874-12-18
THE BOY BUTCHER.
TRIAL, CONVICTION AND SENTENCE OF JESSE
POMEROY

Probably there never was before hno"n
juvenile criminal possessed OF such MURDER
GUS and tiendish proclivities as the one whose
trial for one of his murders has Just been
finished in the Supreme Court IN Boston
The story Of his murders. including that OF
little Kate Curran. and his various atrocities,
have already been told in the DSg1tch. IN
the trial for the murder of the MILAN boy,
lust concluded. it appeared from the evidence
that on the 22d day Of April the body OF the
victim. boy scarcely four years old, was
found in piece OF marsh wnlcn nes noItn
of the Old Colony Railroad and dorchester
A., wye near the Crescent Avenue Station
BODY was still warm and bore the marks
Slc,,ome fifteen stabs. The throat was cut
and the hands of the child were badly lacera-
ted. The body was found by twelve-year-
old bov named Powers, who was out digging
clans with deaf and dumb brother. Upon
the discovery OF the body by the little boy
Powers he saw two men up the marsh and
ran and told them what he had discovered.
The men were there for practice with gun,
but Immediately took steps to notify the
notice and care for the body. 1t proved to be
that of the lad Horace H. MILAN, who had re-
sided but a few months at his home on Dor
chester Avenue. The last the boys mother
had seen of her child was at III o'clock on
that day, when she gave him penny to go to
the bakers to get cake.
AT II 80 o'clock he was seen by other boys,
accompanied by the Pomeroy boy. Suisse
aueut to this, about IL o'clock, they were
seen by other parties together, going toward
McKay's wharf, and thence by bridge to the
marsh At the creek they were met by another
men were digging CLANS. The Pomeroy boy
spoke to this last lad, and asked what the
men were shooting at on the marsh, and SO
was recognized by the latter. Pomeroy
was seen to lift the MILAN lad over the creek,
and their tracks, large and small, were after
ward traced, side by side, to the spot where
the body was found. All these, together with
other strong circumstances pointing to his
guilt, were brought out at the trial. The line
of defense adopted at the trial was insanity,
and the points which were proven were we'll
stated by the counsel in his opening argu-
anent.
He said that when first he took charge OF
the case he had some doubts us to whether
the prisoner was the guilty party; but as
time wore on it had come to his mind that
such was the fact. Thong h he had allowed
the Government to proceed with their case.
and put in such testimony as had bearing on
the case, he had admitted many things with
out holding the Government to strict proof.
This boy was Just now past his fifteenth year,
and at the time OF the crime was but fourteen
wears and five months old. Bad it been five
months earlier it would have been question
in law as to his responsibility, for between
the wears of seven and fourteen 1t is dispu-
ted point whether a person can be response
BILE for crime
The circumstances of the case were remark
able, as had been the boys life and character
since birth. Before he was three years old
he was very sickly, and was not expected to
live for long time. At five years old ne ex-
~ ~ oako vs,ts0 ha roc
discovered on one occasion infiicting cruel
ties on a cat, and there were many instances
where he showed peculiar traits OF character
1t bad been the endeavor Of his mother to
bring him up properly, and aside from the
peculiarities exhibited, he was good boy.
In August. 1871, he was very sick with pneu-
monia. since which time he has acted strange
lv, and seemed to delight in human suffering
The boy cannot control his feelings, and he
thinks himself that no child would be safe IN
his hands The counsel claimed that Pome-
roy was insane, and that the act committed
by him was that of an irresponsible person.
The case was given to the jury at about
half-past Friday afternoon, and after de-
liberating until nearly II o'clock in the even
inc they came in with a verdict ct guilty OF
murder in the first degree, with recommen-
dation to mercy. The young prisoner mani
tested no feeling whatever when the dread
decision was pronounced, but his mother
wept violently. Although the public is salts
fed with the verdict, there is, nevertheless, q
popular disappointment, as it was generally
believed that the defense Of insanity would
be maintained by the jury. There was great
excitement all the evening pending the dslib-
erations of the jury, and all the public resorts
in the vicinity OF the Court-houses were filed
with crowds anxiously 9 waiting for the YER
dict" The death sentence upon the juvenile
was pronounced on Saturday.