The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1880-03-17
A BOYS BLOW
KILLsHIs PLAYMATE
Bloody Affair at Turtle Creek, Pa.-A
Youth Of Fourteen Brains Another
Aged Sixteen for Chew
Of Tobacco.

PITTSBURGH, March 16.-Another muir
der took place within the county limits to
day, and 1t is as horrible in its details, al
though not as desperate in criminality a
some of its immediate predecessors. Thil
morning, about 10 o'clock, John Hough,
boy about sixteen years old, was killed
by another boy named Thomas Cochran
who was but fourteen. The boys have
been playmates for some time, and have
spent many Of their leisure moments to
gether. This morning Hough asked
Cochran to go to Wallis Station with him
and they started up the railroad.
The boys lived at Bessemer in the
houses owned by the Edgar Thomson
Steel Works near the stable where Sammy
Hunter was killed. They left Bessemer,
as has been said, and walked up the track
OF the Pennsylvania Railroad toward
Wallis Station. When about half way be-
tween Turtle creek and the latter place,
Hough asked Cochran for chew OF ftobac-
CO. Cochran told Hough he had better
let tobacco alone, and then Hough said
something OF IN insulting nature and q
quarrel arose. Hough picked up large
piece OF railroad ballast and threw 1t at
Cochran, striking him on the leg. This
aroused Cochran's anger and he seized q
railroad coupling pin which lay beside the
track and struck his companion over the
head. Cochran says he does not remem-
Der whether he struck one blow or more
than one. Hough fell like q log and Coch-
ran very much frightened ran of.
The affair was soon discovered, and
some train men who were among the first
to see the body, took Cochran In custody.
The boy was weeping bitterly, and seemed
10 have lost all knowledge OF his move
Inents, and made no attempt TO escape.
Lewis Close, the conductor OF the Pacific
Express, took charge Of Cochran and
brought him 10 the Union depot, where
Chief Fender was In waiting, and Cochran
was then taken to the Central station,
where he Is now, il, .,),3I
Iongh's cap and the coupling pin were
brought In with the prisoner. The cap is
OF thick mohair, and on the left side there
lb u nOIe, cAuseu py tut ploW. lue entlte
top and side OF the cap are saturated with
b.Iapd and matter which looks like brains.
Apaper in which the cap was wrapped
was also soaked with the blood. The
coupling pin is about twelve inches long,
round, and shaped like q. policeman's
club, being about an inch and q quarter in
diameter. The end Of the pin Is covered
with blood and hair. Hough lived with
his parents ia the " "brick row'rat Besse.
mer, aud Cochran lived with man named
John 0'Brien, 81 y. ...a.
Cochran was employed in the Steel
Works as q water carrier. He has been at
this work for some six weeks. Cochran's
father and mother died some ten or
twelve years ago, and he lived with the
Sisters Of Charity, on Tannehill street for
several years. Cochran has been working
hard and turning over all his money 10
0'Brien in payment Of board. The little
fellow cried bitterly when in the station
and said he did not intend to kill Hough.
He said the pin flew out Of bis hand as
soon as he struck Hough. Cochran is
heavily built and looks as though he was
strong enough to strike the terrible blow
which crushed In his companion's skull.