Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1886-07-19
A YOUNG FIEND.
Details of a Kansas Horrer-A Sixteen
Year Old Lad Murders His Father,
Mother, Sister and Brother-No Ap.
parant Motive for the Crime.

TOPEKA, Kan, July IL.
The trial of Willie Sells, aged l6, for the
murder of his father, mother, sister and
brother will begin in Erie. in this State, on
Monday. The youth of the criminal, the
number and relation Of the victims, the en-
tire lack of provocatioR, the manner of kill
ing and all the circumstances Of the case
make it almost unprecedented in the annal s
of crime. On the morning of March Sth
Willie made his appearance at the farm
house of neighbor, Mr.. Mendall, and in an
excited tone stated that strange man had
been at his house during the night and he
thought he had hurt his father As he was ly-
ing on the floor with blood on his face.
As this visit of young Sells was at O'Clock
in the morning, Mr.. Mendall questioned him
closely. He said that he was awakened and
saw a man standing in the door between the
room in which he and his brother slept and
the one occupied BY his parents and sister.
II got my clothes of the foot OF the bed and
was putting them on" he said," when the
man turned, looked at me and ran into the
yard. did not try to arouse my brother
but put on my boots and went into the room
where my parents were sleeping to get my
overcoat. l saw my father on the floor with
on his face, but thought his nose was bleed
ing as he was frequently troubled that way.
put on my boots and overcoat and went to
see if could find the stranger. When
passed out of the door he was standing in the
yard but he ran. l pursued him tor half q
mile when he mounted horse held by a
man and both rode away as fast as they could
CO."
Upon hearing this story Mr.. Mendall &C.
companied Willie home. When they arrived
the boy remained outside. Mendall entered,
procured light and was confronted with the
most horrible spectacle that can be imagined.
The floor was covered with blood in which he
fairly had to wade. The ceiling was spattered
and the walls stained. The old man Sells
was lying on the floor with the whole back
part Of his head crushed in and his throat cut
so deep that his head was almost severed
from his body. Near him and also on the
floor was the body of Mrs. Sells with her
skull crushed and her throat cut in the same
manner. A few feet away in the bed lay the
bedy of Miss Sells with her skull crushed
and throat cut from ear to ear and in the
room in which Willie had been stepping was
the body of Walter Sells with large cash in
his forehead, one of his eyes chopped out and
his throat cut similar to the others. Mendall
found large hatchet covered with blood and
hair lying on a chair and about foot from
the body of the father was butcher knife
also covered with blood
After a hurried examination Mendall re-
turned and told Willie of the crime. The
boy said nothing and manifested no particu-
lar feeling. He accompanied Mendall to
Mrs. Rice's house, near by where he went to
sleep or pretended to until morning. Officers
in the morning made an examination but
found no traces of any man or horse tracks
although Willie's tracks were plainly identi-
fed in the mud.
Returning to Sells house a wash basin of
bloody water was found on the stove in which
the perpetrator had washed his hands. 1t was
discovered that Willie had washed his hands
and wrists, bu. above the wrists blood was
found on his arms. There was blood under
his finger nails also, and his underclothing
was considerably stained. There was purse
containing $500 under Sells pillow and two
watches hanging in plain sight were undis-
turbed so that there is no probability that the
crime was committed for the purpose of rob-
berry
Previous to this horrible occurrence the
boy had borne a good reputation and to this
day stoutly denies the perpetration of the
deed and affrms that if he committed it, it
was in his sleep or while his reason was de-
throned. 1t is said that he was a constant
reader of dime novels and had several times
expressed desire to become q hero.