Daily Republican. [volume] ([Wilmington, Del.]) 1874-1890, 1886-07-19
EDITION.
A Remarkable Murder Case.

Great interes5 attaches to the trial OF
16.year old Willie Sells, Erie, Kansas,
for the murder 0f his father, mother
bro, her ard slater The trial was set
for Monday, 70 ID Instant 1t Is an un
precedented case. The morning OF
March Wil'.e made bis appearance al
the farmhouse 81 neighboE, Mr. Men
dali, and in al excited tone stated that
q strange mau had been at hts home |
during the night and he thought had |
hurt his father, % LIE was ylng on thel
floor With blood on hts face. AS this
visit Of young Sets was at O'Clock In
the morning, mr. Mendal questioned
him closely Wl-lie said no awakened
and saw q nau standing in the door be
tween tho room willie aud his brother
slept in AID .he enc occupied by thel
parents and sic CT.
AZ got my clothes off the foot OF the
bed +" he said, land was putting them
on, when the man earned, looked At me
and then ran cur into the yard. L did
not try to arouse my brother, but put
on my pants and went into the room
where my parents were sleeping, TO get
my boots and Dgercoat. ! saw my father
on the floor with blood on his face, but
thought his nose was bleeding, as ht
was frequently tou0led that way.
put on MY boots ard overcoat and went
TO eee If oouid ind the stranger.
When | passed out of the door he was
standing in the yard, but ran. pur'
sued him for half a mile, when he
mounted horse held By another man,
and both roda away As fast as they
could &c /" =,
Upon hearing this story Mr.. Mendall
accompanied Wilde home. When they
arrived the hog remained outside Mr..
Mendall entered, procured a light ana
was con frouted with the most horrlDlt
spectacle that can be imagined. The
floor wss covered With blood, in which
he fairly mad % wade, The ceiling was
spaJtertd aud hs walls stained. Tie
old man was iyiug % the floor, with
the whole back part OF his head crushed
IN and his throa5 cut SO deep that his
head was almost severed iron his body
Near him, also on the tloUc, was the
body OF Mrs Sells, with her skuI
crushed and throat cut in the SAM
manner. A Few feet away, ii bed in
corner, lay he body Of Miss las sells
with her skull crashed aud throat cn'
from ear to ear, and n the sdloinlns
room, IN the sans bed In which Willie
had been sleeping vas the ooiy o.
Waite Sells, with arge cash Ia NJ
forehead, one III his eyes chopped o1
and his throat cut similar 70 The others
Mr. Menda. found d large hatcbet
covered with blood 2nl hair, lying on
chBic, and ab92s :o11 from the body o
tee father Was e JQ; i-r knife, whlc.
was also CoveI53 vita blood. Alter
lu-riGG examination hsndall returned
To the yard aud iY,l Wl.l.r Of the crime
The hoy said ayG.iug ana manifested
f,..f - 5 Ia. a.
Mr.. Mendall 20 ny. Rice . house, nea
by, where he went to oieen or pretende
to sleep until morning, The officers /
the morning made an examination, bu
found no trace Of the stranger OF horse
tracks, although whites tracks wer
plainly indentsi in the mud. Return
ing TO the Sells house q wash basin
bloody water Vas found on the stove /
which The pecpG,rator bad washed b
hands.
1t was discovered that Willie ha
washed his hands auG WIl-Js, but aboN
the wrists blood Was found on mis- arm
There was blood under ks finger mai
also, aud his GndsrciothiDg was col
siderably stained There was pur
containing eco under NJ. Selis' PILLOW
and two watches hanging in plain sig
were undistCrbsd 50 that there is
probability that The dt.i was con
mi'ted for the purpose Of robbery.
Preyioue to thls horrible oceurreL
the boy had 5orue a good reputatio
and TO this day stuCoiy denies the Pc
petration OF the deed, and sfli rms tn
il he committed IL il WEE in dis sleep
while his reason was dsthroned. It
said that lie Was a constant reader
dime novels aud had several times e
prsssad a leafra To become hero,