Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1886-07-19
JUVENILE MURDERER.

murder of his father, mother, brother and
sister, will begin at Erie, Kansas, to-day.
The youth of the criminal, the numbers and
relation of the victims, the entire lack of
provocation. the manner of the killing and
all the circumstances of the case make it
almost unprecedented in the annals Of crime.
The morning Of March Sth Willie made his
appearance at the farm house of a neighbor,
Mr.. Mendall, and il an excited tone stated
that strange man had been at his home
during the night and he thought he had
hurt his father, Us he was lying on the floor
with blood on his face. AS this visit of
young Sells was at one o'clock in the morn.
ing Mr.. Mendall questioned him closely.
Willie said he awoke and saw = man stand
ing in the door between the room where Will
lie and his brother slept and the one oc.
cupied by the parents and sister. Il got my
clothes OFT the foot of the bed aud was put
ting them on when the man turned, looked
at me and theu ran out into the yard. did
not try to arouse my brother but put on 10Y
pants aud wcnt into the room where my
parents were sleeping to get my boots
and overcoat. l saw my father on the
floor with blood on his face but I
thought his nose was bleeding, 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 ne was standing in the yard, but
ran. / pursued him for half mile, when
he mounted horse held by another man,
and both rode away as fast as they could
CO."
Upon hearing this story Mr.. Mendall ac-
companied Willie home. When they ar
rived the boy remained outside. Mr.. Mend
all entered, procured light, and was con-
fronted with the most horrible spectacle
that can be imagined. The floor was COW
cred with blood, in which he fairly had to
wade. The ceiling was spattered. land the
walls were stained. The old man 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, also on the floor, was
the body of Mrs. Sells, with her skull crush
ed ard throat cut in the same manner. a
few feet away, in bed III corner lay the
body of Miss Ina Sells, with her skull crush
ed and throat cut from ear to ear, and in
the adjoining room, in the same bed in
which Willie had been sleeping, was the
body of Waite Sells, with large cash in
his forehead, one of his eyes chopped out
and his throat cut similar to the others. Mr..
Mendall found large hatchet covered
with blood and hair lying on q chair,
and about foot from tho body
of the father was butcher knife,
which was also covered with blood. After
a hurried examination Mendall returned to
the yard and told Willie of the crime. The
boy said nothing and manifested no partic-
ular feeling. He accompanied Mr.. Mendall
to Mr.. Rice's house near by, where he went
to sleep, or pretended to sleep until morn
ing. The officers in the morning made an
examination but found no trace of the
stranger or horse tracks, although Willies
tracks were plainly indented in the mud.
Returning to the 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 but above the wrists
blood was found on his arms. There was
blood under his finger nails, also his under.
clothing was considerably stained. There
was a purse containing 5000 under MIR.
Sells pillow, and two watches hanging IN
plain sight, were undisturbed so that there
is no probability that the crime was com.
mitted for the purpose of robbery.
Previous to this horrible occurrence the boy
had borne good reputation, and to this day
stoutly denies the perpetration Of the deed,
and aflirms that if he committed the deed,
it wGs in his sleep or while 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.