The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1886-07-28
WILLIE sELLs's TERRIBLE CRIME.
lie Will be Tried for the Murder OF his Fathc :
Mother, Brother and Sister.

The trial of Willie Sells, aged Is, for the
murder of his father, mother, brother and
sister, was begun at Erie, Kan, ON Mon
day. The youth of the criminal, the mum
Der and relation Of the victims, the entire
lack of provocation, the manner OF the Kill
ing and all the circumstances OF the case
make it almos, unprecedented in the annals
Of crime.
The morning of March 8 Willie Sells
made his appearance at The farm house Of
n ncighbor, Mr.. Mcndall, and in an excited
tone asserted that a strange man had been
at his home during the night and he thought
had hurt his father, rs he was lying on
the floor with blood on his face. AS this
visit of young Sells was at | o'clock in the
morning, Mr.. Mcndall questioned him
closely, and Willie said he wakencd and
saw q man standing in the door between
the room Willie and his brother slept in
and the one occupied by the parents and
sister.
81 got my clothes Off the foot OF the
bed" said the boy, "and was putting them
on when the man turned, looked at me, and
| then ran out into the yard. | did not try
to arouse my brother, but put on my trcu.
| sers and went into the room where my
parents were sleeping to yet my boots and
ovcrCOat. | saw my father on tho floor
with blood on his face, but | thought his
nose was bleeding, rs he was frequently
troubled that way. When l passed cut of
the door the stranger was standing in the
yard, but ram. l pursued him for half II
mile, when he MOUNTS Il horse held by
another man, and both rode away as fast as
they could 60"
Mr.. Mcndall accompanied Willie home.
When they arrived the boy remained out
side. Mr.. Mcndall entered, procured Il
light, and was confronted with a horrible
spectacle. The floor was covered with
blood, the ceiling spattcrcd, and the walls
stained. Old man Sells was lying on the
floor with the whole back part of lis 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, vii her skull crushed and
throat cut in the same manner. A few
feet away in tho bed in tie corner lay the
body - Miss lua Sells, with her skull
crushed and throat cut. In the bed on
which Willie had been sleeping was the
body of Waite Sells, with a large cash in
his forehead and one OF his eyes chopped
out. Mr.. Mcndall found n large Ratchet
covered with blood and hair and Il bloody
butcher knife.
The boy accompanied Mr.. Mcndall TO
Mr.. Rice'S house, near by, where he went
to sleep or pretended to sleep, until next
morning. The officers in the morning
made an examination, but found no trace
Of the stranger or horse tracks, although
Willic's tracks were plainly indcntcd in the
mud. Il was discovered that Willie lad
washed his hands and wrists, hut above
the wrists blood was found on his arms.
There was blood under his ti%ngcrnailS also,
and his undertaking was considerably
stained. There was II purse containing
money under Mr.. Sclls's pillow, and two
watches hanging in plain sight which were
uudisturbcd, SO that there is no probability
that the crime was committed Ia the pur.
pose of robbery.
Previous to this horrible occurrence thc
boy had horne a good reputation, and to
this day stoutly denies the preparation of
the deed, and anirms that il he committed
it ii was in his sleep or while his reason
was dcthroncd. 1t is said that he was n
constant reader of dime novels, aud had
several times expressed a desire to become
n hero.