News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1889-07-11
BOY FIENDt,
Youngsters Who Have Been Guilty
of Great Crimes---Jes6e Poxneroy.

of Great Crimes--Jesee Romeroys
Among the boy fiends ofhistory, Jesse
Pomcroy, the Massachusetts murderer,
stands at the head Of the list in this
country. He appears to have been born
with the instincts Of Satan. As o mere
child he delighted in torturing birds,
insects, animals or whatever living thing
that fell into his hands. When scarcely
twelve years old his fiendish disposition
began to find vent in the torture OF hui
man beings. From time to time he de-
coyed little boys younger than himself
to lonesome spots in Chelsea, where his
parents resided. He would then apply
whip or club to their shrinking bodies,
in some instances using his pocket
knife.
On the testimony of seven boys, whom
he had tortured, the young scamp was
sent to the Reform School. This seems
to have had hardening effect upon
him, for he had hardly regained his lib
erty when he added murder to his list
of crimes. Katie Curran, twelve-year
old child of South Brooklyn, was his
first victim. After killing her he buried
the body in an ash heap in the cellar of
his mothers house. He was tEen only
fourteen years old
A few months later young Pomeroy
decoyed little boy named Horace Mil
Ter out on the marsh at South Boston,
and cut his body into pieces with
pocket knife. The cutting was done in
such a manner as to prolong the little fell
lows agony. The body, in fragments,
was then hidden in the smoldering ashes
of clam bake. Its discovery lead to
Jesse Pomeroy's arrest, trial and con-
demnation to life Imprisonment. These
crimes and others the yonng fiend sub
sequently confessed. Citizens of Chel-
sea and South Boston believe him to
have been the murderer of at least one
other little child, whose body was never
found.
Since his incarceration in the Massa-
chusetts State Prison in Charlestown,
Jesse Pomeroy's murdorous instincts
have come to the surface Mt least twice,
when plots were discovered to kill hi3
keeper and escape. He has repeatedly
boasted that the only ambition of his
life was to murder his jailers and regain
his liberty. He is, therefore, kept in q
solitary cell. In November, 1887, he at
tempted to escape by drilling a hole in
the gas pipe of his cell and setting fire
to the escaping gas. An explosion fol
lowed by which the boy was made blind
for life.
Warren Chatham, q mite of col
ored boy was found guilty of shooting
and killings still smaller colored boy,
Hector Grant, in Berkerly County, s. O.
The young murderer was said to be only
six years old. He denied having done
the shooting at first, but afterwards
confessed. Lawyers for the defence in
troduced no evidence, except to prove
the age of the accused, relying upon the
Old common law maxim, that n child so
young is incapable of committing MUIR
der, since the motive must necessarily
be absent. The jury, however, found
the boy guilty of manslaughter, and he
was sentenced to two years III the South
Carolina penitentiary.
Another case OF few weeks ago is
that of the son of saloon-keeper in a
Pennsylvania town. This boy was in
his teens. He had been reading blood
and thunder literature and had reached
the point of yearning for the West and
to kill Indians. He had provided him
self with arms to that end. One day
recently he stepped to the door of his
fathers place of business, gun in hand,
having Just "shined it up" Across the
street at the moment stood another boy,
at whom the young murderer deliber-
ately aimed his gun and fired. A few
minutes later his unsuspectng victim
was corpse.
The killing of little four-year-old To-
bias Hippar, on Second avenue, in Ap-
ril last, by William Lutte, ten years old,
and Lorenzo Hasinger, eleven years of
age, is readily recalled. The child wat
in the cellar of his parents house. The
other two boys, according to testimony,
saw him aud began throwing dirt at him
Then one of the lads filed his mouth
with dirt and rubbed his hand acros
| his lips. Little Tobins, in the mean
/ time bnl crnNvieh mn ont Of the cello
: came and rescued her child from L
, torlncntors, but he died few weeks
= terwartls, and the boys, Lutte and II
} singer, were held for his murder by II
Coroner.
Pink Floyd, sixteen yenrs old, Stable
Cornelius Sow1en, abou the same ag,
Mt n church door in Abbeville, 5. O., l
January last. Sowden's juglar vein wa
severed, and nc died few minutes latel
The tragedy grew out ofa report tina
Sowdcn had been drunk at an oyste
supper Sowden accused Floyd OF orig
mating the report, and was murdered
a result New York World.