Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1891-09-30
Two Eiandish Boys

THE two bows 81 earon end CrsWford,
nine sud eight years old respectively, Who
are charged With ths murder ofsnother lad
nsmsd Ecoos, whe was eight years old,
were ssraigned bsfore q magistrate ST Liver
pool day or two ago fer preliminary
hearing. Tha evidence against the youth
ful prisoaers taken ct the coroner's inquest
wes submitted TO the magistrate and the
boys were committed 10 stand trial at the
next essizes.
Thia Gaze has excited great lntersss, as
the crime stsnde without parallel IN the hie-
tory OF English criminal Jurisprudence. The
object Of Shearor snd Crawford In causing
the death OF Eones wes TO seouIe the cloth
Ing Sorn by the latter, h1s, according 10 the
evidence, this could easily have been done
without causing the death Of the little fell
low. Shesron vas vic!oue boy, much
given 20 playing truant. He had been de-
.ected 10 Ills tfnsnoy, ard sa puni5hment
mia parents had taken hi. clothes from him,
hppips by this mcens to keephim In tbehou.e.
They failed in she object, however. Sbearon
secured piece Of sacking, covered himself
with Is ard lets his house. He met Orsw-
ford, who wss also vicious boy ,snd between
them they plotted to entica the first decent
Iy cisd boy who came along to accompany
them, and when the opportunity offered to
rob him OF his clothing.
Ins short time they met Eooes and in-
duoed him to go with shem to play On raft
that was floating on the water that filled
deep excavation near where come buildings
were In course OF construction. When the
BOYS reached the place they found other
boys playing there and they, consequently,
delayed killing their comrade until these
other Toys went sWey. When the other boys
were away Shesron, Crawford and Eocles
paddIsd the raft TO part OF the excavation
where the water was twelve feet deep. Hsre
Shsaron and Crawford seized Eccles and
pushed him overheard. They found it awk-
ward to get his clothes eff while he was
struggling In the wster, 30 they dragged
him on this raft again end stripped him.
They then threw him into the water again.
Young Eccles ma9e frantic efforts to save him
self from drowning, but he could no swim and
eyery time he tried to pull himself aboard the
raft tho other boys pushed him away, paying 10
attention to his pitecus appeals for them to save
| him After time Shearon and Crawford pulled
their victim on TO the raft, not to save him, but
to take him to deeper part Of the excavation to
drown him. The little fellow pleaded hard for
his life, but the young hends had no mercy, and
for the third time they throw him into the water.
| Young Eccles's strength was gone and after few
| futile struggles he drowned.
His murderers then took the body from the
water, conveyed 1t 90 the shore, and with feroc-
ity for which no explanation can be found save
that 1t was due to natural depravity, stamped up
on it again and again. For two hours they watch
cd the body to see if it moved, prepared, IL any
sign OF life should manifest itself, to complete
their horrible crime. After making sure that
Eccles was dead Shearon and Crawford divided
his clothing aud returned to their homes. When
Eccess body was found suspicion rested on the
two boys who had last been seen in his company
and they were arrested. They did not hesitate
to tell of their crime and confessed to all the hor
rible details with no show Of feeling.