The evening times., 1896-06-13
MANNED and MADE T0BlG
Thomas Leach, aNsrvous Wreck
and Horribly Wounded.
BOY TORTURED BY A TRAMP
Lewis Purcell Is Said to Have Put
Chemicals on the Lads Arm in
Order That the Latter Might Pose
ASA aCripple-Beatenw without Provo
cation and Made Drunk.

Thomas Leach, aged nineteen years,
whose home is in this city, is at the City
Hospital, Baltimore, nervous wreck, and
nursing his left arm, which is d mass of cor
rupted flesh.
His condition brought about one OF tie
most horrible charges of inhuinan torture
that was ever brought to the notice OF the
Baltimore police, made yesterday by Sergt.
Frank Devon and Patrolnian Bradley,
against powerful and unprepossessing
looking man OF thirty-D years, who says
his name is LIE wis Purcell He is locked up
at the Central police station, Baltimore, on
the charge of manning Leach by pouring
chemicals on his arm, so that he could rose
as u cripple and beg for Purcell. Hammond
Marshall, a habitue OF Marsh Market Space,
Baltimore, has been committed for court on
the charge OF maltreating Leach.
Yesterday morning about 8 o'c.ock Pa
trolmaD Bradley, who works the Marsh
Market space beat. Baltimore, met Seret.
Devon and told INN there were two men on
the space whose appearance he did not
like. SO the sergeant waited around tu
have look at them.
After a while the fellows in question
came out OF James Hannan's saiuoa. at tile
corner of Hawk street. and started to walk
away. They We're accompanied by the boy
Leach whose left arm was in sling.
Sergt. Devon told item I've wanted them
to go To the stat. on house witnhm. and There
an investigation into their identities was
held. One of the men gave the name of
Lewis Purcell and the other as Hammond
Marshall. Purcell said he was thirty-nine
years Old and was an iron-molder by trade.
hailing from Scranton, Pa. Marshall SAID
his home was at 1919 Frederick avenue.
Baltimore, and that be had been a book
keeper.
1T WAS NOT A FAKE"
1t was ut first thought that the band
age around Leach's arm was a fake"
but the young man protested that he was
really suffering great pain, and so it
proved. He unwound the rags, and exposed
to view horrible mass of red, granulated
flesh from the wrist TO the elbow.
He had never received medical attention
for the injury, and its condition can best
be imagined. This revelation made the
police all the more anxious TO get at the
facts in the case, and Leach's story was
listened to with great interest.
He is very small for his age, beardless
and gaunt from hunger. There was
nervous, hunted look about his eyes, espe
cially when in the presence of Purcell,
Of whom lie seemed to be in mortal dread.
When testifying against the latter, who
is a big, brutal looking, unkempt fellow,
Leach SUNK as far from him as he could,
and told his story in low, faltering tones, as
!. if afraid the man whom he was accusing
would strike him then and there for what
he was saying.
The boy was not over -brigiit-in fact,
he might he said To be more than usually
dull. He has no spirit seeming to have
h..f.t
He was born in Baltimore and has rela-
tives living in the northwestern section Of
the city. He grew up in Washington. His
father died there, his mother went insane
from grief, was placed in an asylum, and
lie went to the city orphan asylum.
After leaving the institution Leach work
Ell on farms near this city. His last en-
ploymcnt was as a messenger in the West
eTn Union Telegraph Company at the capi-
tai. This is the story he told:
YOUNG LEACH'S PITIFuL STORY.
Il met Purcell in the park near the
Washington Monument about month ago
l was sitting on bench reading novel;
when he came up and sat do wn beside me-
He said his name was Harry Lewis. He
asked me number or questions and then
wanted to know how L would like to
travel about the country. l said l had
never done much travelling and didn't know
noAit ihe II Ut not. lie per
suaded me to go with him. gave me
some whisky, made me drunk, and took
me to a miserable lodging-house. We
occupied the same room.
Then lie began to terrorize me. He
would hit me in the face without the
slightest provocation. He sent me out
to beg, hut wouldn't let me get out of his
sight He woulu stand Il few yards away
from me while l was asking for money
Sometimes he would think / was irving
to escape from him, and when we were
alone he would beat me unmercifully
He treated me like a dog, and / had to
answer his every beck and call.
1T was two weeks ago that lie burned
my arm. II l would not drink, he would
whip me until did. At this time, after
getting me under the influence of liauor.
lie put some white stuff that looked like
powder on my wrist and poured water over
1t. The stuff seemed to eat right through
the flesh TO the bone, and was in awful
agony. l cried out in pain, but he cursed
me and told me to shut up. He tied n
cloth around my arm, gave ME cards with
verses on them TO sell, and told me TO 90
out, tell pitiful story about my arm and
get money!
Here the boy pulled out two bits of
cardboard Containing the verses The first
poem" was as follows:
CRIPPLE BOYS APPEAL.
There was time. not long ago,
When ! from pain was free;
happy boy at home wasI,
AT school none so gay as me.
From school went to labor hard,
As plauer in mill,
To battle with the mighty world.
AS it was my parents will.
] little thought. as time flew by,
That troubles thick and fast
Would DER me fall and make me 20
A cripple to the last.
And now, dear friends, am, as you see.
Poor, helpless and alone;
No other way to earn my bread
Will you please buy my song?
Your aid will he thankfully received
and wisely used in placing me in some
honorable business. by. which / can be-
come self-supporting. am endeavorinc
to raise sufficient funds to start n news
stand. A. DURIVAGE.
Price Whatever you wish To give.
GIVE HIM LIFT.
The second song was:
Give him q lift! Don't kneel in PRAYER.
Nor moraliZe with his despair;
The boy is down, and his great need
Is eady help-not prayer and creed