The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1900-07-20
CROSS HANGED
FOR MURDER.
Executed at WetheIsfle|d, Conn.,,
Just After Midnight.
STATES YOUNGEST MURDERER.
Walked 10 GdIows Without Assist
ancs and Did Not Appear Nervous
HIS NECK WAS BROKEN BY THE FALL.
His Crime Was tho Murder Of Mrs. Sarah
C. King, so Years Of Age, BY Whose
Husband Hs Was Emp|oysd.
HIS NECK WAS BROKEN BY THE FALL.

time within six years. the gallows at
the state prison at Wethersheld was
brought into requisitlon shortly after
midnight. and as has been the case on
every occasion since the Introduction OF
the so-ealled automatic galiows. the ex-
ecution was attended with no untoward
gruesome scenes.
Cnarles y. Cross, upon whom the drop
was sprung at 1900 this morning. was
the youngest murderer ever executed Ia
Connecticut. being but Is years old. IL
was feared he would collapse as the
fatal moment approached, despite his fire.
quent reiteration that ne would die like
man.
He walked from the death chamber 90
the execution room unassisted. and dis
played no nervousness when the black
cap was put on and the moose adjusted.
When the trap was sprung his neck
was instantly broken. and at the end
OF three minutes. DIR. Fox, the prison
surgeon pronounced him dead
The remains were buried In the prison
graveyard.
CROSS CRIME
The crime for winch Cross paid the
penalty OF death has attracted much al
tention because of the youth of the pris-
oner, the revolving character of the muir
der, and the unusual efforts made TO save
him from the galiows.
His victim was Sarah G. King. frail
delicate woman, 90 years OF age the wife
of Freeman King, "A New York printer
She lived I'm farm house at The Farms
about nine miles north of Stamford, and
In that township
King was in the habit OF visiting the
farm once week ana spending Sunday
there IL is lonesome locality the
houses being few and far apart. Parity
to save hts wife from feeling lonesome
and partly TO assist ;n chores about the
place. King engaged Charles II. Cross of
Brooklyn, IL years OF age. To live there.
He performed his duties fairly well for
several weeks. and the only thing I'm his
habits that the neighbors noticed as be-
ing unusual was that he smoked cigar
cites.
On the night of Nov Z. 1899, the boy
alarmed the neighbors. and told them
the house had been robbed and that Mrs
King was unconscious.
Ii did not appear that there had been
any robbery. although few of the bu-
resu drawers had been opened and their
contents were I'm confusion Soon after
neighbors reached the house the woman
died.
She was found lying upon her bed. en-
tirely nude. and there were evidences that
she had been III treated. The injury
which caused her death was a fracture
of the skull.
ARRESTED ON SUSPICION
Cross said he had been absent from
the house about 10 minutes, when he
returned TO find the woman I'm the con-
dition described.
lie said that just before he left the
house she said she was about to retire.
He was arrested on suspicion, and five
days later confessed TO Deputy Sheriff
Theodore Miller and TO Detective Rogers
of the Pinkerton agency that he was the
woman's murderer.
The confession was written by the de-
tective and signed by the boy. Cross
confessed that he laid in wait for the
woman as she was about TO retire. that
he threw her Gown, beating her head
agains the foor until she was uncon-
scious.
He then tore off her clothing and other
wise maltreated her, and left the body
upon the bed.
A strong fight was made at the trial to
prevent the admission Of this confession
as evidence. IL was admitted. and then
the defence endeavorcd to show that the
boy was insane.
Numerous expert witnesses were ex-
amined. and relatives of the boy testl-
fled In support of the theory that hc wss
not I'm his right mind.
FAMILYs HISTORY.
The history OF the Cross family. as re-
lated by the boys grandmother. and un-
Gle, was depended upon TO sustain the
theory that the youth was a moral de-
generate.
IL was stated that his mother was Of
loose morals, weak minded, subject TO
Ats of passion and had tried to
murder her husband, and died drunk up
on the streets.
His grandmother and aunts on his mo-
theirs side were epiieptics. drunkaris an I
prostitutes. Hts mothers father died I'm
~ insane asylum His mother brother
died n raving maniac. His father was an
epileptic. n drunkard and weakminded.
His fathers brother was the same.
Ills fathers father was an epileptic.
The personal history of Cross. as told
by his grandmother and other relatives.
showed him tn be "a liar and thief from
childhood. addicted To immoral habits.
and cigarette hend.
They claimed that when a child he de-
lighted In the torture of insects. He was
cowardly. subject TO delusions and wlikcd
In his sleep. Once he had been hit upon
the head BIZ a base ball bat.
VERDICT or GUILTY,
A Jury In the superior court at Bridge
port, March Z. found Cross guilty of
murder I'm the frst degree. lie was sen
tenced 10 be hanged July 20 His counsel
AT once took an appeal 10 the supreme
court of errors. one OF the principal
grounds OF appeal being the admission
OF the confession made by. Cross 10 the
detectives.
The defeuce claimed that Cross was not
given an opportunity 10 obtain counsel
bnt that he was held prisoner I'm the
deputy sherif's once until the confessior
was vormed out of bin. The supreme
court found NO error. though u did re-
hnke the action cf the deputy sheriff in