Palestine daily herald. [volume] (Palestine, Tex.) 1902-1949, 1909-07-15
BOYBURIEDH|s BROTHER
First Shoots Little Fellow, Then Puts
Him In Grave-Seems to Be
Proud of Sensation.

Modesto, Cal, July 14.-That little
6-year-old Theodore Hopkins was
buried alive in sand by his 12-year-old
brother Cecil, or Frank, as he is call
ed by his parents, after having been
hit on the head and shot in the back
with a shotgun, now develops from
the complete confession of the boy
murderer made to Sheriff Dingley.
According to the story told by
Frank to Sheriff Dingley and Coroner
Bowller in answer to their questions
the deed was the result of quarrel
between the youngsters over piece
of bread The two boys, being home
alone on Wednesday, became hungry
and went to the house for food at
about 4 o'clock. The elder one cut
some bread, Theodore being allowed
to spread the butter on his own piece,
A scuffle ensued, following which
Frank threw butcher knife at his
brother, the handle striking him a
severe blow on the forehead. The
act was accompanied by the threat to
get out of here or I'll kill you"
Theodore ran out of the house to-
ward the road and at distance of
about twenty yards stopped to draw a
silver from his foot. While Theodore
was in this position Frank took his
fathers shotgun and, slipping in a
shell, fired at his brother. The little
fellow fell to the ground, crying.
Frank went to him and the wounded
child asked him to go for his mother.
Instead of doing this Frank picked
up the little fellow, then lying quite
still, and carried him toward the back
of the house. Before going far the
burden grew heavy and he dragged
his little brother by the feet for the
rest of the distance Procuring a
shovel, he dug a shallow grave in the
sand and rolled the little fellow into
it.
Then came the parts of the confes
sion that caused the hearers to shud-'
der. Calmly recounting his actions,
Frank told how, as he shoveled sand
on his brother, Theodore feebly cried
out, and lying on his left side, put up
his right arm to ward off the falling
sand. This fact was corroborated by
+I,o f;pd;,r of +Ia lod1, With tho WIGHT
arm separated from the side by a
layer of sand, while the left arm was
close to the body. The murderer
then crammed sand INTO the mouth of
Theodore to stop his cries, and thus
the body was found with sand in the
mouth alla aesttiiiillss Finishing the
task, Frank went to the house and
cleaned up the dishes.
1t took much questioning before
the boy would tell his story, and then
it was given in the most cold-blooded
manner. After the strain of the ex-
animation he cried a little, but soon
was over this display of feeling. At
no time did he show remorse. Later
he calmly repeated the story to his
parents. He told them how Theodore
was crying when l put him in the
hole and said ouch when l put sand
on him, and tried to shove it away,
but 1 covered him up"
The boy seemed proud of the SEN
sation he has created rather than sor
ry for what he has done. He shows
no signs of insanity, and, though he
is said to be dull in school, he is by
no means an idiot. The parents say
that at the age of 8 he was bitten by
a dog and since that time has shown
sudden fits of uncomfortable anger,
and they believe he was thus when
he killed his brother. The mother is
almost Frustrated by grief, but the
father, who is a member of the Sal
walton Army, speaks of the details of
the crime in a most matter-of-fact
way. They are poor.
The shot was No. size, five of
them entering the left arm, one of
them penetrating the back of the