Bisbee daily review., 1911-09-08
HORRIBLE CRIMES
 OF JESSE POMEROY
Recollection of Them Revived By Anniversary of Begin
 hing Life Sentence
'THlRTY-SlX YEARS AGO


 BOSTON, Mass. Sept 7-After hay ing spent thirty-hye years of his life in solitary cell of Cherry Hill'' the stronghold cf Charlestown state prison where the life prisoners are confined, Jesse Pomery, the most mo- torious of these life prisoners tomor- row enters upon his thirty-sixth year of solitary confinement. When Jesse PomeTy entered the cell thirty-hye years ago he was a youth of about sixteen years: he is now iifty-one and notwithstanding the rigor of his con finement which was interrupted but for a short period during the present year, seems strong, healthy and viz orous physically as we'll as mentally.
 During the latter part of 1871 and beginning of 1872 a series of bestial and indescribably cruel crimes per petrated upon little boys of tender age created a perfect panic in South Boston and Chelsea. In every one Of these cases the little boys were en- ticed to some lonely spot by a boy of about twelve or fourteen years, stripped, tied to a tree or board and then unmercifully beaten and tortured by him. It was many months before the police obtained the first clue to the perpetrator of these crimes. in- formation given by one of the young victims led to the arrest of Jesse Pom cry, the son of poor but respect able dressmaker.
 Jesse Pomery at first denied his guilt but after he had been confronted by several of his victims, and defini- tely identified by them, he broke down and confessed. He could not explain his motive and repeatedly as serted that he was driven to these aendish outrages by impulses which he could not resist. He was tried, round guilty, and in consideration of his youth, sent to the state reform school. At that time degeneracy was not so thoroughly understood as 1t IS now. Pomery was called a degen- crate, but it was considered more proper to punish nim than to treat him as a defective and send him to an asylum where he could have been kept under permanent control.
 Pomery remained in the reform school seventeen months, always playing the model prisoner. He act ed the part so successfully that he de- ceiyed his mother, several clergymen and a number of charitably inclined women. Between them they succeed ed in procuring Jesse PomeTy's re- lease without having him first exam ined by an alienist. This was in Feb rGary, 1874 Scarcely one month la Ger a little girl, Katie Currau, disap- peared on her way tn school and all though a thorough search was made extending over several months, not q trace of her could be found
 Later in the same year a clam dig ger of South Boston, in passing the marsh back of Washington village. South Boston, found the horribly mu- tilated body of a small boy who was afterward identified as Horace Millen. The crime was evidently the crime of degenerate and remembering the record of Jesse Pomery, the police arrested him and took him to the norgue where the body of the little boy lay upon a stone slab. The sight of the mutilated corps so unnery- ed Pomery that he confessed his guilt and also admitted that he had tortured and murdered little Katie Curran. Her mutilated and decom- posed body was found buried under ashes and rubbish in ina cellar of Mrs. Pomery's house.
 The confession Of these crimes crea- red the most intense feeling among the people of South Boston and Chel- sea, and PomeTy would have been lynched had it not baen for the precautions of the authorities His trial lasted only three days and only the prisoners youth saved him from the gailows. He was sentenced to spend the remainder of his life in soli- t2ry confinement in Charlestown pris- on. During his first ten years of i'm prisonment, Pomery made several at tempts to break out of jail, but they were frustrated by the watchfulness of the guards. A number of sentim- entalists induced the governor in the spring of this year to allow Pomery more freedom, but his privileges were soon revoked when it was dis | covered that he had used his greater freedom to plan his escape and had even obtained possession of a steel ] saw.