El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1912-12-14
HICKEY
IS 4 SLAYER
Of BOYS
In a Frenzy of Repentance.
He Admits Killing Che
Josephs Boy.
SAYS DRINK MAKES
HIM WISH TO KILL
When Sober He Is Mild Man
nered and Loaths Crimes
of Drunken Periods.

Buffalo, N Y. Dec IA remark
able case Of dual personality viii be
revealed IN the criminal branch Of the
supreme court here on Monday when
J Frank Hickey, confessed slayer OF
children. enters the prisoners pen to
answer the charge Of numbering and
maItreating little seven year old JOS
eph Josephus, CT Lackawanna, N =
on Oct. II, 1911
Hickey, free from the influence OF
alcohol that changed him from a mild
hammered and iuoffensiTe man to
maniac with perverted tendencies, has
been incarcerated in a local jail since
his extraditfon from Toms River, n
J., where he was located at the Rem
wick colony for inebriates- Seeming
y his attitude toward his coming trial
is that Of man who has Inadvertently
committed a crime while insane, but
having regained his senses has de-
termined to make a game fight for
his life.
Post cards Reveal Details.
The evidence which led to the ar
rest OF the confessed slayer Of the
little JOsephs boy was a remarkable
series of postal cards addressed to
police officials and TO the little fell
lows father. On these cards were
printed or written the most revolving
details OF the Josephs's crime, with
directions for the recovery Of the boys
body The cards, according to Hickey's
confession were written by the dual
personality engendered by drink. IN
other words Hickey sober was haunt
ed by his crimes and was OTertaken
by frenzy OF repentance, but Hickey
drunk reFeled in his debaucheries,
mingling Wild eXultation with a senile
-sentimentality that led him to commit
his confession to the mails.
For instance, while under the in
1uence OF liquor in Boston on Sept.
II, 1912, Hickey wrote chief Of pO-
lice Michael Regain. Of Buffalo. as
follows;
Il am sick Of trying to fool myself.
I am a hcmicidal maniac I killed
Joseph JOsephS, of LackaWanna. y. Y.
I stranglsd him as did others
Please advertise the fact"
On the same day chief Of police
Roy ellison, of Lackawanna. y. Y. re-
ceiFed a postal card from Hickey al
so marked Boston It said:
If you only knew the remorse in
heart on account Of the murders I
have committed as a result Of ny
homicidal mania, even you and George
Josephs would pity me. I an writ
ing this Just getting over another
killed. but like Banquo's ghost. 1t
won't down am fast going TO pieces
mentally and physically"
These postal cards were followed
by others addressed to George Josephs.
the murdered boys father and to chief
Gibson OF the Lackawanna police
These cards for the most part were
signed with fictitious names. The
writing. however, was found to tally
with that OF a J Frank Hickey, who
had been employed in the LackaWanna
Iron & Steel cOmpany's plant at Lack
aWanna and who had written his en-
ployers letter.
Haunted BY Accident.
Hickey was a construction expert
man q some education and appar-
emit refinement, who was accustomed
to those Injuries Of life which were
available to the master Of rather
large salary. In a conversation with
reporters following his confession he
man 20 years ago while he was a
drug clerk IN Lowell, Mass, was the
cause OF his downfall. Hickey said
that he gave a drunkard by the name
OF Ed. MOrey q slight dose OF laud-
anun in a draught Of whisky the man
laudanUm caused the mans death. This
death haunted him. said Hickey, and
he took to whisky to drown the mem
DRY Of his crime.
At the time he was arrested in Toms
River, n J., on Nov. 1s. Hickey denied
his guilt On the following day. how
ever, he broke down completely when
told that he had been indicted for
murder in the first degree, and on
Nov. % he is alleged to have made a
authorities
This confession was q remarkable
history OF perversion- In il he con-
fessed to the murder OF the Josephs
boy and to the murder OF Michael
Kruck, a New York neWsboy found
dead in Central Park in 1902 Besides
this he disclosed a long list OF at
tacks on boys, the last attack being
CONTINUED on next page).