Smyrna times., 1912-12-04
HICKEY ADMITS
MURDER OF BOYS
Killed One in New York and
One in LdCkaWanna.
GIVES SIGNED STATEMENT
Attributes His Crimes to Excessive
Use of Liquor-Has Mania For Kill
ing Boys When Drunk.


ing Boys When Drunk.
]. Frank Hickey made a full con-
fession of the murder on Oct. II, 1911,
of Joseph Jos 1hs, the seven-year-o.d
boy, of Lackawanna, a suburb of Buff
falo, N. Y; also of Michael Kruck, a
New York newsboy, Dec. IL, 1902.
Death in both instances was caused
by strangulation. Hickey attributed
his crimes to the excessive use OF
liquor. When drunk, he said, he was
possessed of an irresistible mania for
killing boys. He denied that he had
committed other similar crimes, and
said he was repentant for his deeds
and expected to pay the penalty.
The confession was made to Wesley
G. Dudley, the district attorney. The
whole tale has been reduced to for
NAL statement and has been signed by
Hickey.
Hickey is forty-seven years old and
divorced. He has a son twenty-one
years old. He is a chemist by profes-
sion and is possessed of the mildest
manners and the most ingratiating
personality.
Previously he has admitted to the
police that he is a drunkard and on
several occasions was an inmate Of
the Keswick Colony of Mercy, where
drunkards are given a chance to re-
form. 1t is located near Writings,
N. j., the place Hickey was traced to
through letters he had written, these
letters being the principal and, for
time, the only clues to the murder Of
Joseph Josephs, whose dismembered
body was found In an outhouse near
his home on Nov. 16 last.
Josephs disappeared on the after
noon of Oct. IL, 1911. 1t was at first
believed he had been drowned, but
his father, George Josephs, a promi-
nent merchant of Lackawanna, insist
ed that the boy had been kidnapped,
and countrywide search was insti-
tuted.
The case attracted widespread at
tention, as the father from time to
time received anonymous letters warn
ing him to discontinue the search un-
der threat that his son would be MUIR
dered. In one postal card from Boston
the then unidentified writer wrote of
numbering boy in Central park, New
York city. 1t reads:
"Wednesday night, Dec. 10, 1902,
enticed Michael Ricao Kruck, a news
boy, into the park opposite the en-
trance to the arsenal police station.
strangled him and just escaped tie
officer who found him. Three times |
have taken life, twelve times have
tried and cannot help it."
Another card, dated Oct. 80, 1912,
was as follows:
Joseph Josephs will be found in
the bottom of the outhouse back of sa-
loon near Doyle's, on Ridge road. A
drunk crazed brain done the deed and
remorse and sorrow for the parents is
bringing the results which will soon
come to an end. The demon whisky
will then have one more victim, max
ing four in all. The next morning
tried to kill little newsy, an Italian,
who always stands in the morning at
Seneca street. The boy knew me well.
Ask him. wish to pay the price, but
will not let the Boston police get me
for my family's sake"
The principal evidence in the hands
of the police up to two weeks ago was
letter written under a New York
date and mailed at Writings, N. J., on
Feb. 1, 1912.
That letter was turned over to the
police by John Hoskyn, chief mill
wright of the American Chemical Ag-
ricultural Works, of Buffalo. Hoskyn
said the writer applied for a job in
the chemical works on Sept. 13, 1911
The applicant seemed to be above the
class of work obtainable in the plant,
but he accepted employment and re-
manned there four days. On departing
he promised to write Hoskyn, which
he did four months afterward.
The police then traced Hickey to
Writings, where he was arrested.