Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1912-11-29
FULL CONF eSS|ON
OF SLAYIR.a' BOYS
MADE BY HICKEY
New York Newsie
and Lackawanna
Lad His Victims.
SAYS HE IS REPENTANT;
WILLING TO PAY PENALTY
Fondness for Sending Police
Postal Cards Leads to His
Arrest in Jersey.

BUFFALO, n. Y, Nov. 2s.-J.
Frank Hickey, who was arrested near
Whiting, ~ J.. today made COM
plete confession of the murder of
Joseph Josephs, the 7year-old Lacka-
wanna boy whose dismembered body
was found in cesspool back of
saloon in Lackawanna November is,
and also admitted that he killed
Michael Kruck, New York news
boy. II years old, ten years ago.
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 IT.
resistible mania for killing boys. He
denied that he had committed other
similar crimes and said he was re-
pentant for his deeds and expected to
pay the penalty.
Young Josephs disappeared the
afternoon of October II, 1911. His
father, George Josephs, a prominent
merchant of Lackawanna, insisted
from the start that the boy had been
kidnapped, and a countrywide search
was instituted. The case at the time
attracted Widespread attention, as the
father from time to time received
anonymous letters warning him TO
discontinue the search on pain OF
having his son murdered.
The confession was made to Dis
trict Attorney Wesley C. Dudley and
Chief of Police ellison, of Lacka-
wanna. II was begun on the train
that brought Hickey from New York
to Buffalo Wednesday and was COM
pleted today.
Hickey was arrested at colony
for inebriates at Whiting November
10. At that time he denied all knowl-.
edge of the crime. Extradition pa
pers were prepared. and when the
hearing was about TO be held before
the New Jersey authorities Hickey
decided to go to Buffalo without
making a contest. He was taken to
New York, where he was questioned
by Inspector Faurot relative TO the
Kruclk murder, and it is said made
at that time many damaging admis-
sions. Hickey's fondness for writing
postal cards to the police proved his
undoing. He mailed cards from Bos-
ton and New York, and their repro
duction in newspaper led friend
of Hickey's to inform the police of
his suspicious. The order of arrest
followed.
In one postal from Boston the then
unknown writer wrote of the Kruck
murder as follows;
"Wednesday night, Dec. 10, 1902
Il enticed Michael Ricac Kruck, a
newsboy at Eighty-sixth street and
Central Park West, New York city.
into the park opposite the entrance to
the Arsenal police station. l strangled
him, and just escaped the officer who
found him as I came back Ga few
words are here illegible) Three times
| have taken life; twelve times have
tried, and cannot help it."
Another card from Boston told of
the murder of the Josephs boy and
where the body would be found. The
police followed the minute instruc-
tions on the card and recovered the
body in decomposed fragments.
Hickey win be formally arraigned
Monday on the charge of murder IN
lne UrSt deSree.
NEW YORK. Nov. 29.-The body of
Michael Krucll, one of the boys
Hickey confesses having murdered.
was found in an excavation in Cen
trail Park on the night of December
10, 1902 Death had been due to
strangulation. His father, who is a
tailor, and his mother are still living
In this city.
Suspicion was directed toward
Hickey at the time, and he was
picked up in Buffalo in a maudlin
condition. In semi-delirious state,
he confessed to the murder. but when
the effects of the liquor wore off he
repudiated the confession and was
subsequently released, owing to lack
of evidence.