Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1914-11-21
HALF-WIT ADMITS
STRANGLING BOY
AND HIDING BODY
Victor Eshelman Confesses
to Murder of Albert Kraft
After A8saulting Him
Near Railroad.

Calmly admitting he had murdered
s-year-old Albert Kraft, whose body was
found in a railroad culvert at seth street
and Gibson avenue Wednesday morning.
Victor e. Eshelman half-wit, S5 years
old, in confession TO Captain OF Detec-
tlves Cameron today, described some Of
the revolving details of his alleged crime.
Eshelman was arrested as suspicious
person in Germantown. While the police
man who took him into custody was
waiting at a patrol box with his prisoner
the man said he was the murderer Of
Albert Kraft The policeman did not
take the statement seriously.
In the patrol Eshelman repeated his
declaration. Again in the police station
he persisted he was murderer. Captain
of Detectives Cameron was notified and
the prisoner sent to City Hall for ex-
animation.
During an examination by detectives,
Eshelman made formal confession. He
answered all questions freely and was
aware of several details of the crime not
brought to light until this morning.
His story of the crime. as told to Cap
tam cameron, folloWS;
THE PRISONERS CONFESSION.
ION last Wednesday evening at about
o'clock. was at Bartram's Gardens
don't just know the street, but think
it was somewhere near 65th street.
met little boy at the railroad bridge
The boy was about 10 years old. took
him to the culvert under the railroad
bridge and attacked him. then stran-
gled him.
II then took his clothing and walked
out of the culvert and threw the cloth
ing on a dirt bank and went home Ny
home is at the Inasmuch Mission. I
have been worried very much ever since
this happened. On Friday evening I
went to Germantown and got off at
Chelten avenue. While outside the Or
pheum Theatre 1 saw the manager. He
passed me in. After the theatre the
manager gave me Ave nlclSels for car
fare.
"I then took a car on the Germantown
avenue line and got off at the car barn.
| I was standing at the station when two
| mounted policemen came up and wanted
| to know what / was doing there. They
| then took me TO the station house and
put me in a cell and then brought me
down here"
Detectives said they were baffled after
working all day Thursday and Friday
near the scene OF the murder without
| finding a clue that led to substantial in
formation.
Eshelman was in the Detective Bureau
from s o'clock this morning until long
after noon. During all that time he was
facing a battery OF questioners, A few
minutes before noon he dictated the con-
fession. Before that he had told many
conflicting stories, but throughout the
examination detectives were convinced
they had the murderer.
SEEN WITH CRAFT BOY
A letter carrier Identified the captive
this morning as the man he had seen
with the Kraft boy late Wednesday after
noon. It was reported. The carrier, II was
said. came to the detective bureau this
morning saying he had seen a man and
a boy near the scene OF the murder just
before dark Wednesday afternoon. He
was taken TO the Fallon street home Of
the Krafts and there identified the body.
Later, It was said. he declared Eshelman
was the man who had been with the boy
late Wednesday afternoon.
At first detectives were inclined to be-
lieVe Eshelman was crank who had de-
Iuded himself into thinking he was the
murderer. This was caused by Eshel-
mans statement that he had pushed the
body into q creek" There is no creek
al ou PAGE TKyO