New-York tribune., 1919-07-16
Detective Captain Says Boy
Clears Chum, Edward E..
Paige, of Killing Their
Employer With Hammer
Robbery Planned
For Several Weeks
Youth Unmoved by Crime,
Officer Reports; Mother
Doubts He Confessed

Edward O'Brien, who when arrested
Monday night at Avon, N. j., in connec-
tion with the death of Gardiner C.
Hull, according to the police, said his
partner, Edward Earle Paige, had slain
the wholesale stationer, their employer,
is said to have altered his confession
yesterday.
According to Captain Arthur Carey
of the Homicide Squad, the prisoner
now admits that he himself welded the
hammer that fractured Hulls skull. He
changed his story, it is said, when con-
fronted with the testimony of Paige
who was arrested Monday night in
Philadelphia.
O'Brien was arraigned at Avon be-
fore Peter F. Dood, justice of the
peace, and remanded to the county
jail at Freehold to await extradition
proceedings. Paige also was held
Philadelphia. Assistant District At
torney John F. Joyce has reserved
time for the case before the grand jury
this morning.
institution Cases." Says Carey
The two boys, who were employed in
delivering packages for the Hull g.
Deppisch firm and disappeared soon
altar Hull had been found unconscious
in his office and the cash box rifled of
5000, are described by Captain Carey
as typical institution cases."
Neither of the boys has awakened
man." he said. "Their faces are flat
and expressionless, and neither of them
displayed the least bit of emotion in
admitting his part of the affair. All
through the grilling of Monday night
and this morning. the O'Brien boy
often laughed, and what he said with
out smile he said in spirit of
braggadocio. There must be something
the matter with institutions that bring
up youngsters like these. They are
undoubtedly abnormal mentally"
When Captain Carey asked O'Bricn
why he had told him at first that Paige
did the actual killing, the youth SAID
he had told his mother of the affair
and that she had sad, Eddie, if you
had anything to do with this murder.
III simply kill myself" O'Brien
blamed it on Paige, be said, to save
his mother.
Confessing Bores Boy
In recounting the complete details of
the crime to Captain Carey at the
Borough Hall in Avon yesterday
morning young O'Brien lay on a couch,
with his hands clasped over his head,
and went on with his narrative, said
the captain, in bored and careless
manner, as though he were merely re-
telling some bit of inconsequential
gossip.
o'brlen told the captain he planned
the whole affair himself as far back
as last December, and that it was
their original intention to get the
money if they could without killing
the old man. 1t was postponed from
Friday to Friday for one reason or an
other, Friday having been chosen for
the time because it was pay day and
the money was placed in envelopes by
Hull.
According to Captain Carey, O'Brien
said last Friday was hit upon as the
time for the coup, and the boys loitered
ABOUT the stock room until Miss Mary
Smith, the stenographer, had left the
place at 5:25 p. M, leaving Hull alone
O'Brien then said in his confession
that ne went over to Hull, who was sit
ting at his desk, and asked him for sc
cents, the idea being 70 have Hull oper
the cash drawer in which the box with
the pay money was lying.
Asked Hull for Pills
He had already got 81 that morning
ne said, and Hull refused him the sc
cents, telling him to wait till morning
Well, Pm sick in the stomach, Mr.
HULL" O'Brien said. Cant you give
me some pills or something?
Hull fumbled in his pockets, but, not
nndng them there, he opened the cash
drawer. From a little box he drew
four pills which he gave 70 O'Brien
er as though TO take drink. Instead
ne pulled hammer from under his
coat and struck Hull on the head.
Hull, said O'Brien to Captain Carey
sank in his chair
thing" O'Brien boasted 'I did it all
mysef. Paige tried to stop me from
hnishing the old man with the ham.
mer; know I hit him four times
maybe more; don't know. had an
oid grudge against Hull, but | didn't
intend to kill hin. ! didn't think
you'd 10 that far. When / hit him
oyer the head the first time and was
xo'ng 10 hit him again Paige grabbed
away from me"
For Gods sake. don't nit him
again. said Eddie"
Took About $3.50.
i chucked Paige away from me and
ssksd hWn Who in the hell Ia doing
mis-" Paige didn't bother me any more
s''er that ] hit the old man over the
nsaf three more times I am certain
that. When he didn't move we
grabbed the money, about $3.50.
We put the catch on the door and
peat 1t downstaIr. out into Dutch
c'rest in the rear and took n Hudson
tannel 10 Newark. We vot n room
Continued on znCe seventeen