The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-07-18
HULL SLAYER CRIES
AT MOTHERS KISS
Bravado vanishes When Boy
Tells Gray Haired Woman
He Is Murderer.
SUICIDE ATTEMPT FAILS
Guards Cut Blanket Moose in
Cell-Sweetheart Sought
49,
in Brooklyn.

Edward 'O'Brien. youthful confessed
slayer of aged Gardiner c. Hull. under
went yesterday afternoon the ordeal
from which he had shrunk back in
horror even while he boastfully told
the detectives who captured him how
ne had beaten Mr.. Hull to death last
Friday night in his Fulton street ONCE
Just after o'clock q guard went to
young O'Brien's cell in the Monmouth
county jail at Freehold, N. j., and
beckoned to him as the cell door swung
open. o'Brien followed the keeper into
the prisoners reception room and sat
down.
He had but a few moments to wait.
Through q door at the opposite end of
the room q nervous. pale faced, gray
haired woman stepped haltingly. Her
eyes were redeemed by tears. She
stepped across the room toward the boy.
who sat with eyes lowered to the floor.
She had covered half the distance to-
ward him before oBrien lifted his eyes.
stood up and looked her in the face
'Motheri" he said finally. Again his
eyes dropped to the floor. and when he
lifted them again he was crying.
The mother kissed him. He shrank
back. But she repeated the caress
again and again. amid food Of tears,
Then he kissed her once quickly, gave
her a hurried embrace and turned from
his mother to greet his sister. 1t seemed
as II he was glad his mother had not
come to see him alone.
Mrs. O'Brien sobbed bitterly for sew
eral moments while her son talked to his
sister. Then she could be denied nc
longer. The sobbing woman asked the
boy II It were true that he had con-
fessed to the killing. His eyes roamed
about tho room. falling everywhere ex-
cept to meet the anxious stare from his
mother. She recalled to him that when
he went to her on the day Of his arrest
.he was Just leaving her place Of en-
ployment at Avon. n. j., when he was
had told her that the ham.
struck by Edward Earle Paige. also
under arrest In connection with the
murder.
mo, Paige didn't strike the old man:
but he did hold him while I struck him.
blurted out the boy. The confession dis
solved the last trace Of bravado that
had remained with O'Brien- He burst
into tears. turned away from his mother
and walked over toward window at
the side Of tho reception room. He had
Just reached the window when the full
Import of his confession was realized
by the mother and she toppled over on
tho floor in q faint
slayer's Lips Sealed.
Guards hurried In. applied restoratives
ana soon had Mrs. OBrien back to con-
sciousness. After a few moments more
Mrs. O'Brfen walked again to her sons
side and pledged herself to do for him
everything that was In her power. The
prisoners sister did likewise. She ad-
vised him to say nothing to any one and
apparently the boy was ready TO follow her
advice. for when reporters went to him
after Mrs. O'Brien had left the jail he
replied for the first time since his ar
rest that he had nothing to say. 1t was
obvious, though, that he was restraining
with difficulty the spirit of boastfulness
which has marked him since his capture
After about half an hour in the jail
Mrs. O'Brien and her daughter, who ia
Mrs. Alice Bossardet of Brooklyn. left
promising to see young OTBrien again
soon.
While guards in the Jail at Freehold
kept careful watch last night on him
to prevent a second effort by O'Brien to
hang himself detectives were looking for
the woman In the case" girl for
whom the young man purchased a gold
watch with the money stolen from MI
Hull after the murder.
Early yesterday morning. while other
prisoners were sound asleep. the guards
heard O'Brien straining upon his cot
They glanced within, thought that he
was turning restlessly In sleep. took an
other look and discovered that he hat
noosed a rope around his neck and was
strangling. They jumped into the eel
and cut him free OF the rope none toe
soon. He had torn a blanket into strips
made q rope OF It. tied one end to a Gel
window and had then flung himself upor
his cot In such a way as to bring tight
strain upon his throat
Assistant District Attorney Joyce di
rected Sheriff Geran to post extra guards
at OBrien's cell so that he could b,
watched every minute of night and day
Joyce not desiring TO have a repetition o.
the wilkins AFFAIR. A warning was SEN
to the authorities at Philadelphia, wher,
Earl Paige. who was with OBrien wher
Mr.. Hull was beaten to death with 8
hammer. to be equally vigilant with
Paige.
Yesterday the detectives spent most o.
their time trying to locate a girl who II
said to live in the Ridgewood district o.
Brooklyn and OF whom O'Brien was fond
enough to buy a fine gold watch. Tht
watch was found In the young mans bias
In Newark boarding house. Questioned
by the detectives about this. O'Brier
made an impulsive admission that III
then quit talking. He has been gar
rulous enough about every other phas,
Of the case, going over the circumstances
Of the staying again and again and ter
ribly discriminating himself. but he re-
mains close mouthed about the girl.
His bravado has waned. Defiance hal
given place to sullenness and emotiona
outbursts- He cries out that he wants
no sympathy from anybody. not ever
his family. After his abortive efforts a
suicide early yesterday morning he sale
to the Sheriff:
81 wanted to emo It ALL"
In Philadelphia young Paige. O'Brien',
associate, has elaborated the story o.
his early life. 1t Is apparently thu
history of a youth whose only recollec
tlon of his mother was the sight of hei
on her deathbed; who does not recall
his father but has a dim recollection Of
three or four stepfathers whose early
years were spent In an orphan asylum
from which he ran away to be a driftei
in New York.
The manner in which he amused him
self IN Philadelphia after he fed from
New York IL significant of his tastes snc
type Of mind. He went to a motor
nicture show He wandered aimlessl,