Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1921-10-08
BOY IS SUSPECTED
IN GIRLS MURDER
Fourteen-Year-Old Lad Held in
Fiendish Staying at Madi-
son, New Jersey
FATHER SC0FFS AT CHARGE

New York, Oct. S.--Francis Kluxen.
Jr., fourteen -ycar-old boy, was ar
rested late last night by the authorities
IN Madison, n. j., and charged with the
murder Of twelve -ytar-old Jeannct;e
Lawrence.
The arrest came after several hours
Of questioning in which the lad stoutly
denied that lie had killed the girl whose
body was found In the woods owned by
the youths father.
Suspicion turned toward Francis
carly yesterday afternoon, the authori-
ties snid. At that slime his parents
were instructed to keep the boy in the
house and where the police could watch
him.
Suspicion was directed toward young
kluxen when 1t was noticed he acted
nervously near the scene of the crime,
lie was with his father at the time,
and when the parent left a policeman
questioned the boy. All he would say
was, "lt's awful" and trembled all
over, the policeman said. Later a
schoolgirl friend Of the dead girl re-
ported to the police that Kluxen had
tried to entlce Der to enter the woods
Held for Grand Jury
Francis was arraigned before Re-
corder Schoneberger shortly before mid
night and committed to the county Jail
to await the action of the Grand Jury.
Early today young Kluxen was taken
~ 49,, An ~ ...I
submitted to further questioning.
They haven't n thing on the boy,
his father. Francis K!uxen, Sr., de-
clared after the examination.
"How could he come into the house
after crime like that. cat supper
quietly and a.tcrward go to bed and
sleep soundly? They questioned him
for four hours and got nothing from
him but n perfectly reasonable ant
straight story"
Tho boy is held on a warrant which
charges, ION information and belief
that nc attacked and killed the girl.
Stabbed Score Of Times
An autopsy performed on the body OF
Jeanette by the medical examiner
showed that the girl had been attacked
She had been stabbed more than n score
Of times.
! Jeanette was tall and strong. With
| her athletic figure. bobbed blonde hail
and quick stride. she might easily have
been mistaken for q lass well in bcl
! teens.
She had been minding the baby o.
Mrs. J. A. G. Sandt on Thursday after
school. and few minutes utter
o'clock started down the avenue towarC
her own home, go yards away. or
Ridgedale avenue, close to the corner
Between the two houses, on the
right side of the street. lies a stretcl
Of timber aud brush. known as Kluxcn's
Woods, filled with ravincs. Hillocks ant
refuse. Darkness was just beginning
to settle when Jeanette reached tn,
woods. She did not attempt short
cut through. for her parents had warned
her against il. Besides. the fcw fee
saved was more than offset by the diff
Guilty of walking through the shrubbcry
Mother Heard Cry
But when Just half way past thu
gloomy stretch of broken land" Jean
nette was seized from behind.
She screamed. for Mrs. J. W. Law
renee. her mother. in the cottage {
| hundred yards away. heard the CRY
sound shrill, then gurglc ont as thu
assailant's fingers sank into the child
throat. Mrs. Lawrence went to th'
door and called but no reply came ant
she heard no further sounds.
Jeanette. fighting every foot of tn
way, was dragged deep into the shrub
berry. out Of sight OF the streets. fo
there are no lights on the avenue. lie
clothing was torn off in the struggle
and then to silence her. her assailan
struck her directly in the face wit
clcnchcd fist, stunning the girl
With short length OF hcmpc
twine he tied her hands behind her
crossing the wrists and pulling tn
twinc snug in what Is locally know
as u "rosebush hitch.' a knot tha
does not come out easily.
He half dragged. half-carrled her. n
the broken shrubbery showed. until h
reached depression in the groun
near where big tree had been fellc
and the trunk sawed in halves.
lie killed her before he left, sinkiu
knife deep in her throat, again int
her heart and again and again int
her body, until twenty four wounc
were made. With a torn piece Of til
child's waist he made a gag and force
it between Ler teeth. Another fragmer
of garment he tied about her throa
so that if she should recover conscious
ness, despite the wounds, she could nc
call for help.