Evening star., 1925-08-02

nan century ago the country was
shocked by a case of Juvenile crime in
massachusetts,. which was revived in
memory last year when two Chicago
por.ror,. youths committed an
atrocious murder, for
Statement. which they are now
serving life SEN
tences. lad named Jesse Pomerey
was accused OF Staying a younger
child for sheer cruelty. He was
placed on trial. was convicted and
was sentenced to hang, the gov
ernor later committing the sentence
TO imprisonment for life in solitary
confinement. In The Star of july
- 1879. Is an account of a portion
or statement made by Pomeroy
after the trial as follows:
The boy murderer. Pomeroy, has
concluded his remarkable story. In
thls concluding portion Pomeroy
commences by quizzing and criticiz-
ing the mad doctors who came to
see him. He describes, in a plain
ness OF speech that is very amusing.
the mental and personal peculiarittes
OF each doctor, and evidently has not
an exalted opinion OF the medical
profession, though he is careful to
disclaim any intention of being dis
respectful. Upon the verdict of the
jury he Is good enough to give his
jury to their determination. He
thinks that the government failed to
prove that he premeditated the nur-
| der and that the circumstances went
to show that IL he did kill the child
1t was because he could not help do
| ing 1t. He occasionally qualities his
suppositions in this direction by the
| saving phrase, I am imagining my
self to have did that murder
He reviews his alIeped rrI.eItias
| and the statement that when he was
between 3 and years old he was
caught with a carving knife carving
| a cat. 1t makes him laugh when he
thinks of 1t. He says that IL he did
| have a carving knife at that age 1t
was much more likely for him to
stick 1t into himself than into the cat.
About the snake story, he said he
did kill q snake, which was found in
the garden of Mrs. Clarke, to oblige
| her. and that she, 1n conformity with
| females, set up to shrieking and said
she did not see how I could kill a
snake So OF the witness, Mrs. Fos-
| dick, who noticed that he had a white
| eye, when she says she saw him 40
| or so feet from her, he says, she
| ought to hire out to Barnum on ac-
count of her wonderful eyesight.' He
analyses the evidence to show that
| the witnesses contradict each other
as to the time when the boy was last
seen alive. He mildly reproaehes
| Uncle Cook for violating the promise
he gave to keep the confession from
the newspapers.
| "Pomeroy then reviews the good
and reliable report of the hearing
of his case before the governor in
council and comments on the sign
ers Of the petition who desire his
execution. He says they are nearly
all women who signed that petition,
and women know nothing of law
| or humanity He concludes a lengthy
review of the governors hearing by
the declaration Of his belief that the
governor will commute the sentence.
| He claims innocence on the ground
that the crime, II he committed 1t,
never troubles him, that he sleeps
well, has q good appetite and am
hunky -dory.' He concludes this
| startling narrative by severe criti-
cisms of the jury system and says
that the law which requires that men
| shall serve who have not formed an
! opinion Is a disgrace to the country
and that the effect Of this Is to put
a set of human donkeys' in the Jury
box instead of IL intelligent men"
-
| For a good while the centennial
4 Z6al anu 2iIlpuiSo was COIiiiHcO W
Appeal for the The t,Assap'I Star Of july july
Centennial. cities t1a de- mned sdd Il r,Ta, with
! faint praise If they did not give 1t
the positive cold shoulder. Now,
| however. the fact is generally recog-
nized that the exhibition must be
made a success for the credit of the
country, and the New York Times
makes a strong appeal for more State
aid and individual effort In behalf Of
the centennial. There Is danger, 1t
intimates, Of the unreadiness to re-
ceive our guests in response to in
| vitations to foreign nations sent<put
by the National Government and
under the authorization OF Congress.
The project, 1t says, Is now simply
a national enterprise. So far as for.
| eigners are concerned, It ts q matter
purely within the management of the
| United States Government. There.
I fore, every State has its share of in.
| terest in the success Of the under
taking. Every public.spirited and
patriotic citizen should feel that the
honor of the country is to some de.
gree bound up in the prosperity OF