Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-12-20
SAYS HE SLEW BOY
TO BAR DISCLOSURE
Croarkin Declares He Feared
6-Year-Old Child Would
Make Charges.

by the Associated PresS.
CHICAGO, December 20,-HArold
Croarkin today confessed he slew
6-year-old Walter Schmith In a North
Side barn loft in a panic Of fright
after he had attempted to mistrcnt
the boy, fearing his victim would tell
of his actions
The admissions of motive came at
the end of a long questioning, follow
ing his voluntary surrender yestef'
day. Previously he had maintained
that he did not know why he killed
the youth, who was found dying Fri
day night in the loft where the attack
occurred.
IF this is not hanging case you
might as we'll abolish the penalty"
States Attorney Grove said early to-
day after he and his aides had gone
over the entire act of the tragedy with
the 26-year-old son of q wealthy -four
dealer.
"In the murder Of a 6year-old boy
by a depraved man there can be no
extenuating circumstances. OF course
I can't say what will be done In this
case, but / do know what / did in the
Fitzgerald case" The prosecutor was
referring to the time when he, as a
Judge, sentenced a man to death in
connection with similar Staying.
In Croarkin's latest statement
which followed a number of rambling
declarations concerning the Staying
he said that he had asked Walter to
go after some coffee. They had no
bucket and another boy asked to go
home for one.
Croarkin then went into the barn
with Walter, and after describing his
actions there he said that he became
alarmed. having been told in 81 pre-
yious case in which he was named
that his actions constituted a penal
offense. He then decided to slay the
youth and asked him to go to the
second floor. Selling a hammer, he
followed He then dared the youth
to climb into the loft. There, he re-
lated, he struck the boy and left him
to die.
Sane, Say Psychiatrists.
Harold has always been backward
mentally" said Attorney Francis T..
Croarkin, an uncle and the one who
surrendered him to the police. He
has only the mentality of a 10-year-
old boy. He never could work and
his father kept him at his place of
business. We knew he was deficient,
but we never knew he was criminally
inclined"
Drs. William O. Krohn and H
Douglas Singer. psychiatrists, who
testified for the State in the Loeb
Leopold case, disputed this, however,
after examining Croarkin at the re-
quest of the States attorney
He's sane" the physicians said
mo 10-year-old boy could pass the ex-
aminations Croarkin did. When he
was in school he always had marks
| of IS or 80. We have checked on his
business capabilities and find he was
quite a business man. He frequently
bought carloads of flour by telephone
and sold them at profit within q few
minutes"
Denies Other Attacks.
The States attorney said he would
place the case before the grand Jury.
probably today. After the questioning
IN the prosecutors office, Croarkin
was taken to the barn for a re-enact-
ment of the Staying.
Several boys who have been accost-
ed by a man in the last few weeks
nave been asked to see If they can
Identify Croarkin as their molester.
Croarkin has denied any knowledge
Of these attacks.
Six little playmates will be BODY
bearers at Walters funeral, set for
late today.
Missing Boy Home.
AS officials were leaving the Crirni-
nal Courts Building today with
Croark1n, he was confronted by C. B.
Feeley whose daughter was molested
recently.
Richard Pospishel, IA, missing since
last Wednesday. returned home TODAY
with a story which prompted a police
search for two men,
The lad frequented the Devon Rid
ing Academy premises, and it had
been feared that he might have been
victim of Croarkin
He said that while he was on his
way to the same school attended by
the Schmith boy two mon abducted
him and held him captive in a bun.
galow.
The boy said that about O'Clock
this morning his captors told him
they would take him home, put him
into an automobile and thrust him out
miles from where he lived. He
begged carfare from a pedestrian.