Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1926-12-28
KILLED WOMAN
AND3CHILDREN
IN CALIFORNIA
Slayer of Wife And
Family Tells Of
Similar Crime Com.
mitted in 1915

FARWELL, Tex, Dec. 2s.APi--
This ordinarily quiet little stats line
town was agog today as word was
passed about that George J. Haas ell,
farmer or this community. Who lsst.
Saturday admitted Staying his wife
and eight step-ehildren, had signed q
lengthy statement in which he noe
only detailed the sloyings here. but
told Os killing four others--a woman
and thf children--in California in
1915.
Hassell made his statement TO J..
ID. Thomas. county attorney. and Jim
Martin, sheriff Of Farmer county,
yesterday afternoon. II was signed
shortly before 6 o'clock last night
according % the authorities. Has
sell told his story from a bed in the
county jail, where he i recovering
from self-inflicted knife wounds.
Hassell, giant ~ n man. told his
story calmly, but occasionally
stopped to complain of pain his
wounds were causing him.
Catalog or Crime
The lrgnthy statement M released
BY Thomas and Martin, Is a cata-
loEue Of crime.
He stated he was born in Smith
VILE, Texas, in 1883. Hc said his f.
ther was poisoned in 1905 by his
second wife. That was my first
impulse TO commit crime" no
said. III went out % the place with
a gun 10 kill the whole bunch Of
them. but | got too much whiskey
and did not use any gun" He was
something over is" when this oc-
CURED. He then declared he got in
bad company in Abilene. drinking
whiskev and embezzled some money!
for which he served two years in the
state penitentiRrv at Austin. The
day he was freed he enlisted in the
army under the name Of George Sfo-
vail. according to his statmcnt. Ha
deserted after a fight with an army
cook and went to O'Vallev. Texas.
where he married. One child was
horn. Thev lived together two
years He then Joined the navy and
went n san Francisco. deserted and
made his wav back 70 his family.
But r reconciliation was imnosgiblr.
Slays Woman and Children
A cherkereh career followed. lead
ing r. the Staying or woman and
her three adopted children IN CAL
ifornia place he refused to name.
He said he lived with the woman.
but did not marry her. series oe
quarrels led m the Staying. ~ said,
and he buried the woman and chill
dren under the house. after choking
them 20 death. This was in 1915 hs
said. lie married again. living with
the woman only three months He
then worked ns a fireman or ran
road, then went with rinn line CON-
many IN Fresno. California After
this he ioiref the merchant marine
m the Pacific coast re was dis
charged in February. 1924
lin answer tn ure='ians from
Sheriff Martin, he denied emrhat-
irnllv that he killed his brother.
whose death, according 20 the state
rlent. occurred while HasSeIl was nc
New Orleans on shiphoard Tho
brother died from the effects ar the
kick II mule he said. After leav-
ing the merchant marine he went
TO Blair Oklahoma, where his
brother had owned a farm"
Married Brothers Wife
"A few months later Ne married his
brothers wife, and assumed care of
the children. The oldest girl IN the
family had married in the meantime
and ~ now living IN California
The Hassell family moved 20 Far
well about year and half ago.
In detailing the motive for the
Staying or his wife and step-chil-
dren, he admitted intimacies with
the l4-year-oId s.ep-child. Maude.
He said reneated quarrals with his
wife over the matter led 10 the slay-
ings.
IL all happened the night OF We'd
nesday. December g. he said. He had
been duarrelling with his wife again
and during the night he arose and
went 10 the barn where he kept some
whisksy. Tic said he took n drink,
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