Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-12-19
TWO ARE SOUGHT
AFTER BOY, 6, DIES
14-Year-0Id Friend Missing,
Son of Wealthy Wholesaler
Is Wanted.

CHICAGO, December lS.-intenslVe
search was instituted tonight for Rich
ard Popishel. 14year-old school boy
friend Of Walter Schmith. s. who died
last night after an assault. Young
Popishel has been missing since We'd
nesdav
Police also are searching for Joseph
Croarkin. 26 years old. son of a
wealthy wholesaler, who is wanted In
connection with the death of the
Schmith boy.
The Popishel boy left the home of
his sister Wednesday after visit. He
attended a branch unit of the same
school attended by the Schmith boy.
Playmates told police OF a visit by a
man about month ago. who attempt
ed to coax the boy into taking an auto
mobile ride. He refused. however.
The Popishel boys home Ia few
blocks distant from that of the slain
youth.
Devon Riding Academy, where the
Schmith boy was found dying early to-
day by two Catholic priests in whom
the slayer had confided. Playmates
said the boy had enjoyed riding horses
which were kept there.
When he left the home of his sister
he wore light gray trousers. a red
plaid lumber jacket covered with q
brown slip-over sweater and a cap. He
also wore a small good luck ring,
bearing a Chinese emblem.
Was Believed DemeIrfed.
Walter Schmith disappeared La st eve
ming. Some hours later a young man
entered room Of ST. .Vincent's Church
and told Rev. l.. G. Sweeney and Rev.
G.. J. Mccarthy that he had attacked
boy in the hayloft of the Devon
Riding Academy. The priests thought
the man demented. but finally accom-
panied him to the loft. he fed soon
after they found the boy Unconscious
on the floor with a fractured skull.
He died an hour later at a hospital,
reviving only to give his name
Search for Croarkin was ordered
when George Hingle. negro stable
master. named him as having been
at the barn last night with two boys.
One Of the boys, Anthony Horwick.
Is. was found by a police sergeant,
who said he had named Croarkin and
declared Walter was the other boy.
Anthony told him, the officer said
that Croarkin gave them candy, but
later sent him on an GRAND, and that
when he returned the stable door
was locked, though he heard some
body inside.
Did Not Come Home.
A family living near st. Vincent's
Church told police that a young man
came to it's home late last night and
asked to be directed to a priest, say
ing, It's my last night on EARTH
CrOarkin, his mother told police, did
not come home last night.
Efforts by officials to identify Croar-
kin positively through the priests
with whom he communicated were
unsuccessful when the clergymen re-
fused to reveal the confession made
by the youth. They gave much in
formation to police and to the coroner,
but regarded as inviolable the obliga-
ton of the church to hold in complete
confidence information given in the
nature OF confession, even though
1t was not surrounded by all the
formalities of that rite. .a
The priests did not testify at the
inquest. which was postponed after
the boy had been identified. They
were present, however, and talked pri-
vately with the coroner.
Was Under Investigation.
Croarkin, police said. was under OBJ
servation recently in connection with
another attack upon a child. He has
been salesman for his fathers firm.
The owner of the riding academy
property, Nicholas Victor, a banker
in the Devon district of the North
Side, took personal charge of a posse
mustered to search for Walters as
Sailant. The boy had been struck on
the head. apparently several times.
police said, possibly with chair rung
which lay nearby. A bag of candy
lying near the spot where the body
mo nd f@nr tod r.
Anthony Horwick that Walter had
been lured to the haYloft with sweets.
The youngster failed to come home
last night from school, where he was
I'M the first grade. His parents report
ed his absence several hours before
the priests found him dying.
Man Escaped I'm Darkness.
When the slayer came to st. Vim
cents Church he shuffied toward Rev.
Mr.. Sweeney in an inane fashion.
the clergyman said, and indicated that
he wanted to make a confession. The
priests still doubted his story when
they went with him to the hayloft.
When they found the boy, and while
they were considering what to do with
the man, in view of the sacredness of
the obligation of secrecy, their infor-
mant slammed the door of the barn
and escaped in the darkness.
Miss Agnes Furiong, %, a friend
of Croarkin, tonight told the police
that Croarkin appeared at her home
last night shortly after s o'clock.
seeming greatly excited and almost
hystelical. She said he asked her and
her brother to accompany him to the
home of a priest, explaining that he
desired to make a confession because
he had "only about "a hours to live"
The girl said she and her brother did
not go with him because they be-