Brighouse & Rastrick Gazette. — 1886-03-27 (Brighouse, West Yorkshire, England)

SHOCKING MURDERS BY A BOY. The American newspapers give particulars of a series of murders committed by a boy on the 9th of March, near Ossage Mission, Kansas. Mr. Mendell was awakened about 3 o'clock by a scream. He went to the door, and was met by Willie Sells, the son of a neighbour, who said that a man had attacked his father and mother with a hatchet. Mr. Mendell, having called a neighbour named Price, went with the boy. Upon reaching Sells's house a most horrible sight met their eyes. In the bed in the north room lay Walter, Willie's eldest brother, aged 19, his throat cut,and the entire top of his head chopped off. Passing into the main room, where a light was burning, they stumbled over the prostrate form of Mr. Sells, his head crushed and almost severed from his body. Near by lay Mrs. Sells, her head smashed and a fearful gash in her throat. On the bed in the corner of the room lay Ile, Willie's sister, aged 14, killed in the same manner as the other three. Lying near Mr. Sella's head was a bloody butcher knife,and on a chair a hatchet covered with blood. The boy said that he had been awakened by something, and looking up saw a low, heavy-set man with dark hair, cut close, standing in the door. The man stepped in, and reaching over Willie, struck Walter, who lay on the back of the bed. Willie jumped out and dressed while theme* was still in the room. The man rushed out of one doer while Willie rushed out at the other, and started up the road on a run, Willie after him. A short distance off stocd a man on horseback, holding another horse, upon which the man vaulted, and both made off. After the bodies had been discovered Mr. Price took Willie home with him, where he slept soundly until morning. A coroner's jury was impanelled, and the subsequent investigation directed suspicion upon the boy. He swore that he had not washed his hands since the murder, but inspection shewed that, while his hands and wrists were clean, there was a watermark above which his arms were encrusted with blood,which appeared to have spattered up his sleeves. Around his finger-nails, too, was blood. His underclothes and his feet were also covered with blood. The boy stoutly denied being the murderer, and maintained a bold front throughout. He was smuggled into a buggy and driven to gaol in Erie for fear of lynching, which appeared imminent. There is held to be no doubt that he is guilty.  Mr. W. R. Kennedy, Q.C., has been offered and has accepted an Indian judgeship, with a salary of £5,000. A report has reached this country that the Duke of Slitherland's yacht Sans Peur, with his Grace and party on board, has been placed under ciaarantine at Port Royal, yellow fever having been contracted on board at Colon. There were four cases, one being rather serioul.  Mr. G. Kminerhase, one of the leaders of the Anarchists in England, has just died at the Middlesex Hospital. After the emigration of Herr Most to New York, the task of circulating the revolutionaq organ Fre.heit on the Continent devolved upon Mr. Knauerbase, and he proved himself an adept in evading the vigilance of the various frontier authorities.  The torpedo boats now wing Emits ay Yarruw and Company for the Admiralty are being rapidly completed. They have been delivered of late at the rate of two a week, and the 16Lh boat has been satisfactorily tested on the Thames in the prePence of the authorities.