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weather was very cold at the time and his skin was very pale and his lips had turned a horrible shade of blue. Due to the blood trapped by the bindings, his hands were a deep purple, in stark contrast to the rest of his body. The men quickly cut the young boy down, and were even more horrified when they saw that his back was covered in red, ugly welts. Billy was not in a fit state to give any evidence as to the identity of his attacker, and the police were hopeful that it was just an isolated incident. Unfortunately, for the children of Chelsea and South Boston, this was not to be the case.
    The next victim of Jesse Pomeroy was seven-year-old Tracy Hayden. In February of 1872, Jesse apparently lured Tracy to Powder Horn Hill with the promise of ‘going to see some soldiers’. Once the two boys were on their own, Jesse set upon the hapless boy and tortured him mercilessly. Tracy’s front teeth were knocked out, his eyes blackened and his nose broken by the incensed Pomeroy. Just like Billy Paine, Tracy was stripped and whipped, leaving bloody welts on his back. The only description Tracy was able to give to the police was that his attacker had brown hair and that he had threatened to cut off his penis. With nothing more than a description of a teenage boy with brown hair, the police felt they were powerless to stop any further assaults.
    In early spring 1872 Jesse struck again – this time it was eight-year-old Robert Maier. This time Jesse lured Robert across the fens with the promise of a trip to see Barnum’s circus. Once again his attack followed the same pattern, forcing the young boy to strip and then beating his naked body with a stick. This time he forced his victim to repeat swear words throughout the attack, and Robert later told the police that his attacker was fondling himself throughout the gruelling ordeal. Apparently obtaining sexual satisfaction at the height of Robert’s suffering, Jesse then let the youth go and threatened him with death if he told anyone what had happened.
    By now the residents of Boston were both angry and scared for the safety of their children. They took their frustrations to the local police who immediately started a massive manhunt. Hundreds of brown-haired teenage boys from the vicinity were questioned, but they came up with no conclusive evidence. Parents of young boys became very vigilant and watched their movements, warning them not to talk to any strange boys. As the word spread, just like Chinese whispers, the boy’s description changed dramatically. The new assailant took on a devilish appearance, with red hair and a wispy red beard – very different from the real monster, Jesse Pomeroy, who was still only twelve and had skin as smooth as that of a young girl.
    Jesse’s next attack came in mid-July of 1872, and a 60- to 90-day cycle seemed to be emerging. This time he persuaded an unwary seven-year-old to go with him to the outhouse on Powder Horn Hill, luring him with the promise of giving him money if he would run an errand for him. The assault was similar to the previous ones in that the boy was stripped, whipped and beaten until Jesse achieved an orgasm. Jesse then fled to the swamps, but not before threatening to kill the boy if he left the outhouse.
    The offer of a $500 reward prompted vigilantes to begin patrolling the streets of Chelsea in an effort to track down the evildoer who was torturing their young boys.
     
    THE MOVE TO CHELSEA CREEK
     
    As the hunt for ‘the fiend’ started to hot up, Ruth Pomeroy decided to move her family from Chelsea to the less expensive area across the Chelsea Creek in South Boston. Although it is possible that she suspected her younger son was connected with the assaults, Ruth Pomeroy was fiercely loyal to Jesse throughout her life. In her heart she must have wanted to believe that her child was not capable of such monstrous acts. However, when she saw that the boy torturer had moved his operations from Chelsea to South