code: protected void kill( String pid )
          throws IOException, InterruptedException
      {
          String os = System.getProperty( "os.name" );
          String command = ( os.startsWith( "Windows" ) ) ? "taskkill /F /PID " + pid : "kill " + pid;
          Runtime.getRuntime().exec( command ).waitFor();
      }
docs: copied from Play! Framework's "play.utils.Utils" Java class