The Massachusetts spy, and Worcester County advertiser. [volume] ([Worcester, Mass.]) 1825-1831, 1830-06-02
WORCESTER:
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 2. 1880.
THE SALEM MURDER

Three more persons have been arrested and
rible murder of Capt. Joseph White, recently
committed at Salem, and there is now strong
probability thatthe mystery in which that trans
action was for time shrouded will be complete
ly unravelled and that all the circumstances at
tending the foul deed will be laid before the
public. The facts which have led TO the recent
arrests, so far as we have been able to collect
them from various sources, are as follows:
About fortnight since, letter came to the
Salem Post Office, directed to Capt J. Knapp,
which, on being opened by the person for whom
it was supposed to be intended, proved to be
from person calling his name Grant, demand
ing the loan of $3.50, to be sent by mail to
Prospect, near Belfast in Maine, and threatening
to make disclosure of transaction which
would harrow up his SOUL in case of rsfu-
sal. The person in whose hands the letter had
thus providentially fallen, handed it over to the
investigating committee, and person immedi-
ateiy went from Salem to Prospect, and depos-
tied letter in the Pest Office there with mon-
ey In 1t, directed to Grant. After waiting a
few days, person appeared and called for the
letter, saying his name was Grant,-the letter
was delivered to him, and as he was about to
retire from the Post Office with it, an officer
stepped forward and arrested him. 1t turned
out that his name was not Grant, but Palmer,
and that his place of residence was in another
town. He was examined before magistrate.
when from disclosure of facts, circumstances,
and confessions of the prisoner, not a doubt ex.
lists that he is in possession of the whole mys.
tery,-knows the persons who committed the
murder-the person who procured it to be done
and the inducement and motives which ope-
rated upon the minds of both parties
1t is stated that he confessed there was nine
persons, concerned, directly or indirectly, in
the murder of Capt. White; that he was not
the first victim intended two other persons.
reputed to be wealthy, having been marked out
before him. One of these last was watched for
some time, but no fitting opportunity offered,
for the successful commission of the act
He confirms the statement of Hatch, that
the plot was contrived at gambling house.
During the progress of the examination, it is
said his father appeared and urged him to desist
from further confessions, which he accordingly
did. Afarther examination wllprobably develop
the connecting links of chain of the most ex-
traordnary circumstances ever disclosed to the
public 1t appears from the confessions of Pal.
mer, that the Crowninshields are the only per.
sons previously arrested in Salem, who were
probably concerned in the murder. In conse-
Guenee OF his disclosures, two other persons
were arrested at Wenham on Wednesday even
ing last, as accomplices in the murder. Their !
names are Capt. Joseph J. Knapp, Jr., and Capt !
John +. Knapp, masters of vessels. They are
young men, belonging to a very respectable
family, and the first is son-in-law of the lady
who was niece of Capt. White, and who, for |
many years, had lived in his family as house
keeper. 1t was probably one of these men for !
whom the letter written by Carr was intended.
1t has been ascertained that Palmer was in Sa. |
lem, from the 23d Feb. till the funeral of Capt. |
White In his disclosure he mentions that he |
staid at the lafayette Coffee House some time I
under the assumed name of Carr !; and on re. (
curing to the books of that establishment, it |
appears that stranger who called his name
Carr, remained there two weeks without ap-
pearing to have any business or any acquaint- |
ance in town, and spent his time in reading and !
IN retirement. Palmer is said to be quite I
young man, and was in the Maine State Prison.
before he was nineteen"
Further disclosures. After the above was in
type, we received the Salem Register of Mon
day, and an extra from the Office of the Salem
Observer, from which we learn that Capt John
J. Knapp, Jr., since his arrest, has made a full |
confession, duplicating Richard Crowninshield,
Jr, as the murderer, and himself as the original
instigator of the act.
Knapp is the son-in, law to Mrs Bickford, the
no md aly1o. &c o. L
been married about three years. BY bis con- |
tession it appears that in February last, he de- I
clared to his accomplish, This brother] his desire
to procure the death Of Capt. White BY assassin |
ation By his request said accomplish under. !
took to make negotiation with the CrowMin- !
shields for the accomplishment of this object |
An arrangement was concluded with Richard, |
upon promise to pay him the sum of one
thousand dollars.
Knapp entertained the notion (not uncom !
mon, though erroneous) that if Capt White |
should die without Will, his wifes mother |
would be entitled by law to one half of
the estate of Capt. w. He knew that Capt w.
had made Will by which his mother wonld be
entitled only TO moderate legacy. After he |
had found agents who agreed to assassinate
Capt W., the first step was to purloin or de. !
stroy the Will. He went into Capt. VS. cham |
Der on Cd April, four days before the murder, |
and finding the key in the iron chest, unlocked
i: and took out the Will, carried it to Wenham
and kept it till after the murder, and then burn
ed it.
On Sunday afternoon (4th of April he ascer.
tanned that Capt. w. had gone to take tea with
a relative, and the assassin then determined to
dirk him in the street on his return but il !
turned out that he returned home before dark,
SO that the design was then frustrated 1t was
next arranged for Tuesday night and, in the
forenoon of that day, he made pretext to pre-:
vail on his wife's mother TO depart from Capt
WIS house, and to ride to Wenham to visit her
daughter, and spend the night with them.
All preparations being thus made, the assas-
sin and his accomplish, J. F. Knapp, met about
10 o'clock in the evening in Brown-strset which
passes the rear of Capt. WIS. garden, and stood
some time in a spot from which they could OBJ
serve the movements in the house, and perceive