Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1864-02-25
The Maiden Murder and Robbery.
Strange and Unatcountable Instance Of DePraFlty'
Arrest and Confession of the Guilty Party

Our readers may remember something OF
murder committed in Maiden, Massachusetts,,
about two months ago. A young Bank officer
was murdered in cold blood while at work at
his desk. The bloody act was committed in
broad day, in a considerable country village,
while crowds Of persons were passing to and
fro Money to the value of some $1,000 was
stolen from the room where the dead man
Law, and the offender-at once robber and as
sassin-escaped unobserved. Who was he ?
No one could tell. Even suspicion was at
fault. The bloodhounds of the law were set
on the track of the guilty man. They hunted
diligently, but they hunted in vain. Weeks
and months passed by but no clue to the
dark deed was discovered.
Finally, a ray of light broke upon the Wis
ION of the pursuers. The avenging Genius
that ever follows Crime, and dogs it at last to
its lair, pointed with unerring finger toward
the guilty man. Suspicion, feeble at first,
ripened into conviction. The offender was
| watched, followed and waylaid by the invisi-
BILE ministers of Justice and when the evil
dences of his crime became too palpable to
be mistaken, arrested and lodged in felon's
cell.
And here comes the strangest part of the
story. He was no vulgar assassin-no pro-
fessonal alefactor-robbing and numbering
in the discharge of his Irregular calling -
but the postmaster Of tie viNage-a man of
means, of high business and social position
| and of hitherto respectable life He was,
moreover, the father of an interesting
family-the centre Of prominent circle-a
man who had every inducement to lead
clean life and 60 down to an honored grave.
| He was pricked on to his evil work by none
of the ordinary incentives that drive men to
| crime. He had not even the excuse of pri-
vate resentment. He took the life of his vic
tim simply and solely to possess himself Of a
few thousand dollars. And in the manner
and circumstances under which he did it, he
exhibited all the fiendish sensbility of Eu-
gene Aram with all the brutality of Thug
AS an exchange well remarks, CONJECTURE
seeks in vain for an adequate motive for the
deed. 1t is deed that suggests depths of in
iquity yet unfathomed capacities for evil vet
untried-in the human Aeart. 1t makes us
tremble for our kind-for ourselves" The
story almost passes belief, and if told by a
novelist, would be characterized as utterly
unnatural and improbable. But it is horrid
fact We copy the following account from
the Boston Journal
Our readers will doubtless have still fresh
on their memories the mysterious circum-
| stances connected with the murder of the
young man, Frank E. Converse, the Assistant
| Cashier Of the Maiden Bank, about noon on
Tuesday, the 18th day of December last, and
the great excitement which followed that
event, as also the apprehension, examination,
and acquittal of an innocent party, charged
| with that most atrocious crime So secret
and cunning was the manner of the crime,
and so destitute were its circumstances
of anything whatever or which to hinge
even faint suspicion, that many had made
up their minds that the murderer would new
er be discovered; but the old saying-that
murder will out"-has again been providen-
TALLY proved truth, and the perpetrator of
| the horrid crime has not only been arrested
cred handed" as it were, but. has confessed his
| guilt. A most lamentable circumstance of
the crime is that the murderer was a man
whose character and position placed him far
beyond any public suspicion of his guilt.
Immediately upon the murder of young
| Converse being made known, detectives
Heath and Jones, with others at the chiefs
office, as well as members of the general
force, determined to continue to work, and
bring the real perpetrator of the terrible
crime to justice, if within the power of hui
man ingenuity to do so. Thanks to their per-
severance, we have this morning the satisfac-
ton Of announcing that their efforts have at
length been successful and that the murder
er has been arrested The criminal is Ed
| ward W. Green, postmaster at Maiden.
| 1t seems that, after looking in almost every
quarter and finding no tangible evidence ag'nst
any party, the fact that during the tremen-
| dous excitement in Maiden and vicinity, Green
had manifested no feeling whatever in regard
to the matter-neVer engaging in any CONVEX
| saGion about the murder, or attending any
meeting of citizens or other gatherings where
| the ubject was discussed, or making any in
| quiries relative thereto, caused suspicion to
be attached to him, not only by the detectives
| Heath and Jones, but by some half dozen cit
| liens of Maiden.
| Not the least efficient person in fastening
| guilt upon the right individual was detective
| Calder, who was specially detailed, some
weeks since, to observe that person every
time he came into the city, and notice every
movement made by him. So well did the de-
tective Calder follow his instructions in this
matter that for the the past three or four
weeks hardly day has passed, when Green
| has visited this city, but that some new link
| was added to the chain of circun1stantial evil
dence that was raDidly weaving itself around
| the criminal.
On private investigation it was ascertained
that Green stood well with the good people of
| Maiden, excepting that like many other per-
sons of irreproachable character, he had the
misfortune of being involved in debt
The investigation was followed up, and
few days since it was ascertained that Green
paid debt of some $700, which had been due
about two years, and that the money paid
by him was nearly all in bills on the NAL
den Bank. This was unquestionable proof
against him. But more was to come.
1t was also ascertained that since the MUIR
der Green has paid sundry debts of $50 and
under, principally in Maiden Bank bills
Meantime, Mr., Converse, the father of the
murdered boy had been informed of some of
the suspicious circumstances, and in consul
tation with Mr.. Lamson (who advised with
detectives Heath and jones' left the whole
matter with him to act as he deemed most
,, advisable. The result was that the arrest of
Green was determined upon, and last evening
the above named detectives went to Maiden,
and met at the residence of Mr.. Lamson
where general consultation was had.
While at Mr. Lamson's it was ascertained
that Green was then at Jackson's livery sta
bic, and it was determined to arrest him after
ha Oh +ha Ill l. r., L: