Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1866-03-23
The West Roxbury Horror.



The story of the horrible murder
of the two Joyce children, Isabella,
beautiful girl of IA years, Just bloom
ing into womanhOod, and John, her
younger brother, in Roxbury, Mass,
last summer. is too fresh in the minds
of all to need recounting. The mys-
terry which has shrouded the tragedy
seems likely now TO be fully unveiled.
1t is believed that the violatcr and
murderer has been discovered. The
Boston papers give the following de-
tails of the discover
On the fifth day of August last, Mr..
Wetherbee. of Ashburnham, deputy
sheriff, wds informed that q house liz
Gardner had been entered that morn
/ ing, and robbed Of u silver watch, and
several other articles. Sheriff Weth-
erbee at once started in pursuit Of
the thief, tracked him and arrested
him near East Wilton, n. II. the fol-
lowing day The cuIprit refused to
give any other name than Scratch
Gravel, saying that his parents were
too poor to give him any better. Al
though we'll armed, with a knife and
pistol. he offered 10 resistance to ar
rest, saying b'tantially 10 Il c sher-
itf-"l don't care a d-n for being
arrested fer stealing a silver watch
but | have done something which it
would be feather in your cap to las-
ten on me. | had rather 90 to prison
for two or three months than to be
travelling about the country as | have
been" Before placing him in jail Mr..
Wetherbee took him to his house.
After supper Scratch Gravel" sang
with the little children Of the shcrifs
family and entered into conversation
with tie sheriff's wife. Mrs. Weth-
crbee cndeavOred to draw his atten-
ton to spiritual matters, and to make
some moral impression on him. For
this purpose she offered him Tesla
ment. Scratch Gravel refused to
read ii, saying that he was too wicked:
that he had done that since he had
; been i'll Massachusetts for which nci-
Their God nor man would forgive him.
: Mrs. Wetherbce assured h i'm that
there was opportunity for the vilcst
sinner to repent; but he persistently
refused TO read the sacred volume.
, and repeated his declaration that he
had COMPUTED deed which could net
be forgiven. Mr. Wcthcrbec took
, his prisoner to the Jail in Fitchburg,
and at the August term of the Supe-
; Pc r,or Court, before Jrd re Allen, he
was convicted on the charge of rob
berry, and sentenced TO be confined
three years in the State Prison. to
which he was taken on the 18th day
Of August.
., From the time of the first commit
ent of Scratch Gravel sheriff
Wetherbce entertained suspicion that
he was guilty of the crime with which
+. he was charged. His conduct while
, in .jaitat Fitchburg, tended to confirm
: these suspicious. In concert with
two other prisoners confined there
. with him, he plotted the murder of
the turnkey Of the Jail. On being
e tainted by one of the other prisoners
S with a lack of courage to carry out
this design, scratch Gravel" said he
| would kill any man if necessary to
get out OF the Jail. ''Do YOU think"
5 said he to his comradc, that a man
:, who did the Roxbury job would hest
!. tate to Kill man to get his liberty ?"
Strengthening himself up, he contin-
= ued THAT was some of my work. |
:, aid that job. That knife (aIluding to
the weapon found upon him when ar
rested) las sent two ID Yankees
to HI since came to Massachusetts.
am willing to 90 to State Prison for
year OF two, as | am suspected of
/ doing something bad" Sci atch GRAY
eli then went on to give the most re-
2 voting details of the crime which he
J declared he had committed at West
). Roxbury. He stated that he stabbed
: the Joyce boy in the back several
times; and that having had his way
: with the girl, he put her out of the
{ way. These details he repeated to
TIE prisoners unrescrvedly, on several
n occasions using language whose gross
I ness torbids its repetition. He stat
: ed that since the murder he had trav
eled nights and slept daytimes in or
der to escape detection. The plan OF
escape from the Jail was foiled by one