, 1866-03-13
THE JOYCE MURDER.


Arrest OF the Supposed Murderer
Strong C1peunEsfantIa1 Evidence Of hi
i .Guttt-ferois3nE Details FROM bi
I OWu L1rs-1hFr1ilnG HtAtory Of "a
Case,
From she Boston Advertiser, oto.}
The mystery which has 20 long shroudes
th2 Tragedy whach occurred h West Raxbu1]
1ss.5,s yaHc tSse, anF2lslns the brutal murder .
Of widow lady residing il Lynn, seem!
about to be fully un1a7eGed. For ucsri1
| faree months person supposed to be euI1tJ
| OF tho heiuous crins has been under snryef{
lance q tac otheers of the Tw.: and It now
a?PeAfs sinost lndabitahly certain that the
Is now a1d has for some time been fncance.
rated IN tho Massachusetts State, Prisn,r n1,de,
conviction Of an offence Of uueh less rnat~ni.
tude than that TOR which be has thus fsx eiud:
| ed punishment
Before proceeding to the exciting narrative
OF the Developments brought ont b. the ~.
| liant officers who have been 50 long at wnFk
! to brfngthe mfscreant to. justice, it NAV he
we'll to give brief history of the tragetl =
which presents features Of such unpa1alieIcfi
! atoeity.
BRIEF HISTORY or THE IuRpRs.
The two youthful vicsinsy Isabella, besu-
ttfni girl OF but fourteen years oi age, a.
thongh almost woman grown, aud her
brother John, some few years younger than
herself and a great farorite with all who
Knew him, had been spending week with
thelf aunt, who resides at the South End.
During the early portion Of Mon3ay, The
twelfth Of June, the two children LIT the
house Of their aunt for 61ay,5 trollc ID Xay's
Woods, a delightful retreat In West Rosht1rv.
taking with them only small amount Of
change with which to pay their horse~car
fare, and q basket Of lunchr a. It was their IN
tent1on not to return home until near night
fall: Before taking the cars the children
called at the house of their grandmother.
where they were lust seen.
When the sun bad set On that Monday the
Two wanderers had not returned. Much anx-
iety Tas felt for their safety, and Vigorous
but truit1ess search was made for them. An
night long relatives, friends and neighbors
Kept up the search Messengers were sent to
cinity, but no trace Of the lost ones could be
found. It was not until Sunday forenoon, al
most week from the time when the children
had lett on their holiday excursion, that some
gentlemen, ,stroling IN q tract OF woods known
as - sbuzzey'a Woods.n discovered the bodY
Of the Young girl stabbed in several pisces.
There was eyery indication Of most terrible
struggle between the girl and the person who
murdered her, her hauds and anna being Gus
IN several places ms Il she had grasped tho
knife or other sharp Instrument By which her
life had been taken. Her mouth was found
cries.
The body of the boy was not discovered
until about an hour after that Of his sister
had been found. In th1.ket, lying upon his
face, his body horribly gashed In many places,
the poor boy was discovered BY party Of
lads who had joined In the search for the
brother, ntter ii had been announced that The
sister had been found. Appearances Indicat-
cd that the lad bad led In dlsuay. had Stun
blea headlong into the bushes, had been over
taken BY bis heartleas, brutal pursue1, and
had been cut and gashed to death.
Near the body oil the girl were found some
unfinished Wreaths Of forest leaves, from
which 1t was inferred that the children had
been engaged in twtnfng wreaths Of oak
leaves, and constructing mounds Of moss,
when the brute appeared before them, and the
hendlsh attack was made The girls hat, IT,
trimmed With an oak.1eayeG wreath, aud ths
boys eap, found subsequently,, was also simt-.
larlf Adorned
OF course the discovery of this double mur-
der occasIoned the most intense excitement
IN the Immediate vicinity, aud in the city and
State as we'll. ETery person considered him
self seltappolnted detective, and no effort
atrocious crime. Several persons were ar
them they we're discharged. Full snd as
complete testimony as could be obtained WAS
taken before coroner's jury, but no clue
could be found TO the murderer. Detectives
visited the grounds, asked questions, collected
notes, but did not apparently meet with sue
cess. Heavy rewards were offered both by
the city authorities and BY private 1udfyiiu-
ais; but money did not succeed IN bringing the
guilty party or parties to Justice. The bodies
Of the murdered children we're tenderly car
He'd to Lynn, md solemn and touching flne.
mi services we're held For time the matter
was talked Off the newspapers and In public
and private circles, and was then dropped for
more exciting and fresher topics. Meanwhile
the mother moutned for her children, and
the murderer roamed at large.
During the middle of the month Of July q
man was arrested Who, 1t was confidently sup
posed. committed the murder. He was one
John Stuart, q resident ol West Roxbury, and
notorious bounty Jumper. he was arrested
at Fort Independence, where he WAS on duty,
under order Of the Chief Of Police, aud Waa
brought to Boston and locked up In the
Tombs. On the 10th Of the sazne month, the
prisoner vas brought before Justice Worth
tneton, at Dedham, charged with the perpe-s
ney 3. y. Harris appeared for the government,
and D. Ely, Esq, for the prfsoner, By re-
quest Of the counsel fot the government. the
casc waa postponed. When 1t was again
brought up, Stuart was discharged, and was
eleaily and fully exoneEnted from the guilt or
SUBSEQUENT HISTORY or TIE cAaE.~
We Will now proceed to gire the history of
the subsequent efloztsto detect the author of
the crime, and to state the circumstances
which lead to the conviction that those efforts
have been successful.
day, the Aith day OF August last, Mr.. Marshall
Wetherbee Of Ashburnham, deputy sheriff
Of Worcester county was informed that the
house OF Mr. Brown, Of the town Of Gardner,
had been entered that morning, and robbed
Of silver watch, and several other articles Of
les value. Sheriff Hetherbee at once started
IN pursuitof the thief, tracked him success
H., at about noon of Sunday the following
day. The, culprit refused to give any other
name than that Of ascratct Grayel,r saying
TINT bis parents we're too poor to give him
any better. Although we'll armed, be offered
no resistance to arrest, saying substantially
to the sheriH-who was without arms Of any
kind" don't care d-n for belpe arrested
something which 1t would be feather in
your cap to fasten On me. ! had rather 70
to prison for two or three months than to Be-
travelling about the country as I have been"
Before placing the prisoner IN jail, Mr.
Wetherbee took him to his house and pro-
f1AGA llNl Will euppEFs AltEF supper,
"scratch Gravel" as We must call him ii the
main part Of this narrative, sang with the lit.
tie children Of the sheriff. s family, and en-
tered into conversation with the sheriff 7s wife.
Mrs. Wetherhee endearored to draw bis at
tentjon to spiritual matters, and to make
some moral impression upon him. For this !
purpose she offered him Testament, With I
The request that he would read 1t. -"scratch
Gravel" refused to read It, saying that he /
waa too wicked; that he had done that since |
he had been In Massachusetts for which
neither God nor man would forgive him. Mrs.
Wetherbee assured him that there was oppor-
funity Tor the Tilest sinner to repent; but he
pcrsistently refused to read the sacred vol
ume, and repeated his declaration that he
aaa committed deed which could not be
forgiven.
Nj, We:hezbce took his prisoner to the Jail
It Fitchburg, and at the August term Of the
Superior Court, before Judge Alien, he was
on the charge Of robbery, and sen
fenced to be confined three years ID the State
Prison, to which he Was taken on the 25th
1ay Of August.
From the time of the first commitment Of
Scratch Gravel" Sheriff Wetherhee enter
aimed suspicion that he was guilty Of the
While in Jail at FItchburg, Tended to confirm
Ihese suspicious. In concert with two other
prisoners confined there with him, he plotted
Ihe murder Of the turnkey of the jail. Sup
posing that that officer carried the keys Of
be Jail in bis pocket, the plan was formed to-
Sill him when be should unlock the cells In
the morning and let the prisoners out for
their customary morning ab1utions. "Scratch
Grayel'' Was to break leg from stool In
bis cell, conceal It under his jacket, and when
The turnkey opened his cell door III the morn
Ing, vas to fall upon him and knock him
pocket and escape with the two other con-