Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1871-04-18
The SacO Mystery.

passengers, man and woman, lett the down
train from Boston at half-past four, at the Saco
depot. Their two trunks, as afterwards appear
ed, were checked to Biddeford, and there
stopped, bur the two passengers crossed the
river, and left the train at the Saco depot where
they took q carriage for the Saco house, kept by
Messrs. Cleaves & Son. The man was broad
shouldered, deep-chested, about five feet eight,
and weighing, one would say, a hundred and
eighty or ninety pounds, with a face burned by
exposure to a bright red. His companion was
woman about thirty, about five feet high, very
plump and buXom, weighing perhaps a hundred
and fifty pounds, with jet black hair, cut very
short, large and rather coarse mouth, nose re-
rOUSSe, and clad in apparel OF the best cut and
quality.
On arriving at the hotel, the man alghed
from the carriage and marched straight into the
house, without looking behind him. The woman
attempted to follow, but stumbled, and would
have fallen if the coachman had not caught her.
On the register being offered him by the younger
Mr.. Cleaves, he said: "You may write it," and
gave the extraordinary name of ''E. G. Gosh
and lady" and then, on being further questioned
as to his residence, added, with the strange hes
itancy already noticed, "of Boston,"
For twenty-four hours this singular couple
kept their room. At half-past three the bell
rang and "GoSh" ordered carriage to drive
over to Biddeford, There was some delay, and
he showed considerable impotence, giving the
waiter twenty-five cents to let him know the mo-
ment the carriage was ready.
Crossing into Biddeford, the carriage took
the road down the right bank of the river, to-
wards the coast During the ride very little
was said. The driver undertook to draw out his
unsociable passengers, but without success.
The man was quiet and COOL the woman silent
and reserved. Her face was uncovered. Once
or twice she asked, allow much further is it ?"
and her companion replied, "Only little way"
Passing the house about five miles below the
vi N,rf hn q, &c
L. joy, the man called her attention to it, say
ing, as the driver understood him, FLETCHER
lives here,7 A mile or so further on, at a place
where the road is shut in by woods, out of sight
of any dwelling the driver left his passengers,
by their request, and returned to Saco. They
were seen the same evening, lettering in the vi
cinity, by some boys, who said the man was
Henry JOY, but the woman was not Mrs, joy.
1t was remembered afterwards at the hotel, that
the woman had once called Mr., E, G, Gosh
Henry. These children are the last pc sons
who are known to have seen joy and the woman
who accompanied him alive.
Henry l.. Joy was the son of fisherman, born
and bred not far from the spot where he was
seen under these circumstances, Nearly twenty
years ago he married the widow of his brother,
who had been drowned in the Saco and left one
child. During his married life he has worked
in Boston, earning good wages, but spending
them himself and contributing very moderately
TO the support of his family, which, indeed, he
has only seen at rare intervals. His wife was
some years older than hiInsefJ was sorely tired
with him, no doubt. Her maiden name was
Fletcher, and her brother, Thomas Fletcher, is
master of a coasting vessel now in Portland
harbor and has made his home at Mrs JOYS
from time to time between voyages.
William JOY was putting up a fence in front
of house not far off, and on Thursday morn
ing, March %, went 10 his work as usual, but
presently was called in great haste by his sister
in-law. The youngest daughter, on going to the
front door at about eight o'clock, had found on
the step bundle wrapped in an overcoat On
opening it Mrs. Joy found her husbands pocket
book, containing 1915, his account book watch
and chain, a bunch of keys, two railroad checks
for baggage, and some other small articles with
a letter written in pencil on leaf of the ac-
count book, stating that he had concluded to
leave this world and it would be Of no use to
look for him, and directing his wife to present
the checks at the Bddeford depot for two trunks,
one of which belonged to him and the other to
Mary McCarty. The latter he directed to be
sent TO John McCarty, care Of Hall Brothers,
Chelsea, Massachusetts.
The two trunks were found at the depot and
were brought to Mrs. joys house. Mary Nc
Carty's was large Saratoga trunk, unlocked,
and filled with fine clothing, 1t remained in
Mrs joys house for eight days. Then her
brother, Captain Fletcher, took it to the depot
On the following Wednesday, April 5, the body
Vi all lllhNOWu NOLdu was lOuflu on the SacO
beach, at high water, nearly opposite to joys
house, in Blddeford. On Friday the body was
identified as that of the woman who left the
Saco house with Joy just two weeks before she
was found, with her face buried in the sand of
Ferry beach and her body wrapped in sea-weed
On Saturday her black velvet hat was found in
the water. There were no marks of violence on
her person.
There is little doubt that this waif, east up
by the sea, is all that is left of Mary McCarty.
The prevailing opinion is also that she did not
commit suicide. A letter from Joy was found
in his trunk, which must have been written
before he left Boston, in which he confessed to
his wife a criminal intimacy with another wo-
man, and declared his intention of expiating his
sin by leaving world in which he was not fit
to live. His body has not been found, though
the river has been dragged. His felt hat has
been discovered on an island near the mouth of
the river, but it is remembered that he had also
q Scotch cap at the hotel, and it is remarked
that heavy gold or gilt chain worn by Mary
McCarty was not found with the body, there
were no rings on her fingers, and there was
nothing whatever not even thimble, in her
pockets.
Yesterday morning Coroner Burbank, of Saco,
went to Boston to make further investigations
there. If he should learn that this woman was
possessed of property which cannot now be ac-
counted for, the inference would be plain.
j. p Hall & Co. will sell valuable piano forte
and pipe organ combined, at auction Wednesday,