The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1871-04-13
From the Portland Daily Advertiser. April /
The Saco Mystery.

From the Portland Daily Advertiser, April IL.
The saco Mystery.
The quiet city of Saco is Just now per
picked by IN extraordinary revelation o
crime and folly, mounting to a pitch o
absnrdity which almost passes belief, ant
50 far battles every attempt to assign "a
tional motives to the actors in the TRACED,
which has come to light The excitemen
other side of the Saco river. where in fac
the crime appears to have been consum
mated, though the discovery was made il
SacO.
On the afternoon of Tuesday, March q
two passengers, a man and a woman, lief
The down train from Boston at half past 4
at the Saco depot. Their two trunks, as
aiterward appeared, were checked to Bid
detord and there stopped, but the two pas
scngers crossed the river and left the train
at IN Saco depot, where they took car
riage for the Saco House, kept by Messrs
Cleaves Il Son. The man was broad
shouldered, deep-chested, about five feet
eight, and weighing, one would saw hun
lred and eighty or ninety pounds, with a
face burned by exposure to bright red,
prominent, light blue eyes, reddish beard
on his chm, and wearing n felt hat, dark
oyercoat and dark clothes. His eyes and
face showed signs Of recent dissipation,
and his actions were marked by singular
hesitation and absence of mind. His com
panion was woman about thirty, about
five feet high, very plump and buxom,
weighing perhaps hundred and fifty
pounds, with jet black hair, cut very short,
large and rather coarse mouth, nose re-
houssc, and clad in apparel of the best
cut and quality.
On arriving at the hotel, the man alight-
ed from the carriage and marched straight
ntothe house without looking behind him.
The woman attempted to follow but
stumbled and would have fallen, if the
shown into the parlor, and her inattentive
escort proceeded to the office and called
for q room. On the register being offered
him by the younger Mr.. Cleaves he said,
you may write it," and gave the extra
ordinary name of ''E. g. Gosh and lady, y
and then, on being further questioned as
to his residence, added with the strange
hcsitancy already noticed, "of Boston. !"
In going up stairs, the woman stumbled
twice, and ''Gosh'' then took her by the
arm and assisted her. The waiter who
showed the way, thought she had been
drinking.
For twcnty-four hours this singular
couple kept their room. Supper was sent
up to them. Breakfast they did not want.
Dinner was sent up to them at about
O'Clock Wednesday afternoon. AT half
past 3 the bell rang and ''Gosh' ordered
u carriage to drive over to Biddeford
There was some delay, and he showed
considerable Impotence, giving the waiter
rs cents to let him know the moment the
carriage was ready. At little after 4
O'Clock the waiter tapped on the chamber
door and Gosh and lady, ready dressed,
came out Immediately. They had not
crossed the threshold before after entering
the room. On the way down stairs the
woman stumbled as before, but on reach
ing the carriage, double-seated carryall,
was steady and composed enough not to
attract the notice of the driver.
Crossing into Biddeford, the carriage
took the road down the right bank of the
river, towards the coast During the
ride very little was said. The driver
passengers, but without success. The
man was quite and cool; the woman
silent and reserved. Her face was I'M
covered. Once or twice she asked, s'How
much further is ii ?" and her companion
replied, "Only q little way" Passing the
house about five miles below the Saco
bridge, occupied by the family of Henry
l.. Joy, the man called her attention to it.
saying, rs the driver understood him,
FLETCHER lives here" A mile or SO
further on, at 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 We're seen the same evening, loiter-
ing in.the vicinity, by some boys, who
said the man was Henry Joy, but the
woman was not Mrs. JOY 1t was remem
bered afterwards at the hotel, that the
woman had once called Mr. 'sE. g. Gosh
Henry These children are the last per
sons who are known to have seen Joy
and the woman who accompanied rim
alive
Henry l.. JOY was the son of fisher
man, born and bred not tar from the spo
where he was seen under these circum
stances. Nearly twenty years ago hi
married the widow of his brother who
had been drowned in the Saco, and lief
one child. A mason by trade, Henry
during nearly the whole period of hi
married life, has worked in Boston, earn
ing good wages, but spending them him
self, and contributing very moderately t
the support of his family, which indee'
he has only seen at rare intervals. Iii
wife at first went out washing; two G
his daughters have since worked in tn
Biddeford mills; he had four children
three girls, the eldest now eighteen, an
Il boy-all bright, intelligent, industriou
and well spoken of by The whole neigh
borhood. His wife was some years olde
than himself, was sorely tried with hir
she sometimes told him what she though
of him. Her maiden name was Fletcher
and her brother, Thomas Fletcher,
master of coasting vessel now in Por
land harbor, and has made his home {
Mrs. joys from time to time betwee
voyages. 1t is said, however, that h
was not there on Wednesday night, Marc
90, but it happened that William Joy, a
elder brother of Henry's was there.
William Joy is a carpenter, and ws
putting up a fence in front of a house NJ
far off, and on Thursday morning, Marc
80, went to his work as usual, but presen
ly was called in great haste by his sistc
in-law. The youngest daughter, on e
ing to the front door at about 8 o'clocl
had found on the step bundle wrappe
in an overcoat. On opening it. Mrs. Jo
found her husbands pocket-book, contain
ing $575, his account book, watch an
chain, a bunch of keys, two raiload checE
for baggage, and some other small a