Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1872-11-09

Boston police, while standing on a street corner
reading one of the evening papers account of
the Cambridge mystery, suddenly noticed that
the description Tailed exactly with that of
Mr.. Ellis, who had been announced as missing
in ward ten. "Why," he said, CHATS Just as
Old Ellis looked; and he hasn't been seen since
yesterday" The officer reported the circum-
stance at the station, and on going to Mr. El6s's
house found that he was last seen there at four
O'Clock Tuesday morning. Later it was found
that he had been seen in the room of ward fen
where he voted. Mr. Howard went 10 Cam.
bridge, and ON being shown the body of the
murdered man said mhesitatingly, "That is
MIR. Ellis" Both men then went to the police
station IN Cambridge and looked at the clothing
They identified it beyond doubt as that worn
by Mr.Eis. The brass key found was the KEY
TO his street door, and the steel kew belonged TO
bis trunk. Mr.. Howard has known Mr.. Ellis
for the past y years, and cannot be mistaken in
the man.
The man who has been thus foully dealtwt
and whose name was Abah Ellis, was native
OF New Hampshire, having been born in the
vicinity OF FitZwillam, Cheshire county. Hun
dreds of people throughout New England will
doubtless recall him TO mind as a pedder of
wooden ware which business he followed for
many years, and in which he acquired eonsld-
| cradle property. During the past ten years he
\ has lived in Boston and vicinity, where he has
| invested his money in real estate, which as an
/ pears from the books in the assessors office
| was assessed for So 400. His personal tax WINS
| for $500. He owned two houses in South Bos-
ton, one in Boston Highlands and one in East
| Dover street, No. l49. He also leased the house
No. 15l, adjoining his own, one chamber of
which he occupied as a lodging, and let the re-
naming rooms to several families. Four years
ago on the third day of January he commenced
taking his meals with Mrs. Elizabeth j. Porter
who resides at No. 10 Dover street place. and
confirmed n n n al bo Gr.t. e
last, when he went to board with maiden lady
named Tuck, living at the South End between
whom and the deceased a friendly intimacy is
said TO have existed for many years He con-
tnued to lodge in the house No. ISL East Dover
street, near Harrison avenue, where he was last
seen by the inmates on the morning OF election
day
From this time and place all trace of him is
lost until about seven O'Clock on Tuesday even
ing, at which hour he was seen on Washington
street by Mrs. Porter and her little daughter
They were walking up the street at the time and
passed Mr.. Ellis nearthe engine house of steam
| er No. 3. The parties recognized one another
| but no word was exchanged. Mrs. Porter is the
| last person as yet known TO have seen Ellis
| alive. He did not return to his lodgings on
| Tuesday night, although it was customary for
him to return early,
Ellis was a man OF temperate habits, close in
i his business dealings, very opiniOnated as Mr.
| Porter remarked; would speak, his mind freely
/
made many enemies Although devoted to the
| accumulation of wealth, Ellis was remarkably
| careless for man in his position, in exposing
| his money. He was seldom without a roll of
| bank bills, which he carried in an inside vest
| pc ket, while he carried his notes and other val
ua dc papers in a leather pocket book He fire.
| quenty exhibited fifty and one hundred dollar
bills and allowed little daughter of Mrs Por-
| ler,o count his money. His friends repeatedly
| warned him of the danger to which he exposed
| himself by showing his money thus freely, TO
| which he paid little attention.
| &l1e dealt largely in real estate and is reputed
| TO be worth from $4,000 to ST., 900. Mrs. Por-
| ter, with whom the writer had an interview this
! forenoon, described the watch carried by Mr..
| Ellis, an English timcpiece, with Il white open
| face, case worn smooth, and suspended by a
| chas which she has frequently fastened to-
| gether with thread when broken.
The murdered man kept horse at the corner
| OF Shawmut avenue and Cherry street, and was
accustomed TO care for him with his own hands,
and, insomuch as the body was afterwards
| found covered in horse manure and bedding
| such as is used in barns, it is not altogether
| unlikely that the murder was committed in his
own stable. The theory then is that somebody
| or bodies who were familiar with the habits of
| Mr.. Ellis, presuming that he carried much
| money with him, logged him to the stable, and
! then knocked him down and committed the
/ murder