Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1872-11-10

! 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 a
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.. Ellis'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 ten,
where he voted. Mr.. Howard went to Cam
bridge, and on being shown the body of the
murdered man said unhesitatingly, 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 MrEllis. The brass key found was the key
TO his street door, and the steel key belonged 10
his trunk Mr.. Howard has known MIR. Ellis
for the past u years, and cannot be mistaken in
| the man.
The man who has been thus fouily dealt with,
| and whose name was Ahiah Ellis, was native
| of New Hampshire, having been born in the
| vicinity of Fitzwliam, Cheshire county. Hun
| dreds of people throughout New Enola will
| doubtless recall him 10 mind as a pedder of
| wooden ware, which business he followed for
many years, and in which he acquired consId-
| cradle property. During the past ten years he
has lived in Boston and vicinity, where he has
pears from the books i'll the assessors office
was assessed for S12 400 His personal tax was
for $500. He owned TWO houses in South Bos-
ton, one in Boston Highlands and one in East
Dover street, No. 149. He also leased the house
No. ISL, 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 oil January he commenced
taking his meals with Mis-. Elizabeth J. Porter,
who resides at No. 10 Dover street place, and
continued TO do so until about the first of June
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 10 have existed for many years. He cou-
tinued 10 loige in the house No. 151 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, al 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 near The engine house of steam
er No. 3. The parties recognized one another,
but no word was exchanged Mrs. Potter 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 carly.
Ellis was a man of temperate habits, close in
his business dealings, very oplnionated, as Mr..
Porter remarked; would speak, bis mind freely,
no matter who he offended, and in so doing he
made many enemies. Although devoted to the
&C humiliation of wealth. Ellis was remaI kably
ca eess for man in his position, in exposing
his money. He was seldom without a roll OF
ba k bills, which he carried in an inside vest
pc ket while he carried his notes and other val.
ia lie papers in a leather pocket-book. He fire.
gu ,ntly exhibited fifty and one hundred dollar
bill :, and allowed a little daughter of Mrs. P0r
er count his money. His friends repeatedly
warned him of the danger to which he exposed
himself by showing his money thus freely, 10
| which he paid little attention.
| AHe dealt largely in real estate, and is reputed
| to be worth from $4,000 to $4,000. Mrs. Por-
ter, with whom the writer had an interview this
| forenoon, described the watch carried by Mr..
Ellis, an English timepiece, with white open
face, case worn smooth, and suspended by
chaiR. 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.