Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1873-02-13
A MYSTERY SOLVED.
How Boston Detectives iyOrk-A Case
Criminal nIisma nagemcnt.


ofCriminaI nIisma naSemcnt.
Quite a little sensation was caused in
Boston, on Sunday morning, by the
publication of an article in the Courier,
purportlng to true narrative of the
way in which the murderer of Kate
Leehan escaped detection and arrest
1t will be remembered that about one
year ago Catherine Leehan, an Irish
girl employed as a servant III family
in BroOkline, was found one morning.
about a year ago, in field on Western
avenue, near the Brookline boundary,
her head brutally smashed by stone,
which had caused her death, and her
person outraged. The affair caused
intense excitement ut the time. but
only one person was arrested, and be
was finally discharged. 1t seems that
on the morning of the MURDER, when
the news reached the City Hall, all the
detectives were called upon to go to
work upon the "iob," and several
patrofmen were also detailed and
ordered to work independently. One
of these patrolmen so detailed went at
once to the scene of the outrage.
There he found an old-fashioned wool
en- hat, with a peculiar rim, covered
with blood and hair. This he took to
a chemist The blood was found to be
human, and when compared
with the blood of Kate Lee
han, was fonnd to be exactly the
same. The hat was new one. and
the officer started on tour among the
stores, among whom was Workman u
Co. This was on tie third day after
the murder was discovered. Mr.. Wort.
man, upon being shown the hat at
once identified 1t as having been pur-
chased at his place on the Saturday
night previous, by man apparently
twentyseven years old, who locked
like a mechanic The description of
the man was most minute From
further information it was learned that
the purchaser of the hat had on the
same evening bought suit of clothes
at Oak Hall.
After another two days search the
officer learned that the owner of the
hat and clothes was carpenter, and
that he had, ON the night of the MUIR
der, returned home quite late. The
following morning he got up at five
o'clock and stated his intention of 60
ing to visit his sister in Pawtucket.
The landlady noticed that her boarder
had the bosom of his white shirt COW
cred with blood and a part of his cloth
ing torn. The man left the house soon
after six o'clock, to take the train for
Pawtucket
Communication was had privately
with Pawtucket, and 1T was learned
that the man was there under an as
sumed name, Then the officer report
ed progress to the chief, who then
made the great mistake of the case,
and assigned him to work with two
detectives, instructing him not to do
anything without asking their advice.
The result was what might be expected
the other detectives got wind Of the
case, too many men became interested,
the murderer became suspicious and
uneasy, and, or the eighth
day of his soiourn with his
sister, quietly fitted from the
house on High street, which, 1t was
said, was under surveillance, and went
to Providence. The officers who were
best acquainted with the circumstances
arrived in Pawtucket the next morning
too late to accomplish anything. The
officers who had already interfered
soon found that he was III Providence,
but the others were not whit behind
them, and before a descent could be
made he had flown again, this time to
New York, where all search was in
vain. The officers remained in New
York for nearly month, and finally
returned home chagrined with the re-
suit of their labors. The murderer has
never been heard of since.