Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1873-04-10
A EeArful Crinsc.

The Boston Journal gives the following
account OF the terrible crime which wa 9
briefly noticed in the telegraph yesterday
Daniel :. Marsh was arrested Monday
afternoon in Charlestown for the murder
! of his own son, an infant of nine months,
and after his incarceration at the station
| house he confessed TO committing the deed
and the manner in which IL was accom-
| plished.
IL appears that on the first of September.
ISL, the body OF 8 male infant some pine
months old was found on the dumps in the
rear Of the State Prison. The body was
taken TO the police station and a coroner's
inquest was held. but the authorities did
not succeed in finding out the parents of
the infant There were some peculiar
marks about the body and upon its face,
which caused 1t TO be distinctly remember
| ed.
Time passed on, and the matter faded
from the minds OF the officers. On Mon
day woman visited the Office OF Chief Of
Police. and informed Officer Knox that
Mrs. Agnes Marsh, who resided at No. 32
Princeton street, had living with her about
eighteen months ago an infant, and that
| about that time her husband left her TAX
ing the child with him, TO board out as he
said. The parties at that time were living
in Leverett street, Boston.
From the description which the woman
gave of the infant, Officer Knox was con
WINGED that the one found upon the dumps
was the one which he had taken away ut
the time mentioned by the woman. He
therefore visited the Marsh woman, who
now lives on Princeton street in Charles
town, and from her obtained a descrip-
ton of her infant at the time it was taken
away by her husband, which Tailed exact
ly with that OF the waif found drowned.
She also Informed the officer that her hus-
band was living in Cambridge and employ
ed by the Lowell Railroad Corporation.
Chief OF Police Ayers and Officer Knox
proceeded to hunt up the man. and finally
found him at work at the freight station of
the above mentioned corporation in Bos-
ton. He was taken into custody. and last
evening, In the presence OF the officers
confessed 10 having done the horrible deed,
and gave his motives for the inhuman act
He had been married to his wife for a few
years and had experienced considerable
trouble with her, she perferring TO live
with her mother rather than with him.
She and her mother were In the habit of
neglecting the child. which was afterwards
murdered, and another which has since
died. and on the evening in which he took
the infant away his mother-in-law told him
10 take the babe and provide for II some
way. He took the unconscious child from
the house between nine and ten O'Clock,
wrapped it in its little cloak and hat, and
proceeded 10 the Fitchburg railroad bridge.
Here. he says, he remained some five min
utes, meditating As to what course he
should pursue, and finally made up his
mind 10 drown his own son, thinking. as he
said last evening, THAT il would be better
or. He then removed the babes outer
clothing. and after tying the arms and legs
| OF the child together, he deliberately threw
it into the river. and next day the body
was found as above stated.
A day or two later he took the chid's
| cloak and hat back TO the mother, inform
ing her that he had found a good place tor
1t, and as the woman had plenty of cloth
ing he had brought back the clothes. Since
this time he has separated from his wife,
who has had her suspicinos aroused tn at
the child had been disposed Of in a man.
ner other than that indicated by her hus-
band. These suspicious she commitment
ed to an acquaintance in the house where
she was stopping. who at length made up
| her mind 10 inform the authorities, with
the result above stated.
The unnatural father appeared last night
to be wholly unconscious of the awful
crime of which he had confessed himself
guilty. He is 81 years OF age, a laborer,
and judging from his appearance is below
the average Of humanity in intellect. He
told his story in collected manner, and
seemed TO think that he had done only
what was best for mis- babe. The confes-
sion was got from him by the representa-
ton of the officers that ii would be much
better for him to ''own up" to the whole
thing, and he in his simplicity narrated
the horrible story We have briefly related