Los Angeles daily herald., 1874-03-11
TRIPLE ASSASSINATION.
Two Wealthy Farmers and Maiden Lady
Murdered.

HALIFAX (Mass.), February IL
This obscure village in Plymouth
county has been the scene of tragedy
which for the number of victims and
the mystery of the circumstances is
unparalleled in the history of crimes in
this region. Yesterday morning a
shoemaker by the name of Lull, hav-
ing occasion to'visit neighbor for the
purpose of sharpening some knives
stumbled upon the body of maiden
lady named Mary Buckley, lying on a
cross path, about thirty rods from the
farmhouse of Thomas and Simeon
Sturtevant, with whom she lived in
the capacity of housekeeper. She was
living face downward, and the back OF
her head presented a sickening sight,
being crushed as if by the heavy blows
of some instrument impelled by such
powerful force as to imbed her face al
most completely in the ground. CD
Startled by the evidence of murder
so appalling, Lull fastened at once to
the farmhouse of Sturtevant to give
the alarm, when he was Mortified to
find the body of Thomas Sturtevant
stretched at full length in the porch OF
the dwelling, cold in the embrace OF
death, with lantern by his side, as il
he had been assassinated just as he
was OH the point Of stepping into the
ward. His face was most brutality
mangled, presenting additional evil
dence, that the assassin, whoever he
may be, had not rested content with
tho ta KING of q single life,
Penetrating into the dwelling, Lull
crossed the kitchen and entered the
adjoining bedroom, where, on the bed,
he discovered, stiff in death, the re-
mains of Simeon Sturtevant, the walls
and ceiling of the apartment being
spattered with the blood of the muir
derer's third victim. Lull then has
tened to arouse the villagers, and by
them the body of the woman was
taken up and conveyed to the kitchen,
where it was laid side by side with the
body of Thomas Sturtevant, which
was brought in from the porch. The
triple murder is supposed to have been
committed on Sunday night. At 8
O'Clock on that evening all the victims
were known to have been alive, as a
neighbor parted with them at about
that hour.
The theory in the village is that
Thomas was stricken first, as he was
preparing to take final look at the
grounds before retiring to rest, and
that the murderer, after assailing him,
then proceeded to dispatch Simeon,
Miss Buckley flying from the house in
terror, only to be pursued, overtaken
and slain by the assassin. 1t is sup
posed that the object of the crime was
money, as it was well known in the
village that the Sturtevants were in
the habit of keeping a large sum in
the house, and a diligent search has
failed to discover the presence of any
funds in the dwelling. From the cir
cumstances it is conjectured that the
murderer was entirely successful in
carrying out his plan. A case of
drawers, where one Of the brothers
kept his valuables, was thoroughly
examined and stirred up by the MUIR
derer, and it is probable that consid-
cradle sum of money was taken. In
Miss Buchley's room it was found that
her trunk had not been disturbed, and
in it was found about 5000 and gold
watch.
The weapon with which all the muir
ders were committed was evidently a
birch sled stake. about four feet in
length, as one was found horribly
blOOd-stained about six feet from the
spot where the body of the woman
was discovered, and the indentatiOns
on the wall and ceiling of the porch
and bedroom led to the assumption
that they were made az the murderer
swung the club. AT present there are
no threads by which the author of the
crime can without difficulty be re-
vealed. Suspicion rested at once up
on an individual who, happily for
himself, is able to conclusively ac-
count for his whereabouts from the
hour when the parties were known to
be alive until the time when they
We're discovered dead. Against no one
else is suspicion directed, SO that this
will be consigned to the catalogue of
criminal is found by the efforts of the
police. The neighbors have not no.
ticed tramps of late, but people in
Hanson and the adjoining towns have
been alarmed by gang Of fellows who
have been scouting round, sleeping in
barns, looking in at windows, opening
shoemaker shops and school-houses at
night, and building fires at all kinds
of places to warm themselves.
The victims of the tragedy were all
elderly persons, Miss Buckley being
about seventy years old, while the
Sturtevant brothers had nearly reach
ed eighty. The latter were well-to-do,
the wealthiest farmers in town and
among the most highly respected.
They were rigidly economical and
boarded all the money they obtained,
never depositing any in savings banks.
They held on to their landed property
with great tenacity, and could not be
prevailed upon to part with any por-
ton OF their immense possessions at
any price. Once, however, while at
tending an auction sale, Simeon Stur"
tevant was asked how much he would
take for certain piece of land and re-
piled, Fifteen hundred dollars" His
interlocutor having come prepared to
purchase, laid down the money and
the sale was effected, much to the
chagrin of Mr.. Sturtevant. A gentle.
man who owns land adjoining the es-
tate of the Sturtevants describes them
as tall, stalwart men, Simeon being
over six feet in stature. He is of the
opinion that they had money at the
time of the murder, which fact being
known to the perpetrators of the crime
induced its commission. A CorOner's
investigation has been commenced
but thus far nothing beyond the cir
cumstance of finding the bodies has
been developed IGOR. N. Y. Herald.
When young man sits down on a
slippery pavement, with such violence
as to barely escape swallowing the
roof of his mouth. there is nothing