The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1874-02-19
THE HALIFAX MASSACRE.
Ferreting Ont tho Assassin Of the Brothers
Sturtsvant and Miss Buckley-A
Nephew Arrested for the Crime
Strong Evidence Obtained.
HALIFAX. Mass, Feb. Is. 1874

HALIFAX. Mass, Feb. Is, 1874
The murderer OF the old gentlemen, SturtevantsS
and their cousin, Mary Buckley, on sunday highs;
In this town, is likely to prove no other than WIZ
liam Everett sturtevant the nephew mentioned in
the dispatches Of yesterday as living in South
Hanson and as being suspected OF the crime. He
was taken yesterday afternoon NJ On1cer Pratt
OF the state police, nom his workshop In South
Apihgton and carried to view the bodies, but was
not arrested till nine O'Clock last evening. Ra
quit he coolly denies, but 1t seems TO be fastened
Enthusiastically upon him. He Is now In Plymouth
Jail.
THE ARREST
me details OF arrest and circumstances OF the
crime, as known show hardihood and deprayttv
IN the uroer that Is hardly credited even by those
WHO Fave known MIN as scapegrace from his earll-
est days. lnsthe search about the house the detec.
lives uiscoVereo the amount OF money that was lett,
and as 1t had been boarded for many years some Of
the coin and scrip bearing the governmen at srampa
that now out OF date, IL was rightly copectured
that the old scrip would lead to the detection Of
the guilty party. Suspicion at the first fastener
itself upon the nephew, and he was closely and
stealthily watched. He went to his work az usuaI
on Monday morning, and returned by his train az
night to his wife and children in South Hanson.
BLooDsTAINED GARMENTS.
Monday noon, while at the shop, Blake's In
South Abingdon, he missed his coat 50 he told nisi
fellows, and declared some one had stolen it, Hes
returned at night without it and reported to a.
friend that some one had carried it of. Detective
Pratt going to the place on Tuesday noon to CALI
him to go to Halifax, hunted up the coat and upon
hnaing it discovered that bore marks OF blood. His
cap, too, had several spatters OF blood it, which
had been partially defaced by the owner. The coat
was kept out OF his sight, and he told the Oficer ii
had been stolen The cap was also taken from
him then and another given him to wear. He
made no objection. That evening Pratt and the
detectives all went to Town Constable W. F.
Crocker's house. in Halifax to pass the night tho
prisoner with them.
TRACING SOME OF THE MONEY TAKEN.
During the day other officers had not been idle
They drove far and near, picking up this and that
clew, good or false, but still giving attention to
young Sturtevant. They at last found a cornen
grocer, named Drayton, at South Hanson who
had taken some Old-lashioned coin. In
looking through his till they picked out
q ten cent and fifty cent bill CORES
spending to that belonging to the old
folks Mr.. Drayton told the officers that William
Everett Sturtevant passed it there Monday
morning as he was going to his work. They visited
his house, which is in South Hansen, and there
found. in closet. other scrip like that secured ae
Jne grocery one OF the pieces haa plood stains
upOn it. This last was not found till near night,
and already his wife had suspicion OF what the
they met later, in the sitting room OF Constable
Crocker's house The poor woman seemed to be
ssg T. hs1 mnd nqs S oEE to az her
physical condition Is not over strong. At Mr.
CrOcker's house the issue was reached. All took
supper and young Sturtevant ate very heartily.
The conversation about the murder did not en-
gage much OF their attention, nor did it seem
was deemed advisable to make the arrest. HQ
carelessly looked up and around the room, but
he was as calm and stOid as when looking upon
the victims OF the murder.
RESULT OF SEARCHING IN HIS STOCKING.
He was stripped and searched, and 500 bill, q
$50 bill aud IS bill were taken from his stocking.
He was sa asked where ne got SO 5a rom
that paid him while in the army, he
Claiming thai ~, he was in uo ga Western
, anything to say when charged directly with the
crime. put gave suen, callous grnnt. About
under guard. went right or to sleep, ana did not
wake till called. He also ate hearty breakfast
store to take team for Plymouth jail, where he is
now incarcerated. He met the gaze OF the lew per-
sons who were about the store as they set out
with an ugly, defiant look, and when asked how he
came TO do 1t made the same reply that he did the
evening before when asked who he thought could
have done 1t, which was chow do you suppose
knowf"
THE PRISONER AND HIS FAMILY.
he will be arraigned on the charge Of murder,
before Justice Albert Mason, in Plymouth, proba-
bly, tomorrow, and held. The prisoner s twenty
countenance and never has had many trends. He
has not been known as having the courage TO do
any one personal injury even f provoked but has
done many mean things. He is the son OF Caleb
Sturtevant, whose grandfather was o brother of
the old Sturtevants killed, and now lives at Lewis
ton, Me. About twenty years ago the prisoners
father left his mother and tnree children and took
"French leave" OF his neghbOrs They had Occu.
pied the house where Daniel Blake nos resides
just across the piece OF woodland where the old
lady was going when murdered. They had moth
ing to support themselves WITH and one or the
selectmen took the house, sold II for them ard
took the mother and children as charges upon the
town. Two of the brothers OF the prisoner proved
fine Fellows, were early taken by good families,
educated and made good citizens. One IS still
living in Taunton aud Is q machinist. William
Everett Sturtevant was young rogue, and had he
lived in New York would have been imprisoned
a sneak thief before he was ten years OF age.
Several persons tried to improve him, out 1t at
last thought best to put him on board the school,
ship. While the constable was going OF with him
thinking the manacies would keep him sale lett him
tied to the wagon while he stopped at house for
the draught When he returned the bird
had flown. He lived about the town for long.
time, evading those looking for him, until finally
he was sent on board the sch0olship. but from
that he ran away alter short time, going back to
lie, and he worked quite steadily at shoemaking
with Mr.. Daniel Blake. Then he stole team from
farm in the town, and was for that sent to the
Plymouth Jail, and occupied the cell he now has
the war, he cleared out, and afterwards came back
and went to live in East Bridgewater, working IN
South Abingdon. There he took girl from the
house, and about three years ago was married to
her. she has only one child at present, and 1t IL
feared that this blow may produce great injury to
her physical system.
over the affair, and it would not take much popu-
lar clamOr to create a mob to hang nlm.
A FEARFUL COMRAT.