The Republican journal., 1874-08-20

nearly five years, and Frye Hall, Treasurer
There were siXty-siX officers elected at
that meeting; of that number there are
but five now living. At the fall meeting
Governor Hunton and Hon. Samuel Z.
Smith were the candidates for guberna-
torial honors; the vote here was $50 for
Hunton, 2S7 for Smith. There was bal
lot also for member of Congress; 222
votes were cast for Leonard Jarvis, l79
Tor John S. Kimball and IS for Samuel
Upton. Peter Rowe, Esq. was reelected
Representative to the legislature
On the morning Of April 9th Mr. Joseph
White of Salem, Mass, was found in his
bed murdered by blow on the head and
several stabs in the body 1t was not
known or suspected that he had an enemy
and there were no indications that any
property had been stolen from the prem
lscs The commission of such u crime in
one of the most moral and quiet towns in
New England, without any apparent mo-
tive OF revenge or plumber, produced q
sensation Of establishment and horror
which spread far and wide. A Committee
of Vigilance was appointed and upon in
formation communicated to them several
suspected individuals We're arrested !;
among them Richard Crowninshield, Jr.,
and his brother George; Richard was
eventually found to be the one who com
mltted the murder; he did not wait for
trial by Jury but committed suicide on
the 10Th OF June by hanging himself in
his cell.
Before the occurrence of this event.
however, and while the Committee were
pursuing their investigations, Mr.. Joseph
J. Knapp, = respectable merchant residing
in Salem, received letter mailed at the
post-oflice in Belfast, May 18th, signed
Charles Grant ,Ir.. asking for q loan OF
$500, allnding to many circumstances
connected with the murder and conclud
ing with the threat that if the money was
not sent before the 22d he (GranD 'would
! wait upon him with an assistant The
| answer TO the letter was 10 be addressed
10 the writer ri prospect, Me"
Mr.. Knapp was the father of Joseph j
knapp ,)r., for whom rs subsequently ap-
pearrd the letter was intended. He was
of course unable to comprehend its i'm
port. and Immediately placed it in the
\ hands Of the Committee Of Vigilance
| VINO promptly adopted measures for the
arrest OF its writer. Joseph g. Waters
/ Esq. OF Salem and George Jones, a Police
officer OF Boston, were sent here, arriving
Just before the 21d. the time limited foi
the reply to it,
There were then two posl-o1ccs in
| Prospects the one in that part of the town
which is now Scarsport village was Gale,
the West Prospect office. An officer was
stationed At this and the other office anC
also nj the office in this place and letters
We're sent to each Of the offices addrcSSo,
10 Charles Grant.Jr. On the 9th q young
man called at the West Prospect office anC
| inquired if there was 4 letter for HIM giving
| the name of Charles Grant .Jr he was i'm.
medately arrested by the officer stationed
| there and brought here; on his arrival il
| was at once discovered that the selt-stylcC
| Charles Gran; Ir was John G. r. Palmer
| IN, whose parents We're residing here, anC
who was convicted some two Years before
OF breaking into Mr. Wetherbee's store
and sent TO the States Prison; from which
he had been discharged some five months
He admitted that he wrote the Grant
letter and stated that he was in Salem on
the third OF April, three days before, and
again on the ninth, three days after the
murder: that on the second of April :
proposition was made to him by one of the
Crowninshelds TO assist in the murder and
to receive therefor 4 third part of $1,000,
which Joseph j. Knapp .Ir. had offered to
pay to the person who should commit the
act that he declined the proposition and
left Salem the next evening; that when
he returned, on the 9th, one of the Crown
inshiclds told him that the dagger used in
committing the murder had been melted
Upon the strength Of this information
Joseph J. Knapp .lr. and his brother John
Francis were arrested; both Of them We're
afterwards convicted and hung; George
Crownnshicd was acquitted.
From the confession made by Joseph j.
it appeared that through the agency of his
brother John Francis he procured the
murder to be committed by Richard
Crowninshicld. His wife was y relative
IF the murdered man, and the expectation
estate should he die intestate was the mo-
tive which prompted the murder He had
himself stolen from the iron chest of Mr..
White few days before the murder Il
paper purporting to be his VIII; ii proved
10 be an old Will which had been revoked
by one OF later date which was found in
the chest after the murder.