The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1875-04-01
The East Boston Murder.

4~'oVOAA
The principal facts in regard to the East
Boston murder are as follows:
Mrs Margaret Bingham, wife of the
late Samuel Bingham, deceased about four
years since, was found dead at a quarter
past eight Monday evening, in the cellar
of her house, 81 Webster street, in con-
diton that suggested that brutal deed
had been committed Mrs. Bingham lived
with her mother, Mrs. Sarah Lovejoy. At
two O'Clock in the afternoon Mrs. Bingham
was not seen about the house and her
mother supposed her to be at one of the
neighbors OF away on some errand, AT
tour o'clock Mrs. Lovejoy descended to
the first floor of the house, as it seems the
sitting-room was on the second floor, and
found the outside door and the doors lead
ing to the cellar open. Nothing was
thought of this occurrence, and the doors
were closed, and Mrs. Lovejoy returned to
the sitting-room. At about eight o'clock
in the evening Mrs. Lovejoy went to the
cellar tor coal and there found her daugh-
ter lying lifeless upon the cellar bottom
When the body was first discovered the
family, and even the family physician,
who was called did not for a moment en-
terrain the idea that a crime had been
committed 1t was thought that Mrs Bing-
ham had fallen in fit and in her convul-
sions filled her mouth with the gravel and
inflicted upon herself the injuries sustain
ed 1t was even maintained by those who
were acquainted with cases of spasms,
that the condition of the body was nat
ural result of such physical disability, but
the facts that came to light through the
investigation and autopsy determined be-
yond doubt that Mrs. Bingham was muir
dered
On Monday she was i'll the city and
purchased theatre tickets Mrs Bingham
visited other places, and reached home
between twelve and one o'clock. While
she was away she ordered at Dr. Foltz's
some medicine tor her sister, and at halt
past two o'clock the doctors daughter
carried the medicine to the house. Mrs
Bingham answered her ring, and the doc
tors daughter remained in the house about
Il half an hour. About half-past three or
tour the door-bell rang again, to which
Mrs. Bingham also responded, and was
not seen again alive. At halt-past four
Miss Adelaide Lovejoy descended to the
hall in response to third ring of the bell,
found the outer door open and a wash
woman with clothes tor a gentleman who
roomed in the house. Mrs. Bingham was
missed, but was supposed to be at neigh
boris. Mrs. Lovejoy was away in the
afternoon, but returned in the evening,
and on going to the cellar for coal and
wood found Mrs Bingham as has been al
ready stated.
How Mrs Bingham met her death ex-
cited a good deal Of speculation. She was
no nj
her sister about halt-past three by the ring
ing OF the door bell Miss Lovejoy desired
to answer the summons, as she thought
her sister must be tired from her trip to
the city, but was prevented by Mrs. Bing-
hams stepping out of the room quickly
and lightly exclaiming that she was not
at all fatigued. When she had gone Miss
Loveioy seated herself at the piano and
did not take especial notice of her sisters
protracted absence, thinking she had step
ped in to her brothers house next door or
one Of The neighbor's. AT half-past four
o'clock the bell rang again and then Miss
Lovejoy was the only one in the house to
answer the call On going down she dis
covered the front door was open and that
postal card or letter had been pushed
under the vestibule door. She was little
surprised at this, and still more so to see
the doors leading to the rear part OF the
house also open, but anxiety concerning
her sisters absence was not aroused. Then
at eight O'Clock her body was found in the
cellar How she came in the cellar was a
mystery. 1t was supposed that man
called under pretence OF examining the
gas meter or water pipes and that she
went down cellar with him. On this point
the Boston Journal says
How came Mrs. Bingham down stairs
in the cellar may never be known, but
those who have given the subject careful
study will find that facts already known
support this construction. She probably
met him as he stepped into the vestibule,
as she promptly ran to the door on the
ringing OF the bell. His looks would not
excite suspicion, and would have been in
clined to believe him if he had SAID that
his errand there was to see their gas
meter Now this fixture was in the front
part of the cellar where even in the day
time it is quite dark and it would have
suggested itself to Mrs Bingham that the
man would need a light. That both,
either this or some other man, went down
cellar together there is no doubt that they
went to the gas meter, in y place where
no human voice could be heard, either on
the street or up in the second story where
Miss Loveioy was, is equally true, for in
that part the body is found, there by its
side is picked up small lamp, and direct
" before the gas meter, distinctly imprint
ed IN the earth and decayed boards that
had formed the flooring, were seen the
traces of heavy mans boot and of her
own as she probably held the lamp for him
to see the figures on the dial A few feet
off arc the marks of their struggle. A
piece of the old flooring is broken under
where the body was found, and earth mix
ed with bits of coal and powdered wood
are strewn where the head laid. The lamp
itself tells story. 1t was common me-
talic one, and the oil from it had flown
out upon some pieces of board Had that
not been suddenly put out there would
have been signs of fire, but it was doubt
less extinguished by the one blow which
| the tiend could see to deal to Mrs. Bing-
| ham and SO could do no harm. The moth
Ell says when she first saw her deceased
| daughter there she imagined that a veil
! had been thrown over the face, but this
| proved to be thick layer Of dirt, and all
| of four handsful of the same was stuffed
| into the mouth and throat and was brush
ed off How any one not distracted by the
terrible sight could have heard even of
this or Of the fact that the handle of sill
yer spoon was broken in digging the
earth out of the mouth and not know that
murder had heen committed, seems q mis-
terry indeed. Besides all this the water
upstairs in the kitchen was found running,