St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1875-04-02
Another Shocking Murder at Boston

y my >l,Tinu> aud daring murder. the
Gilman Ia the long Srrir> OF crimes
which have recently given Boston an
unrnN liable reputation. was committed
at East Boston. last week. the victim
being Ms. Margaret bingham. u widow
dh"Ht ~ wears al age. She liz eel with
lien m"rlrr. Mis-. sarah LoNci"y. and
Was last seen alive about 3 o'clock in
the aitcInoum. when she went t. the
doe! t" ah~vcl Il hing at Tia, bell. but
~" anxiety WIS tell in regard to her, a>
Ill" WIS >uppo>cd To have zone on an
rlIand. nr to visit some friends. About
! O'Clock. Mis-. IoNrjoN had occasion to
90 doWI to the first floor. and tuuud
the outside door open. IL we'll as all the
doors leading L" looms ON that floor,
Including that lr,rliu. tu The ut.ilar
she WAS rather surprised al this. but
Thought little al il aud. closing the
doors. returned upstairs again. All
Wa- quiet ahouf the house during the
day and evening. and II" suspicion of
toul play ~ the caIi>c al her daughter :
absence WH> entertained until about :
oClock in the evening. when the mother
had occasion Ia visit ti, cellar, and
there found her lltclr>> body ~ ing ON
lis back. with the feet cln>,. to the eel
lar stairs. An alarm was given. II
phl stefan WAS called. and the body en-
amincd. tn" condition of the body
waS Sickcnin" in the extreme. the tr:t-
lures were distorted and terribly bruised
a. If from repeated blows with some
blunt instrument. the neck bore the
marks of strangling. and the mouth
ana I'll" throat we've packed tightly
with earth and gravel. Il stone being
ais" found III the Windpipe ;" lar.c that
il WAS with difficulty removed. The
first SIIppo>ition was that. being subject
to talntingtitS. she had fallen down the
stairs and thus received her injuries.
hut this theory MAS soon diSproNed 10y
finding that four rings which she wnIe
were missing. and that. while her peck
ct-honk remained. some SISO. which
She WAS supposed To have with her. was
gone. How or 10y whom the deed WAS
committed. l. AT present only coniect
urcd. rs she was not known to have an
enemy III the world and WAS Il general
favoriic. \ possible clew to the mys-
terry may he found in the fact that, dur
ing the afternoon. Il hard locking man
at IbuSt. dit.
stating that he had been sent bv the
water commissioners to examine the
wattr-pipeS. had been admitted and
gone all over the house, and that he
may have come to Mrs. Lovcjoy's on
the same errand, and have rung the
bell which Mrs. bingham went to an
answer. the last moment she was seen
alive. and that she was killed and
robbed by him in the cellar, whittier
she accompanied him. The sudden
death of Mrs. Bingham is the fourth
that has occurred in the family within
the past four years her husband and
father died suddenly, and her brother
committed suicide in the house where
the murder of Monday occurred.
The inquest developed the fact that
at about the hour named, Il neighbor
across the street. Capt. Robert jackson,
saw a man enter the house whom he is
able to describe infinitely. Information
was received by the police that Mrs
Ringham's diamond ring and double
gold ring had been found at saloon in
Salem. where they had been sold to the
proprietor for Sl4.50. The police fol-
lowed up the clew, and in Il day or two
arrested Geo. johnson, alias Pember-
ton. He was captured by officers Spear
and Haley. who also captured Wagner,
the isles of Shoals murderer,-andw was
positively identified. The officers who
effected the capture struck the trail
about II o'clock. and followed closely
upon it until they found him. Great
credit is due to the police and detect
ives of Boston for their part in the
search for the murderer every clew
has been carefully followed up, and the
entire force have been interchangeable in
their exertionS. Witnesses will not he
wanting to identify the criminal, us.
besides Robert Laughlin, to whom he
sold the rings of the murdered woman
at Salem, there is ii man who SAW him
enter the house on the afternoon of the
murder. and a boy who met him as he
came out, and who says that he can
positively identify him. Mrs. Bingham.
the murdered woman, was the widow
of Samuel Bingham, son of Rev. Joel
5. Bingham. who was pastor of the
Second Congregational church at West
field upon the secession of its members
from DR.. Davis's church, and who was