The Pioche weekly record. [volume] (Pioche, Nev.) 1877-1900, 1878-09-07
THE TYRRELL SCANDAL,

Relative to the woman murder. with
which the name of Mr.. A. j. Tyrrell has
been most cruelty and upjustly con-
nected. the Gold Hill News of last even
ing, after saying that the murder was
committed at Weymouth, Massachusetts,.
about the year 1876 or l847, proceeds to
give history of that crime as follows:
The name OF the principal actor in the
tragedy was Albert j. Tirrell, a young
man some 10 or 20 years OF age. His
father was rich shoe-dealer, and at his
death Albert became heir to about $780,
600. As might be expected with pam
pered, favored son, he spent the money
his father had 80 laboriously accumulated
in very lavish and reckless manner, 60
irg IL for {; god time while it lasted.
He effected the ruin of most beautiful
young girl named Mariah A. Bickford,
residing with her parents in the same
town, and she became his mistress,
One night. we forget whether in Wey-
mouth or Boston, in fit of jealousy. or
inspired by the devil, he deliberately and
most cruelty murdered her while lying
abed, cutting her to pieces with hatchet.
He was arrested and on his trial, through
the ability OF his counsel, the celebrated
Rufus Choate, and the doubts of circum-
stantial evidence. his neck was saved
and he got off with eight years in the
State Prison at Charlestown. What be-
came of him thereafter, or whether he is
living now, We know not, but we we'll
recoilect that this most cruel tragedy
created d very lively sensation at the
time. Some II years ago A. J. Tyrrell,
whom everybody has known many years
here in the foundry business, as very
straightforward, square, honorable citi-
zen, applied for admission to member
ship in the Silver Star Lodge, f. & A.
NJ, Gold Hill. AS matter of course
his past record had to be understood, as
in case of admission to any Masonic
lodge, and thus it was that through simi-
larity of names and initials this old MUIR
der story came up. A committee was
appointed, and after about Q year 8 criti-
cal examination and correspondence it
was found conclusively that Mr.. Tyrrell
could not by any possibility be the man.
lie was IN another part OF the country
when the murder was committed, and
came to California in 1849, while Albert
j. Tirrell was in the Massachusetts,
States Prison. Since his admission into
Silver Star Lodge. Mr.. Tyrrell has passed
upward through every degree of Masonry,
without one blackball cast against him,
and is now at the top round of the lad
der, a knight Templar. All well-in.
formed brother Masons know this to be
true; the records are accessible to them
all. The whole affair is substantially as
narrated by US above, and We give it as q
matter OF simple justice to tho man
whose name is, by singularly unfortunate
coincidence, accidentally connected with
so terrible story. To bring up this old
and most horrible narrative against the
character of man who should be known
TO be innocent, is cruel and reprehensible
III the extreme. To make use of it for
political purposes is still worse, besides
being very mean and dishonorable.
Open justice and fair. square deal is all
honorable men ask for in love, war or
politics..