The New York herald., 1879-02-25
A GREAT CRIME.


THREATS AND FALsEHooD CAUSE A MAN TO
BE CONDEMNED TO DEATH-NEw METHOD OF
SECURING REwARDs-THE PRESENT SERIOUS
CHARGES AGAINST THE CRIMINALS.
DosroN. Feb. "a. 1879.
A startling story has come to light here which. il
it does not accomplish the main object evidently
in view. will at least throw some light on
the operations of a certain gang OF black
maers who have infested this community under the
name of private detectives. The main object is to
reopen celebrated murder case in New Hampshire.
aud if possible the neck of man who is under
sentence of death in the State Prison. There
now substantial for believing that the case
will be reopened but whether the convicts door
will be thrown open by the revelations is not so
probable.
THE MURDER
The history of the crime. briefly told. is as fol-
lows:-On the second day of November. 1874. few
minutes after o'clock. P. NJ. Miss Susan A.
Hanson murdered while sitting at table in her
mothers house in the little town of Brookfeld. n.
II. charge of buckshot was hred through win
dow which took effect in her head and neck, causing
almost instantaneous death. An alarm sounded
aud every effort made to find some cew to the MUIR
derer but beyond the fact that the tracks Of carriage
wheels on the road and the prints OF
mans shoes and the butt of gun found in the field
Naturally the thoughtful people of the community
and the police officers next began to cast about
for a motive. For whose interest was 1t that Miss
Hanson should die? It evident that robbery
not intended for the murderer made no attempt to
enter the house. What. then. was the object? BY
process of reasoning similar to that employed
in such cases. suspicion fastened on one
Joseph b. Buzzell. stone mason, aged thirty
eight, who resided distance from the Hanson
house. Buzzell had at one time been engaged to be
married to Miss Hanson, and had several times post
poned the wedding He finally compelled to
marry another woman and Miss Hanson filed suit
for breach of promise. The case was soon to be
heard before the court. Here was motive which
considered strong enough at least to establish
reasonable belief in his guilt
BUzzELL ARRESTED SUSPICION.
Buzzel was arrested few days after the tragedy
and locked up on q charge Of wilfal murder He
stoutly asserted his innocence and stated that he had
been to Wofboro that day; that he left that Gown ut
half-pa five and came home by mountain road, ar
irving at twenty minutes past p NJ; that this
route would not bring him nearer to the
Hanson homestead than two miles. and that it was
impossible for him to have committed the deed.
However the detectives and lawyers maintained that
he had plenty Of time to do the job and get home.
and to strengthen their position they made out a
discrepancy of half an hour. 1t also found that
q large gun, which he was known to have had in his
unable to satisfactorily account for its sudden de-
parture. At the preliminary hearing his statements
to his whereabouts on the day and evening Of the
tragedy very strongly corroborated by his wife
and young man named Charles W. Cook. who worked
with him. The trial took place at the May t,rm
of the Supreme Court, beld in Osslpee i'll 1873.
Several Witnesses testified that the prints of the
horses hoofs the impressions of the carriage wheels
and the mans boots fitted exactly with the horse
and carriage and boots belonging to Buzzel, while
others equally trustworthy swore to the contrary.
After brilliant plea by the counsel for the defence
expiration Of two hours and half brought
was ,n from o%stoa On the nth sy
OF May, 1878, Charles W. Cook made what purported
to confession of his completely in the crime. and
hiatt ha Tho ,Indpr a Of
Buzzell, who employed him to do the job.
BUZzELL TRIED OVER
Buzzell rearrested and locked up to await
body found new indictment, and the
stantally above and stood the sharp fire Of
examination very clevery. After the hearing of other
murder and Buzzell was sentenced to be executed
July TO- 1879. Exceptions filed on technical
grounds but the Court refused to set aside the
dict or sentence.
MORE vrLLsNY EXPOSED.
Now comes the startling part of the story. John
J. Conway. who was Cohen's PARTNER In working up
the and securing the conviction of Buzzsll for
which reward had been offered makes sfidavit that
the confession of Cook wrested from him by
fraud and threats. Among other statements is
the follcwng:-on or about May l. 1877. We the
{. said Conway and Cohen, arrested the said Cook
for burning the house OF the said Churchill and
took him to the hotel in Pennington and kept
him three days: then took him to Ossipee and kept
him three days more and then delivered him. the said
Cook, to High sheriff Demerrtt, of Carroll county,
Mt his request While the said Cook was in our Gus.
tody he confessed, aforesaid, to the ncendiarism
and Samuel Cohen, sometimes called solomon
Cohen, promised him. the said Cook that if he.
the said Cook, would confess to the murder of
Susan A. Hanson. and that he the said cook, was in
stigated and compelled to do the murder by Joseph
B. Buzzell, he. the said Cohen, would that he.
the said Cook protected from all prosecution
and harm should he testify. which proposition
untrue. and originated in the brain of said
Cohen; and from my knowledge of and with Cook
satisfied and know that Joseph d. Buzzell
stgated Charles w. Cook to murder Susan A. Hanson,
but said Cook induced to swear to the faisehood
by Cohen's promise of immunity from prosecution
in the incendiary case visit was next made to
New Hampshire and Cook discovered at work
for Nathaniel Horne of Pennington. After con-
sultation with lawyer he was induced to make a
statement and made sworn deposition in which he
detailed the circumstances of his by Cohen and
Conway. their locking him up. compelling him
drink beer. &c. He then states:-
l. Charles W. Cook, Of Pennington, n. H., on oath
.' Of ssf's fTsa: in Ai frps %
scus sS of ds u. AisS Hanson snyssHs q K -n aas ss
the testimony gave at .,S wolieSrS junction was
up by Cohen setting hres and
ns lad S%ne 10 e s0 S"a
and II did swsar TO t., should come out a.. right They
COMPELLED me 70 do just as they said wa. II .hsiI
of having hung my testimony which was false
u ,hey shove FOR perjury had rather stand than
SesS S me IL hae have snS~n Sne ny % %J fSs ncSs
GANG BLAcxMAuERs.
Subsequent to the events above detailed II trans
pred that these WORTHLESS had been interested try.
ing to convict three of the crime of incendiaris
in bingham and the mutilation Of the statue OF the
late Governor Andrew in that town. II is strongly
suspected that they put up the whole job get the
reward and then placed some of the evidences of
guilt in the hands of the men whom they wanted to
convict Last night both Conway and Cohen
arrested charge of breaking and enter
ing and setting fire to the depot of the
ans Di'0a taperins @ F With s~issS % the sche%e nDe
far the officers have able trace II. both
from testimony and from their knowledge OF pre-
vious operations, probably to set frelo the de-
pot. rob It, break open the switch below the depot
near high embankmcnt ana precipitate passenger
train into the chasm below. They would then
go the corporation in their capacity of
private detectives. inform the officers of
the road that they had slight
cew 10 the perpetrators of the nefarous crime and
that they would 20 TO work on IT, Their next move
would be to ascertain the suspicious of the officers of
rond some evidences OF guilt N their posscs-