New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1885-10-29
THE BOSTON MURDER PLOT.
PROBABLE MOTIVES FOR THE CONSPIRACY.
THE POLICE FORCE AND BozE COBB, THE Norohi-
Gus MISUNDERSTANDING MRS. MELLhN'
IpY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUNE

mrs NrGRo-UNsusPECrING MRS. MELLEN.
IBr TELEGRAPH TO THE TRrBUsE.]
Bosroy, Oct. 28.-The Boston Baltimore
mystery dense There are severa lneolieS
IN regard the crime the most unreasonable one Dee
that the parents Of young Meen hired Mrs Coolidge
10 solicit some one Boston TO murder their daugner
in-law 1t is generally believe here that II Melen
wanted to have his sons Objectionable vile put out OF
the way he would not have trusted the oo TO boston
woman as gObetween The risk In trusting MS secret
to third party would have been TOO great Ior sane
man TO take. Another theory aud one which gooo
many here believe IS correct is that the whole mystery
WAS arranged by who opposed to the recent
new police deal in Boston. When the new police COM
mission appointed by the Governor under last winter
enactment, went into power radical change was nae
nthe detective force of the department This crea'ed
lsalou.y Then the commission APPLIED itself Vigor
ou, TO the enforcement of law and order and the goou
results patent. go
Boze Cobb TIE negro whose name Is mixed up Ill niS
De fillmore case kept most notorious and prooapy INC
most wicked resort in Boston, The character OF III may
be inferred from the fact that Mrs Cooldse went 10
t,ohb IN engage murderer and Cobb turned TIE Jot
over to John Bull Cobb fourished for many years i'll
Boston under the old police regime occasionally pre-
tense would made to raid his place ont pfaccss n
was unnolested. The new commission mas rooteu nun
out and he is compelled to leave Boston or hVe ue
cent lie It's not supposed that Cobb loves the regime
II natural that he should be ready to hep put aJoo
on Hanscom, the Chief Inspector
tits believed by many however that the whoie thiug
was a gigantic scheme deliberately to bleed sorrO"
stricken family. Matters OF private concern winch are
now acknowledged to be true by the Mellen iamy-the
marriage OF the son to one beneath him in the social
order aud tine ilegtmato birth OF chhd-peca"o
known 10 one who determined to make use OF inc" u
enrich herself and in the furtherance OF the schee
Joined her fortunes with another In nutshell the
story as it stands is that Mrs Coolidge knOwig Vi
the skeleton in the closet of the Meen family, CON
spired with James DonOhue alias John Bull TO piheh
Mr. Mellen all they could get ont OF INN ana snare
alike This be the lever to unoose the pockets Vi
Mellen senior, and bind his lips to secrecy lie was 10
be charged with having resolved such plan 10 get an
oectonat Ie law ont of the way and 1t was
thought by the cOnsI traitors that when MI Meen was
confronted with the alternative OF having MS private
family affairs posed and PERHAPS his MOTEL business
ruined in Baltimore coupled with the allegation that he
was actually an intended murderer he would contribute
several thousand dollars and forever keep his peace
ahout the transaction. The statement that
81 900 had been received by Donahue IIon
Mr. Meen is pronounced fabrication IL Is CONSIDERED
improbable that OF Mr. Melens supposed business
acumen would act in such matter in such careless
way.
dispatch from Philadelphia states that A L. Mel'eh,
of Baltimore that city to-day and that he denied
positively that he had been concerned In any transac-
tons such as those imputed TO him. He said that he
knew Mrs Coolidge having met her as MOTEL guest ou
he considered her crank in this matter MI MeHeD
was ACCOMPANIED by his wife, and said that he intended
TO 20 to Baltimore aud clear y the whole mystery
The St. James Hotel is winter resort Tor Northern
families going South to pass the cold months anu Is
closed all GUNNER After the st. James Is closed up
Mr. Meileu manages the Stockton at Cape May IN the
warm months Both places are pa,ronized by the best
families The young man, Edward. Is aoont twenty hVe
years old and though good looking has disspated ap
pearance. As Of his companions expressed lie Is
The YOUNG woman lives under the name of Miss Lester
at No 2li North Eutaw-st reporter called at TINS
place asked for Miss Lester, and was shown upstairs
The door opened by pretty young Engllshwomtan
but well rounded figure. She was perfectly willing to
If Mas abont three years ago that went to the St
James Hotel as chamberInaid MY name Was tnen -11
Somerset Edward Mellen. fell III love with me ana we
used to meet secretly About year and half ago |
found that was going to become mother and urged
him and at first refused Finally went to his mother
and told her ali about it, and through her influence we
on April Ia. My child was nine months old when we
The blue eyes of the young woman opened wide.
Take life r. she eX Sti DO not know why
Then sbe listened eagerly while she told the story
which has beeu printed No, sir; l do not know any
Last summer Mrs Edward Mellen went to live at the
was suddenly taken sick, fact which seems to give some
color the statements that attempts have been made TO
A. L. Melen. it is said is from Massachusetts,, being
native OF Cambridge tie went SGua IN iSTS ta Sr
About fourteen years ago he became part pTopetor OF
NAMED seasons, and then lie opened winter re
sort Nassau. From Nassau he went To Philadelphia
and remained there two He then returned TO
Baltimore and took charge Of the St James This is his
third winter there On June 10 he closed the ST.
James and took charge OF the stockton House at Cape
May returning there the end of the summer season
The St James hotel paropized by the fashionable
people who visit the city Senator'S congressman ana
other public mon make IL their headquarters Is STU
ated at the Charles aud Centre sts near the
Washington monument Opinions differ as to the imam,
cal standing OF Mr.. Meeu Some say II Is eAceent ana
others that he Is OF as inuch wealth
a. ne would have people believe lie has certainly stood
high that community ard until these Developments
were made not q whisper loud enough to be heard by
the public has been uttered against HIM. His wife
Is most estmable and Is spoken OF IN the high
est terms by those who are acquaintsd with her
headquarters in Boston all the officers are ret
icent and there prospect OF the inspectors story
garding the alleged conspiracy being given out Chief
Inspector Hans who returned from New York this
morning has heard nothing Of Importance from the in
who Baltimore. He has recei fed no IN
formation OF the arrest OF the senior Meen In PLadel-
pha AMI If he has been apprebended in that city II has
been done by Philadelphia officers and not by the In
spcctors from here 1t is feared that the
premature publication of the story will he the means OF
defeating the ends of justice at least OF shutting of
some important evidence that would have come from
source which is closed up Mrs. Coolidge has not
yet secured bail