Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1885-08-21
THE NEWS IN BRIEF.
A BOSTON MYSTERY CLEARED UP.


The Charles river mystery" that has
been worrying Boston detectives ever since
the last week Of July, when parts of the body
of murdered woman were found floating
about in Charles river at different times at
last appears to have been solved. For some
days It has been believed that the dead wom-
an was Mrs Nellie Mitchell Of l9l Endicott
street. who had been missing for several DAYS
before the body WAS found. The investiga-
ton eliminated Monday in the arrest of her
husband, Frank Mitchell, on suspicion of be-
ing the murderer. The officers also arrested
Patrick Flynn, brother of Mrs. Mitchell,
and locked him up as q witness. A search
was made Of the house Monday afternoon
which resulted in finding part Of a carpet
corresponding exactly with that found wrap
ped around the second portion of tho remains
Beside this evidence the detectives have other
damaging evidence which they claim points
conclusively TO Mitchell az the murderer. II
is known that Mitchell and his wife had fire.
quent quarrels, during one OF which she re-
ceived black eye and was knocked down
His story Is that his wife WAS given 10 drink,
that she was accustomed to law" and abuse
him when in liquor and that she has gone
away for a while and is likely to come back
at any time. Mitchell is a native of Malta, 45
years OF age, and carried on the plumbers
business at his house. For three years dur.
ing the war he was second fireman on the
Kearsarge and was on her during her combat
with the Alabama, when the latter was sunk.
After that he worked in the navy yard and
then took up plumbing,
Montreal has q serious small pox scare.
Very little has thus far been said about il in
the papers, but the Star finally surrenders
and admits that the safest course is publicity.
The sanitary authorities Of the city admit that
the plague ia in 100 houses, and that the cases
number over 200; while there are 40 small
pox patients in the civic hospital The first
case was in April, and l2O deaths have since
been reported. Great trouble is found in OBJ
tanning pure vaccine lymph for the thorough
system of compulsory vaccination which has
been begun.
An effort WAS made to assassinate the
family of Hugh Kinney Of Shawnee, O., a
mining town, by throwing hand grenade or
bomb in his chamber about O'Clock Sunday
morning. The windows we're shattered, the
walls wrecked and large holes torn in the
floor. Mr.. Kinney was found lying at the
foot OF the bed badly mAngled and bleeding,
and Mrs. Kinney, who had run into the ward
and given the alarm, was badly wounded
Mr.. Kinney was looked upon in the commu-
nifty Of miners as an informer of their actions.
keeping the operators posted on their move
ments, and he had been threatened.
DIR. Metcalf, superintendent of the Rock
wood asylum at Kingston, Ont, was fatally
stabbed by lunatic last week Thursday. He
lived until Monday of this week
Nearly 500 passengers aboard the steam
or 3. M. Pelton, which plies between Phila-
delphia and Wilmington, Del, narrowly es-
capped death last Monday. Just after the
Pelton had left her dock at Philadelphia on
her trip to Wilmington, passengers and crew
were startled by an explosion that shook the
boat from stem to stern. The wrecked upper
works took fire and frightful panic ensued.
This was speedily checked by the GOODNESS Of
number OF men who drove the women and
children aft, and prevented many frantic
women from leaping overheard. When the
smoke cleared away 1t was' found that the
water-line had been badly damaged and that
a number OF passengers we're seriously iniuT-
cd. The passengers were mostly mothers
and young children out for an airing As
soon az the passengers were removed the
steamer was tOwed down the river, where
careful examination of the wreck indicated
that the explosion was caused by dynamite.
The explosive had been placed forward, di.
rectly in front Of the head of the boiler. II
was the impression of all who saw II that the
explosive had been Intentionally placed there,
~ no freight is ever allowed TO be stored ia
front OF the boiler bulkhead. No cause Is
suggested for such a fiendish act, except the
fact that there Ia great rivalry between the
FELTON, Rnd'other boats running TO Wilmington.
"A terrible occurrence is reported from
Little Gallon, Terre Bonnie parish, La. A
few days ago, while Emile LiTette was enRaR-
cd In moulding bullets for his gun he asked
his wife 10 fill his powder horn for him. She
was some ten or twelve feet from the fire.
place, where few Goals were smouldering.
The task was but half completed when gust
OF wind suddenly blowing through the open
door sent spark straight at the powder,
which ignited, and terrible explosion fol-
lowed. The roof Of the dwelling was torn of,
three children were instantly killed, the moth
er received such injuries that she died before
many hours, while the husband and father
and two other children we're badly wounded.
Mondays cholera record In Spain show
cd 1880 new cases and 1918 deaths Up 10
last Saturday night the number Of deaths
since the epidemic began had reached 90, 900.
The man Maxwell, who Is supposed 10
be the murderer OF his companion, Preller,
and the author OF the horrible trunk murder
mystery at st. Louis last winter, was pursued
by detectives 10 Auckland, New Zealand,
where he was arrested and brought by steam.
or TO San Francisco. The officers reached
st. Louis with him last week, his arrival
causing great excitement. He talks freely
and with intelligence on all subjects except
the murder. A letter has been received from
his father In England which shows that his
real name Is Brooks. The letter says the son
left home last January aud makes anxious
enquiries for him. One account says that
Maxwell has privately confessed that he kill
cd Preller by accident with an overdose of
ohloroform.