Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1889-11-08
a Murder Mystery.

"A NJ urU6T M YSleTy.
Some months ago an unknown tramp
was murdered in the woods near Beaver
Falls The body was buried, but some
days after, from information received in an
anonymous letter, the grave was reopened,
when it was found that it had been previ-
ously opened and that the head of the
dead tramp had been cut off and taken
away. The writer of the anonymous let
ter stated that while on his way home one
night he had seen two men deseerate the
grave, wrap the head in a black cloth,
throw it into a wagon and drive Off
A detective of Rochester, Pa, has been
at work on the case and has apparently
fastened the crime. on two men named
Frank Brown and Chas. Brady, who were
sentenced to two years and seven months
and two years and one month in the peni-
tentiary by Judge McMichael last Septem-
Der for robbing the store of |. E. Boggs, in
Cranberry township. The men were caught
the day after the robbery, along the road,
promptly plead guilty to the charges.
The Pittsburgh Times of last Friday gave
an account of the detectives work, as fol-
lows:
County Detective Isaac Lazarus, of
Rochester, has been working on the case
with the greatest secrecy for some weeks
past, and as result of his efforts has To-
Gated two men serving sentences in the
penitentiary at present as the murderers of
the dead tramp They are Fred Brown
and Charles Brady, alias Sam Bromley,
who were sentenced three weeks agoin the
Butler county courts for larceny and re-
eeiving stolen goods. These men belong
TO Fallston, Beaver county, and to them
are attributed the many robberies that
have occurred in the Beaver Valley during
the past summer Detective Lazarus has
unearthed the following facts in regard to
the case:
Shortly after the murder Elias Brewer, n
butcher, living near the head Of Block
House run, shot at and thought he serious
house. Suspicion fastened on Bromley or
Brady, as he wrote to his mother a few
days later saying he had met with an xacci-
dent by which he lost the use Of his lower
limbs. This was one of the clues on which
Detective Lazarus worked for many days
without success. The fact that the muir
derer or murderers disappeared without
leaving single trace in their wake, fast
to despair.
The other day Brady dropped note or
letter to his fellow prisoner and accomplice,
Brown, in the penitentiary, which was in
tcrceptcd by one of the keepers and turned
over to Warden Wright. The warden at
once sent the letter, which proved to be an
admission of the crime of murder to Laza-
rus. The letter is as follows:
Erred, see that they have given that
murder up. / know that Beaver Falls po-
say that it remains deep, dark mystery
1t was good thing that his head was
taken off, for they can't identify him; we
are all right. They will think that some
doctors took it to practice on. The other
night dreamed | saw him before me.
jumped very near out of bed. / tried to
forget it, but / cannot. 1t still comes mp
in my mind. Does it bother you any, But
keep up in good heart and we will be all
right They say that no effort will be
made any more. We are all right. No
body knows it, only yourself, that's all.
Goodbye. Yours,
"CHAs. BRADY"
Chief Lazarus visited the penitentiary
several times during the last few days and
in obtaining confession from
both men Steps will be taken at onosr to
have the prisoners removed to Beaver
county, where they will be tried for muir
Ter.
1t is supposed the murderers ccnmitted
larceny in Butler county for the pu. ,ose of
receiving short sentences, and upon being
released at the expiration of their terms,
he more serious crime would be entirely
iorgotten.
Warden Wright, when communicated
with last night, said the facts given above
concerning the penitentiary end of the
story were correct Brady had dropped the
note, and when the warden obtained it he
sent it to Lazarus. The lat
Ter, he says, has been in TO see the prison
,rs several times, and was there Wednes-
lay The warden would not hazard an
opinion as to the guilt of the men.
A late telegram from Rochester says that
Detective Lazarus is positive that the men
ire the murderers. He evidently bases
his statement on the confessions made 10
li'l.
AS Brady speaks of the dead man as
Spencer, it is now thought that such is the
name of the man who was murdered. 1t
was at one time stated that the body was
not that of Spencer, who was supposed to
DC a man from McKeesport and was con-
iidered tramp.