The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1893-11-25
Nur!erer Of Sheriff Smith Run Down
al Last.
A MAN OF CRIMES AND ALIASES
Captured In Connecticut as Rev. Mr..
steele. Pastor of Several Churchrs.
His Career "a sassachusetis-s r,oi
Two Terms at CharIes,own Prison.

II. McArthur the notorious murderer.
who killed Deputy Sheriff G. II. Smith in
the spring OF 1891, has been captured in
Williamantie. Conn, while masqueraaing
under the alias OF Rev. Mr. Steele Nc
Arthur was one OF the most notorious
criminals wlo ever inf istad the state of
New Hampshire. and Che history Of his
career reads almost like a.novel.
He has successfully carried cut the role
OF miufsrer RI different T1fTr-rs titro ttf,ft-
out New England and the piovin ces He IS
known as polished speaker, ferv id ex-
hortsr, and is familiar with all the rights
aud ceremonies Of ths diiferenJ denomna-
tions with which be has variously claimed
TO be affiliated aud in this role he has
never been detected throughout his career
HIS depravity seemed 10 have taken one
turn. and that was towsrd the stealing OF
horses. 1t was on this charge that he was
under arrest when le shot Sheriff Smith,.
Smith caught hn in Staffor d, y. H.
about seven miles from Rochester. Nc
Arthur drew revolver and
Shot Smith In the Left side.
Smith at the tine was surrounded by n
posse Of officers VINO had been searching
the woods for days for Macarthur. Al
though badly hurt, he held on TO the
prisoner. who was finally captured aud
lodged in Dover jail Smith fingered for
some time, but before his death he idcinti-
fed McArthur
The Dover Jail, with its revolving tur-
rets, was considered impregnable, and
ordinarily il would be SO Two months
later McArthur pretended TO be sick. and
was put In the hospitable portion of the
Jail building The main part of the jail is
built on a circular table. and when n cell
Is to be reached il is necessary to turn tho
entire set of cells around until the desired
one is opposite the only outlet TO the out
side world
To break from one Of these cells would
be an impossibility it is considered, yet
Macarthur, who, next to Sawtelle, was the
most notable prisoner ever confined In 1t,
effected his absence by n very Clever ruse.
The jailer went away one day, and Nc
Arthur, who pretended to be a very sick
man, arose from his bed. overawed the
jailer's wife and
walked Out without Any DiffcuIty.
An extensive search was made for him
throughout Massachusetts,. The woods
Of Stoneham, Reading, Andover, Lowell
and Lynn were searched for days without
success. 1t was afterward shown that
McArthur's right name was John Arthur
Simpson.
County Attorney John Kivell of Dover,
Z and several officers Of Boston worked to-
gether for days, only to learn much about
the criminals career and little about his
whereabouts.
Simpson or Macarthur commenced his
career IN Albert county, n. b.. about 40
years ago, and since childhood his career
has been checkered one. While a young
man he vas ordained q minister la New
Castle Grand Lake, N. b., and was given
charge Of Baptist church there. He was
caught stealing horses there and was
Obliged to quit the town some time later,
although married to daughter of one of
the leading citizens of the town. In 1876
he was sentenced TO the Massachusetts
state prison for six years
He returned to the provinces again and
had wild career Of crime, and was chased
by the police end served several terms in
fail. He was afterward
Pastor of Several Churches.
among them being the Topsham Free Bap-
tist church of Maine. The prison officials
at Charlestown know him well, as he has
served out two sentences there. one for
horse stealing and the other for bigamy.
His first sentence was for six years and the
second for three.
He appeared in Lawrence in 1887 and
opened q millinery store. This was dis
covered TO be on fire one night about o
O'Clock, and the stock WAS entirely de-
srroyed Simpson collected large amount
Of insurance, and was then arrested for in.
cendiarism, charged with setting his own
store on fire. He established an alibi,
however, and was discharged. Later lie
turned up in Chelsea, where he had a
fancy goods store.
Mrs NJ A. Mccarthy. highly esteemed
woman of that city, kept millinery store
near his. Claiming TO be a Roman Catho-
lie he wooed and won her, and they were
married in 1Ssz. Shortly afterward Chief
of Police Sibley arrested Simpson for
breaking and entering n store and steal
ing 5000 worth of goods, but, while there
was evidence enough TO satisfy the officers
Of his guilt, il was insufficient for jury
and he was discharged.
On account of the stir made by this case
the attention OF simpsons friends was at
tracted TO Chelsea, and Captain Sypher OF
Fredericton visited Chelsea TO see IL Simp-
son could not be made to do something for
His Wife and Child In New brunswick.
The captain learned with surprise OF the
second marriage. and Chief Sibley decided
20 arrest him for bigamy. The case was a
hard fought one, Simpson claiming that
he had received papers showing that his
urst wife had secured divorce, cut n ver-
dict Of guilty was finally rendered and n
three years sentence was imposed. Sept
"a. 1855.
Simpsons baseness was n great blow TO
Mrs. Mccarthy. She had managed to
save $1,000 or 1900. and he secured it all
and spent Il In r.sions living. After get
ting out Of the clutches OF the New Hamp-
shire police on the charge Of murder. he
appears to have gone 10 Connecticut and
worked ths same game which has given
him such record.
He started under the name OF Rev. Mr..
Steele. changed IL later 20 G. III. Scott.
and stole horl>s a. before. H- Is undor
Indictment for murder in New Hampshire.
end will be returned here.
NO proft In sugar Refining.
LoND0S. Nov. 25--Two Of the largest
. ...f,. n. H..x..nl Il -.