The Portland daily press., 1895-07-10
Letters Threatening Murder and
Violence Sent 70 Boston Men.
THE EPISTLES SIGNED BY THE
"JOHN WILLS AVENGERS,
They We're Written Apparently i'll the
First Days of Excitement After the
Fight of the FOurth-People Who Told
of Seeing Wills Among the Rioters Also
Subjected to Persecution.

Boston, July 9-Days have gone by
since the East Boston riot, but the spirit
of savagery and lawlessness still lives. 1t
is doing its work stealthily, and by night.
Threats of violence and of murder are fly
ing around-not openly-always by
stealth, and under cover of the night
Within the past few days several East
Boston men have received through the
mail letters of threatening nature. In
the majority of cases the tenor of the
missives has been the same, althoughWthe
wording differs. Each letter has con-
tanned threat to kill unless East Boston
was left-generally in thirty days. In
some of the letters no time has been
stated-simply the command and the
threat of murder
The letters Ehave all been signed ::
"The John Wills Avengers, and below
the signature crudely drawn skull and
crossbones are imprinted The letters
are undoubtedly written by the same per-
son, as close scrutiny shows that there
is striking similarity in the shape OF
certain letters. There is but little doubt
either, that the originator is person of
fair education. This can be seen, despite
the attempt to disguise the writing
In every letter some such attempt has
been made. The writer has tried to give
1T coarse appearance, but this would
only show in certain words. The other
words and letters would be clean and re-
fined in character and design. Every
letter had been written evidently while
yet the riot was on the tip of every mans
tongue and in everyone's mouth, as they
are nearly all dated July, 6, 7 or s.
A journal reporter who has been in
vestigating the matter found that those
who had received letters had, almost to a
man, participated in the parade of last
week. Nearly every letter had been posted
in East Boston, and at time when the
streets were clothed in the obscurity of
night. Not one bore evidence of having
been posted at a time when daylight
reigned- always when the world slept
Another echo of July has also turned
up. When Wills lost his life there were
plenty of witnesses, nearly every one
having different version to relate. Some
claimed that Wills was actively engaged
in the riot, and these witnesses have
since, it is alleged, been subjected to a
system of petty annoyance and boycott.
The Journal mans informant declined to
specify the acts, or to give the names of
the witnesses.
1t is also claimed that a determined
effort is being made to hamper and defeat
the aims of justice by harassing the wit
nesses, who, it is alleged, can testify that
Wills was killed while in active participa-
tion with other rioters The police claim
they have such witnesses, but they refuse
to impart any information, who they are,
or where they may be found
Neither will those who are most likely
to know of such witnesses. The Journal
man was finally told:
"These witnesses will not be known
until the trial. They will be there then
despite all efforts that are being made or
may be made to have them stay away
The police have not yet been informed
of the sending and receiving of the
threatening letters and will do nothing
unless the matter is placed directly in
their hands.