Pawtucket tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 1890-189?, 1895-04-15
BURIED IN MANURE PIT
Body of Alice Sterling Unearthcd In
a Dorchester Stable.
The Little One Had Been Out.
ragged and Slain.
Station Agent Gilbert Suspected Of Having
Committed The Awful Crime.

BOSTON. April 1b.-Alico Sterlings fate
was learned Saturday. She was MUIR
dered last Wednesday afternoon. Her
body was buried In tho cellar OF barn ON
Savin Hill avenue Dorchester. and tho
police dug It up.
Death was caused by a blow on the left
side OF the head, which crushed In the
skull She was years old, the pride Of q
household, the pct OF school, and tho
idol Of her brothers and sisters and play.
mates.
Angus ID. Gilbert, night station agent
at the Savin Hill depot of the Old Colony
division of the New York, New Haven
and Hartford railroad Is under arrest,
charged with the crime.
George Sterling. a barber, reported to
the police at midnight on Wednesday
last that his little daughter had disap-
peared some time during the afternoon
while Mrs. Sterling and other members
OF his large family were away from home.
Searching parties looked all day Thurs
day but could find no trace Of her.
Officers Perkins and Smith were given
charge OF the case, and on Saturday the
latter was informed by Miss Edith Reid
that she has seen from her residence a
man with u red mustache and light over
coat leading the little Sterling girl by the
hand. They were going down the rail-
road track toward the beach which bor-
ders that section of Dorchester
The Suspect.
From the description, the officers de-
cided frat the man they wanted was
Angus ID. Gilbert, the night agent at the
depot. In the daytime he worked for G..
W. Emmons on Denny street, near Savin
Hill avenue. He slept in the top Of an old
stable on the Denny estate near by, and as
Miss Reid stated that she was positive the
man went In this direction after leaving
the railroad tracks, the officers Saturday
afternoon Instituted q thorough search of
the premises surrounding both tho Denny
estate and tho Emmons place. Miss Reid
was sure the two followed the top Of an
old sewer, distance Of probably 2OC
yards but lost sight of them soon after
they left the track. This was an unusual
route, and indicated that the man wished
to avoid public streets.
During the search Gilbert was found at
work at the Emmons place. He was i'm
mediately placed under arrest. This was
about $3.50 p. IN. The old stable on the
Denny place was then searched. Two old
towels and pieces of old rags with blood on
them were found in Gilbert's room. When
the manure pit was searched Officer Per-
kins struck u human foot. A body was
pulled out, and was soon Identified as
Alice Sterling. Her skull was crushed,
and the cause of death was only too ap-
parent. Her clothing was disarrAnged,
showing too plainly the motive Of the hor-
rible crime. A bloody ak was found
near by, concealed under beam. Medi-
N ha, ,,;y
charge, and an autopsy will be held.
Denies Guilt.
Gilbert would not admit the crime, but
when brought down handcuffed to view
the body he trembled like an aspen leaf
Gilbert is rather stout man, IT, 8 I'm.
in height, 20 years old fair complexion,
with a reddish mustache. He came
from Musquodoboit, Nova Scotia, over
year ago, and was always considered
good man by the railroad people,
Miss Reid who furnished the clew, and
another woman living near named Mrs
William Allen, called ut station IL and
positively identified the prisoner as the
man they saw with the little girl Oh
Wednesday.
Mrs. Sterling is FRUSTRATED over the af
fair and is in IL precarious condition.
Gilbert was an acquaintance of Mr..
Sterling's and consequently was not un.
known To the little girl.
Autopsy Kept Secret.
An autopsy over the body of the mur-
dered girl WAS held yesterday, but tho
medical examiner refused TO make known
the result of it stating that he intended
to hold it until the case came into court.
The police say that they expect con.
fession from Gilbert