The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1897-09-16
A MYSTERIOUS TELEGRAM
Which Startled the Boston Police
Officers.
1T CAME FROM PORTLAND AND WAS
HIGHLY SENSATIONAL.

The Sender Was p. n, CroDin, Who Has
Disappeared As II the Earth HAD
Opened Up and Swallowed Him and
His Information About q Murderer
Has Gone With Him.
Either some one in Portland played
joke on the Boston police on Tuesday, or
there is man in this city who has infor-
nation of sensational character to d.
vulge concerning crime committed IN
Boston seven or eight years ago.
Tuesday afternoon Officer Gilmore OF
the Boston police force or some one OF the
police officials of that city received tele-
gram dated from Portland signed by f.
II. Cronin, which was indeed startling
The telegram stated that the sender who
signed himself P. HI. Cronin, was pre-
pared to give information which would
lead to the arrest of Roger 7. Scanned
who murdered a girl named Josephine
Brown in the Sudbury house, Boston,
December "a, 1891. The girl was last seen
entering this house, which is located on
Sudbury street near Court, with a man
who was identified as Roger T. Scanned.
This man lived in Lawrence. He was
twenty-six years old at the time of the
murder, and description given of him
at the time was as follows: He was five
feet eight inches tall, of light complexion
and had high cheek bones.
Some time after Scanned and Josephine
Brown was seen to enter the house, which
| is questionable resort, the sound of q
pistol shot was heard. Shortly after
wards Scanned was seen to leave the
house by the way of the window and fire
escape, and from that time no trace Of the
murderer has been obtained.
The people in the Sudbury house broke
open the door of the room which the cou-
pie had taken and found the dead body of
the woman. She had been shot through
the head and instantly killed. Very lit
tie could be learned about the cause for
this murder, but it was supposed to have
been the result of quarrel.
The police began hunt for him, but
he could not be found. Later inform a.
ton was received that Scanned had gone
to Ireland. Every effort possible was
made to effect his capture. No trace,
other than the information that he had
crossed the water came to them. Less
than week ago tip" came that Scan
mel had returned to American soil and
was in Portland.
Tuesday came che telegram
sent from Portland and g signed by
P. IL. Cronin. The sender of this tele-
gram said he was prepared to meet
Boston officer and tell him where to find
the alleged murderer. Of course this in
formation it was understood was to be
imported for consideration, and Off
Ger Gilmore lost no time in getting to
Portland to meet P. H. Cronin. The
telegram stated that the sender would
meet the Boston officer at the Preble
house, but when he got here late Tuesday
night, P. H. Cronin was not to be found
Officer Gilmore hunted all over town for
the sender of the telegram, and vainly
waited for the man to put in an appear
ance and keep his agreement. None Of the
'AOeOA iSesApeSAo SOAAtdA1lOd oily SuCA ilo1C
as ''P. II. Cronin," and yesterday morn
ing in despair Officer Gilmore sought as
sistanoe from the Portland police.
AT the police station Deputy Sterling
turned Officer Gilmore over to Officer
Ticket of the Portland force and the two
men started out again to locate Cronin.
After visiting all of the hotels and board
ing houses they went to the Western
Union Telegraph office. There they found
telegram addressed to Cronin which had
not been delivered. 1t was marked "call''
and twas waiting for Cronin to come and
get it. Entirely at loss the Boston officer
returned home on the noon train. 1t is
not known who this man Cronin is, as no
one seems to know him in Portland
Whether he is trying to hoax the Boston
police or really had the information con-
corning the alleged murderer and finally
thought better of the matter and decided
to stay in the dark is the question
very hard to answer. At any rate it is
now doubtful about the alleged Soannell
every being located, and the Boston police
are as much at sea as ever regarding the
whereabouts of the murderer of Josephine
Brown. And this is the story of the mys.
FERROUS telegram.