The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-08-09
MURDERED FOR REVENGE.
DETEcTITEs' THEORY IN THE NORTH
IDAMS DOUBLE CRIME.

70 TRACE OF NOuhtEy " n
who Arc Investigating tho Cauo-Pocuiiari-
ties or Henry Reed and His ulster. who
were Knied-Rsed Feared Assassinaiton.
NORTH ADAMS, Mass, Aug. s.-Strong efforts
arc being made to solve tho mystery which sur
rounds tho murder OF Moneylender Henry +.
Reed and his spinster sister, Blanche Mary Reed,
at their homo in Webster avenue, OF Holden
rtreet, some time during Friday night last. The
hest detective talent In Massachusetts is at
work on the case. Two Boston detectives
arrived here this afternoon and arc now on
their way to Florida Mountain in search Of two
suspects. State Detectives Rhodes of Boston.
whitney OF Medford, Hammond OF .Havcrhill,
and Pease of Leo are running down all sorts OF
clues and theories tonight. These detectives
are assisted by tho local police and several
deputy sherihs.
Robbery, which was the first motive given for
the double murder, 10 being supplantcd by the
theory Of revenge. Chief Of Police Kendall
gives II as his belief that the persons who killed
the Reeds we're well acquainted with them and
were not unfamiliar with the Reed home. Tho
premises on which the crime was committed
were searched thoroughly to-day by the police
and State authorities. The blood-soaked bed
clothing was piled on an express wagon. and
with q lot Of other household goods taken to the
police headquarters. Nothing was found in the
house that would lead to establishing the iden-
tity of the assassins.
In an old desk that stood in the room In which
Henry +. Reed was murdered was found q re-
volver. The weapon looked as II IL had not boon
used for some time. 1t was empty. Neverthe-
less, the police regard 1t as an important disoov-
cry. Two bullets were found imbedded in tho
floor near the spot where Reed was killed. They
were found this afternoon by the detectives. who
crawlod about tho floor on hands and knees,
peering into every shadowy corner and dusty
hiding place with tho hope of coming across
some clue. One of tho detectives told THE SUN
reporter tonight that 1t was believed that the
Reeds were slain by persons against whom Reed
had threatened to institute mortgage fore
closure proceedings.
"It was at first thought that robbery was tho
motive for the double murder" said the detec-
tive. THAT theory has been abandoned and
We are now working on new lines"
1t is well known that Reed and his sister were
engaged in an exchange and pawnbrokerage
business. and It Is said that the court records of
Berkshire will show that the Reeds have taken
moro chattel mortgages than any other ten in
habitants Of this county. The Reeds hold o
large number Of real estate mortgages as we'll.
but their business was chiefly of the petty kind,
and scores Of families unable to satisfy notes
upon maturity have lost their pledges and even
their homes. Reeds house and barn were damned
full Of pianos, organs. household furniture. Jew
elry and tho like. the accumulation of years.
Reed was disposing continually Of chattels
that came into his possession as the result Of
foreclosures. Although Reed was the active
business manager. his sister was his partner,
and her name appears on all of the documents.
she formerly worked In q tailor shop, but had
the ambition to handle money, and envied Het-
tie Green- Ehe WAS unrelentinO and wbene yer
q note came due she demanded her principal
and interest. and. II secured by q mortgage, q
foreclosure followed. Her brother was of the
same disposition, and for this reason it IL not
strange that they had many enemies.
There is another theory upon which the police
are working. The Reeds were rich for this
nsishSo y sso o6 Aeqpain sadH 8 -. estimate 9 =, their III
money came to them they invested 1t in, real
estate. bonds. and made short-time loans, there
What most people here cannot understand is
K Reg 'f house sh did aT not ri hsaa { the Few sh ssths of T fhs
nneighScrs are al Of good TepIts; They declaro
sass she Mr nsaf ba1 RS q Fsisfisid a0 %So d 1ines in 'n q
little house to the left Of the Reed home. makes
IN important statement. She says that she saw
avenue, or the lane, as It is usually called BY the
people living whereabouts. at l:lO O'Clock satnr-
He wore a light hat. Shortly after the vehicle
reached. Holden street another man walked
s Which w wss rsp,d dEsd dni1en h off, got w sPsS M Mps sqFE FEY.
feld was seen she said:
There can be no mistake about my story to
the police; On saturday | mad intended going
out Of the way on Friday night. worked hard
A. M. l can fix the time because ! looked at
the clock. Five minutes before that time was
In looking out Of the window over toward
Reeds house-the distance 10 less than twenty
feet! say a buggy sloTly passing out the lane:
or not. but It looked very much like 1t. Thought
Of my clothes out on the line and grew some-
out of the lane. Although 1t was a bright moon
light night l could not recognize the man. ! saw
him plainly. but do not think that 1 could iden-
II seems inexpiica6ie that Mrs. Fairfield.
though only a few yards from the Iced house,
the strange man in the lane, she saw or heard
nothing TO excite her suspicious. About ono Of
make arrangements with David Fairchild to go
to Stamford on Saturday and look over q farm
which he had recently, purchased. Fairfield
Of the tragedy. Mrs. Fairfield was the only per.
SON who saw any one near the scene Of the muir
der At or about the time when 1t Is believed tho
Mrs. Olive ThereuT lives in the house Just
some time t during iss't the night she heard fss'n noise.
but she did not distinguish its nature nor
whence II came. She took no notice of 1t until
ehe learned OF the murder yesterday morning.
Four others in the same house heard no noise.
Mrs. Hattie Laferrier slept nearest the house, q
distance perhaps of thirty feot, hut she heard
NO noise. although .he woke up several times
during tho night. The windows in the house
were all open. The people living in the other
side Of the tenement heard no noise whatever.
Late last night Chief Kendall arrested Forest
Lamphere of Clarksburg and took him secretly
to Police Headquarters. No charge was made
against him. State Detective Pease said to-day
that Lamphere was seen In Reeds company late
on Friday afternoon and evening, and that he
wanted Lamphere to account for his where
abouts that night. Lamphere. it is said. had
trouble with Reed over a note transaction r0-
Gently. Evidently Lamphere gave a satisfac-
tory account OF himself. for he was allowed to
60 after being questioned by the detectives.
Early this morning the local police were in
formed that two farmers living on Florida
farms recently, and that on Friday night they
had left for North Adams In q buggy, 1t was
eaid that they were seen talking TO Reed on
River street. The man who saw them in con-
yersation with the money lender is positive that
they hailed from Florida Mountain. He
he had been a familiar figure about the streets
Of North Adams. Reed was six feet tall and
weighed about $50 pounds. He had black hair.
. large black dropping mustnche, and was a
noticeable man anywhere. His strength was
enormous, and for that reason the police think
that he was slain while asleep.
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