The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1898-10-07
For w estboro
Murder.
REILLY IN TOWN,
But Only Long Enough to
Take Train for Providence.

Edward Reilly, who Is wanted for
murder by the Westboro police, was
in Worcester for a short time yester-
day afternoon. During Rielly's stay
in town he Rugged closely to the cars,
and as quietly as possible secured a
place of safety on a Providence train,
which was just ready to move out.
While the train was waiting, the al
legged murderer was on the platform,
and seemed to be eagerly watching the
people who came into the trainshed.
For one charged with the crime of muir
der, however. he maintained a very
cool manner, and looks much the same
as he did the last time he was in
Westboro.
The crime for which REILLY may
sometime have to answer, is that of
murder his victim being aged Lucy
Black whom he first pounded into in
sensibility and then inflicted the addi-
tional tortures which resulted in her
death. This was committed about two
months ago, and since tlat time REILLY
has been at large.
The story of the affair is one of the
most interesting in the history of Wor-
| cester county crime, although the Of
| ficers have worked with but very lit
tie enthusiasm on the facts of the mat
ter. REILLY, who has police court rec
ord in Westboro, of many appearances
! for drunkenness and other violations
| of law, was, UP to the time of the as
sault on Mrs. Black, an inmate of her
! howell, which has a miserable excuse
| a hal1 a
ted on Mt. Pleasant, about three miles
out Of Westboro. The occupants Of
| the place, besides REILLY, were Robert
| Black and his aged wife, and their
home life was anything but pleasant
! owing to the drunken carousals and
other disgracefuI wrangles which char
acterized the life led by the three per-
sons.
The habit of REILLY. coming home
night after night drunk and noisy,
| created a difference between Mr.. and
Mrs. Black and their boarder, and one
night there was a terrible encounter
at the howell. REILLY. who was beastly
drunk, opened the wrangle by creating
disturbance because his supper was
not ready, and he ended by inflictine
| the injuries. which resulted in the aged
woman's death.
The old man, too, was badly used up
on account of the pum1neling he re-
ceived at the hands Of REILLY and it
was only by the most careful nursing
| that the crime was not doubled. For
| three days, without the knowledge of
| any one, the woman lay without any
| assistance from physicians, and had
| it been known that she was so badly
off, her life might have been saved.
| She received several bad bruises about
| the head and body, aud sustained a
| conclusion of the brain.
DR.. Charles s. Bradley Of Westboro
was called to attend tie suffering wo-
man, and other physicians were called
in consultation, but their united efforts
were fruitless in bringing about her
recovery. Three days after the crime
was committed, every hope Of saving
! the womans life was abandoned and
she died in a week from the date Of
| the assault. The woman, just before
her death, made a statement for the
authorities, in which she accused Riei-
| ~ of the crime, and her husbands
statement, also made at the same time,
laid the blame on the missing man.
| Reilly, as soon as the crime was COM
mitted, left Westboro; {. warrant was
Immediately issued, and up to the pres
ent time Deputy Sheriff William Mag
ner has conducted a fruitless search,
| in an effort to learn the mans where
aboutS
A description of RELY is in the
hands of the police IN all the large
cities and towns, and that he has not
| yet been captured is regarded as
strange. The fugitive Is a middle
aged man, about feet tall, and when
| seen in Worcester yesterday he wore
a shabby-lool5ing suit of black cheviot
and black felt hat Isielly's success
! in being able to evade the officers even
| to this time is regarded as very Pc
culiar, as they have been unable to
| imagine where he could hide himself
! for the past two months. He had not
| worked very much, and where he gets
the money to travel around with, is
also a puzzler for the people familiar
1 with the case. 1t is not generally be,
Il lieVed that REILLY has any friends who
would advance him money and other
wise aid in his efforts to dodge the Of
fcers.