Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-05-08
MEDFoRD rs AROUSED
OVER MURDER OF MISS NELLIE
STURTEVANT.
Little Evidence Against Two Men Who
Were Arrested on
Suspicion.

dispatch from Medford Mass, last
night says: Excitement runs high here
over the murder of Miss Nellie Sturtevant
daughter of James S. Sturtevant treasurer
of the Medford Cooperative Bank, who
was shot and killed at her home last night
by an unknown man. who attempted to rob
her father as he was returning from bank
meeting with satchel filled with checks
and money. The assassin rode away on a
bicycle.
An italian giving his name as Tomasso
lombard was arrested two hours later in
Boston answering the description given
of the murderer.
While the energies of not only the local,
but the state police, were concentrated to-
day in an effort to collect enough evidence
to prove that it was lombard, an Italian
carpenter. who murdered Miss Nellie A.
Sturtevant last night, they were forced to
admit tonight that except for the fact that
Mr.. Sturtevant saw his daughters muir
derer flee on bicycle, and that lombard,
when arrested in Boston, five miles from
Medford, two hours later. was riding we'll
against the Italian. Still a number of small
clues were discovered during the day which
seemed to point in some measure to the
identity of the murderer.
Mr.. Sturtevant's description of the man
who snatched his bag supposed to contain
the funds of the Medford Cooperative
Bank. of which he was treasurer, answers
in some degree to that of lombard. Again,
g. Medford policeman saw man riding a
bicycle near the scene of the tragedy few
minutes before it occurred, and the ma
chine had a snap or click which is dis
unctly noticeable in the bicycle on which
lombard was riding when arrested. Fur
thermore an electric light man in Maiden
saw a bicyclist about 1910 o'clock this
morning riding rapidly toward Boston on a
machine which also had click. The most
direct way from Medford to Boston Is
through Somerville. but 1t is not much fur
Their by the way Of Maiden and the roads
are better.
These clues were not referred to in the
district court today when lombard was
arraigned on the charge of murder, but
the police laid sufficient evidence before
the court to warrant the Italian being held
without bail, and subsequently ne was re-
moved to the county Jail at East Cam
bridge.
The Italian claims that he cannot speak
English, yet Mr.. Sturtevant said today the
man who confronted his daughter and him
self on his doorstep last night said, Hands
up; give me that bag" in a robust voice
without the slightest trace Of foreign &C
cent.
The bag has not yet been recovered, al
though the police are convinced that the
man could not have gone far with 1t, as 1t
was quite heavy and must have impeded
his fight.
clear statement of the tragedy, having re-
covered somewhat from the shock incident
to it. He said that he had returned home
from the bank with his wife and daughter
and had just placed his latch key in the
door, when a man ordered him to hold up
his hands. All three turned and saw
man with revolver pointed in their direc-
ton. He was almost within arms reach.
Miss Sturtevant instantly struck at the
man with her umbrella, and he discharged
the weapon once at her and twice at Mr..
Sturtevant. The young woman alone was
hit. She died half hour later without
regaining consciousness. The murderer
seized the bag Mr.. Sturtevant had in his
hand, and, running down the walk to the
sidewalk, jumped on a wheel that had been
left there. Mrs. Sturtevant tainted over
the body of her daughter. She is yet in
critical state from nervous shock. A few
minutes later the neghbors came to the
assistance of the stricken parents and the
police had begun their search for the muir
derer.
Mr. Sturtevant's bag contained $40 in
money and a considerable number of
checks and documents.