Gideon F. Manchester 1852    Fall River Police Department ​            On July 16, 1852, Constable Gideon Manchester (35) was approached by citizens regarding a possible suspect in several break-ins that had occurred in the area of Rock & Purchase Streets in recent days.
    Constable Manchester searched and located the suspect, identified as James Clough (29). While attempting to place James under arrest, he broke free which resulted in a foot pursuit. During the foot pursuit, James turned, drew a firearm and shot Constable Manchester. 
    Constable Manchester died on July 19, 1852, at home and was laid to rest in North Burial Ground. He left behind his wife, Harriet Manchester (1843-1890) and children. Constable Manchester was the first Fall River Police Officer killed in the line of duty. Badge #52 has been retired from service. ​

Verdict 1852 James Clough               Executed 1854
    On December 30, 1852, James was convicted of murder and sentenced to prison. He was executed by hanging in Taunton on April 18, 1854.

                                           Bertha Manchester 1893                 
​       ​On May 31, 1893, Bertha Manchester (22) was hacked to death in the afternoon at her family's farm on Meridan Street. Bertha was seen alive by her father, Stephen Manchester (1831-1897) as he was leaving with his son Frederick (1811-1953), and a local hired farm hand, to go into the city to sell milk
   At 2 P.M. Fredrick arrived back at the farm and entered the home and discovered Bertha laying on the kitchen floor. Frederick ran back to the barn to get his father, who then called the police. The Fall River Police arrived on scene, during the investigation recovered a bloody axe in the wood pile behind the house. A search was the house was conducted and discovered Bertha's room had been ransacked, this led investigators to believe robbery was the motive. 
     Autopsy report determines time of death around 9:30 A.M.
    
   On June 4, 1893, Jose Correa deMello (18), a Portuguese immigrant was arrested for Bertha's murder. DeMello had entered a shoe store in the southern end of the city to purchase shoes. From his pocket he pulled out a silver trade dollar coin, which appeared to be new. He also pulled out a shiny silver dollar coin which has a small hole drilled through it. Investigators were able to determine that Berta's father had given Bertha trade coins and silver dollar coins which was kept in her bedroom bureau drawer. DeMello also had in his possession a lady's pocketbook with a clasp, the item was later identified as belonging to Bertha and was taken from her bedroom.
   On June 6, 1893, DeMello lead investigators to a field on Highland Avenue, less than a mile from the Manchester Farm, where he turned over a watch that belonged to Bertha. DeMello later admitted he went to the farm to commit robbery. He explained he entered the home and gathered items, the watch, and money then come downstairs where Bertha confronted him with an axe. A struggle began, DeMello gaining control of the axe and kills her with it, then escapes. 

Verdict 1894 Jose Correa deMello             Pardoned 1913
    On January 8, 1894, Jose was convicted of 2nd-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison.
    On December 31, 1913, 20 years later, DeMello was pardoned by Governor Foss on the condition he returns to St. Miguel, Azores

                                Delia Phaneuf 1912                   
       On January 27, 1912, at approximately 4PM Arthur Phaneuf (27) arrived at 163 Harrison Street in an attempt to reconcile with his wife Delia Phaneuf (25).
    Arthur entered the home and told Delia he had something to tell her, and they went into the bedroom to talk. Within a few minutes, Delia exited the bedroom followed by Arthur. While standing in the doorway of the kitchen, Arthur drew a revolver and fired four (4) shots, killing Delia. Eva Berube, Delia's aunt and Eva's son, Wilfred (16) witnessed the shooting. 
   Delia resided with her mother, Mrs. Mary Berube, an aunt, Mrs. Malvina Berube and two sisters, Caroline and Eva.

   Arthur then fled the scene walking to 44 Everett Street, the home of his aunt, Lydia Archambault. The door was locked, but he rang the bell. A granddaughter came down and, looking through the glass, saw that it was Arthur. She refused to allow entry. Arthur then walked to the police station on Eastern Avenue and turned himself in.
      Steward Thomas Gannon was alone in the Eastern station when Arthur entered the station. "I am the man who shot his wife". Steward Gannon then took possession of the revolver and Arthur handed over additional ammunition. Arthur was moved to a cell.
     Arthur Phaneuf was a lumberman in a logging camp in Blackton Maine.  He left there on that day along with Henry Beaudreau, also from Fall River. Henry told investigators that Arthur told him that he was coming to this city to kill his wife and her mother.

​​Verdict 
   The outcome of his trial couldn't be found.

                                             Annie Donovan 1918              
  In June 1918 Annie Donovan (Brown) (19) and her new husband, since June 29th, William C. Brown (42) were residing at a boarding house located at 110 Cedar Street. William was previously married with two (2) children.
    In late June, early July, both Annie and William went missing. 
     On July 11, 1918, two (2) Fall River women were walking the western shore of the Taunton River in Somerset, about 500 yards north of the Brightman Street Bridge. They came upon parts of a human body missing its torso and arms. It was two months before the identity of the young woman was positively identified as Anne Donovan (Brown).

William Brown Capture and Confession  
  William, a veteran of the Spanish-American War, was taken into custody at a soldier's home in Johnson City Tennessee when he applied for his military pension.
     On April 6, 1932, The Boston Globe reported that a confession was read in
in court by William. William admitted he chocked Annie after a verbal argument. He then dismembered her body and toss the parts into the Taunton River. William wrote out a confession and signed it.​

​Verdict 1932 William Brown  
   William was found guilty he was sentenced to life and 1 day in prison

                 Joseph LaFlamme & James Clark 1923
       On August 22, 1923, James Clark (61) and the father of John E. Kennedy were talking to each other in the rear yard 900 Stafford Road, the home of James Clark. For reasons unknown John E. Kennedy (26) entered the rear yard and fatally shot James.  
   Joseph LaFlamme (32), a neighbor heard the shots and entered the rear yard of 900 Stafford Road. There, John E. Kennedy shot him in the face then fled.
   Fall River Police Mounted Officer Daniel F. Sullivan captured John after exchanging gunfire, John was shot twice and transported to the hospital. James W. Shaw a bystander was also struck by a bullet and transported to Truesdale Hospital.
​   The investigation indicated that John's father was the intended target.
Joseph LaFlamme (1889-1923) was buried in Notre Dame Cemetery; James Clark (1863-1923) was buried in St. Patrick's Cemetery.

Verdict John E. Kennedy 1924  
    On February 19, 1924, John E. Kennedy was declared insane and sentenced to Bridgwater State Hospital. On April 23, 1936, John hung himself with his suspenders in the bathroom of Bridgwater State Hospital.

                                    Manuel J. Santos 1926                  
​       ​On September 27, 1926, Manuel J. Santos (35) and Emilia Kaminski were shot inside and empty apartment at 289 Montaup Street. Manuel succumbed to his injuries on October 7, 1926.  
    Manuel was having an affair with Emilia. Jan Kaminski (31) had followed them to the vacant room. Emilia was injured but survived. 
​
Verdict 1927 Jan Kaminski             Pardoned 1934
   Jan plead guilty to 2nd-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison plus one day in solitary confinement. 

Interesting Note 
​Jan Kaminski (1875-1938) and Emilia Kaminski (1888-1963) remained married and are buried next to each other in Notre Dame Cemetery.

                               Mary A. (Sullivan) Moriarty 1927      
         On January 27, 1927, Mary Moriarty (31) and her husband Edward Moriarty () were shot inside their home at 59 Union Street. Edward survived, Mary was killed instantly.
     Mary was having an extramarital affair with Peter Dyer (35), who was also married with children.
Peter confessed his feelings for Mary and went into a jealous rage and committed the shooting.

Verdict 1927 Peter Dyer      Pardoned 1935        Violated Parole        Prison Sentence Completed - Released 1942
​     Peter was found guilty 1st-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison.  

                                                 David S. Hathaway 1856                          
       On September 22, 1856, Adaline (Hathaway) Clark (1814-1896) shot and killed David S. Hathaway Jr. He was a farmer and was Adaline's first cousin. At the time of the murder, David was living with Adaline and her husband Seth.
     The Taunton Gazette reported that David arrived at home extremely intoxicated, and an argument ensued, which escalated into an axe attack.  Adaline explained she’d gone to bed and was roused sometime later by the noise made by David who was attempting to get inside the locked back door. Adeline took an oil lamp to guide her way to the kitchen and let David inside. He took the lamp from her and shoved her outside into the rain. While she pounded and pleaded to be let back in, David guarded the door, axe in hand, and vowed he’d use it.    
       Adaline reentered the house. After spending an hour and a half outside in her rain-soaked clothes, she stated she heard a chair tip over, then a thud which she assumed was David falling down. Once gaining entry into the house, she retrieved a pistol she had bought a week prior. By the lamp light in the front room, she saw David on the floor with the axe beside him. She claimed he reiterated his threat to kill her and “two or more of her children.” At that moment, Adaline shot David in the head. 
    Adaline claimed self-defense in explaining the events. During the investigation Adaline disclosed she had been David's mistress.  Authorities determined Adaline's account of the shooting and the advance planning that went into it, were cold and calculating and premeditated.

Verdict 1858 Adaline Clark     Prison Sentence Completed - Released
  Adaline was convicted but not sentenced until October 1858. She was sentenced to five (5) years of hard labor in the New Bedford House of Correction.

Adaline Clark Returns to Freetown 1863 
  In June 1863 Adeline was released from jail and returned to Freetown. ​In 1865 Adaline is listed as living in Freetown with her adult son, and she claimed she was a widow, which was untrue. In 1880 Adaline claimed she was divorced from Seth, but that too was untrue. Seth was alive and well living in Rhode Island, but listed himself as being a widower, also untrue.

Seth Clark (1810-1892)
   Seth quietly left Freetown and moved to Rhode Island. The publicity of his wife, committing adultery with her own cousin, and now a convicted murderer was a huge burden and an embarrassment. 
     Seth and Adaline are buried next to each other in the Assonet Burying Ground.

                                            Isaiah Bullock 1862                                          
           On June 19, 1862, around 7PM Isaiah "John" Bullock (45), a wine merchant, was attacked and murdered while delivering a 20-gallon keg of liquor to an establishment on Slab Bridge Road. 
      Obed Reynolds (17) from Dartmouth was looking to steal a few dollars from local delivery peddlers. While under the influence, and armed with a shotgun, sat and waited and along came Isaiah, who was on his way home after making his delivery of the keg.
    Around 7PM Obed shot Isaiah in the face with a shotgun; however, it didn't kill him, he fought back. A physical altercation ensued resulting in Obed stabbing (23 times) and beating Isaiah with the shotgun. After the murder, Obed then stole a watch, $11. Obed stripped naked and ran home through the woods to his family farm on Pine Island Road in Dartmouth and explained to his father that he had killed someone.
   The father, William Reynolds Jr. (1794-1870), knew he needed to turn Obed in to the police. However, the other family members disapproved and threatened to kill him if he did. William fled his own farm for a relative’s home in Dartmouth, stopping on the way to cut his own throat with a straight razor. He survived and testified against his son. 

Verdict 1863 Obed Reynolds                        Deceased 1876 Charlestown State Prison     
   Obed was found guilty of 1st-degree murder and sentenced to death by hanging. While waiting sentence in a New Bedford jail, he learned to read and write. He wrote letters admitting to the crime but stating he was driven by a combination of rum and gunpowder.
      On January 7, 1864, Massachusetts Governor John Andrew commuted Obed's sentence to life in prison. Obed was buried in Pine Island Cemetery in Dartmouth next to his father.

​   Prior to committing the murder, Obed married Eliza Maloney on May 13, 1862. Eliza worked as a servant on the Reynolds Family Farm. ​She is the daughter of James and Bridget Maloney of Freetown.

     New Bedford                    Philip D. Slocum 1855                Murder / Suicide ​               On June 6, 1855, approximately 12PM, in the whaling outfitting store, located at 18 South Water Street, Philip D. Slocum was shot and killed while sitting at his desk.
      Charles Foss (40) was desperate, intoxicated and demanded to ship out on a vessel to Hudson Bay NY. Charles was angry about the length of time it was taking to arrange it.  After shooting Philip, Charles went into the back room and shot himself in the head. 

​                            Peter Johnson & George Fletcher 1891                   
​       ​    On June 8, 1891, Peter Johnson (45) and George Fletcher were playing cards and drinking whiskey at Matthews’ saloon in New Bedford when they were greeted by a young white man, later identified as Charles J. Tighe (29). They shared some drinks, and then the trio left together about 5PM on Peter's boat to go lobstering.

       On June 9, 1891, around 9AM Joseph Hamel and George Frates were quahogging in the Acushnet River.
They noticed a young man standing on a boulder on Egg Island, later identified as Charles Tighe, waving to attract their attention. As they approached the man, he asked for a ride to the shore, offering to pay then $1.50 for the inconvenience. Joseph and George agreed, and transported the young man to the Fairhaven shore, where the young man then admitted to having no money, but stated to them "Now, you go back and look after my boat”.
    Joseph and George returned to Egg Island where they discovered a mutilated body lying next to a boat. The victim, later identified as Peter Johnson (45), was “terribly hacked about the head” with a rusty lathing hatchet.
     A week later, the body of George Fletcher was discovered floating in the harbor with similar injuries.

Peter E. Johnson (1838-1891) 
   Peter Johnson was a Wampanoag, and a Chilmark native. Peter married Rachel Turner from Plymouth. They had one daughter, Lucretia, who died before she was six months old. Immediately afterward, as the Civil War began, Peter enlisted and served in the 54th Massachusetts, the second Black regiment organized in the Northern states during the Civil War.  
    After the Civil War, Peter returned to Martha's Vineyard, eight (8) months later his wife left him and filed for divorce.
    On January 18, 1884, Peter was one of the dozen or more Wampanoag volunteers who risked their lives to rescue the survivors of the wreck of the steamer City of Columbus.  It was one of the worst ocean disasters of the century; more than 100 people perished in the waters off of Gay Head. Peter and four other men spent hours on the seas in their small, open boat, rescuing 13 survivors and transferring them to the U.S. revenue cutter, Dexter.
    A week later, a resolution was read on the floor of the House of Representatives in recognition of these brave men, specifically naming Peter Johnson and 11 other Wampanoag men in their pronouncement of thanks. In early February, the Massachusetts Humane Society voted to award 11 men, including Johnson, their silver medal, together with $25, “for gallant and successful efforts in saving twenty of the passengers and crew”.
 
George Anthony Fletcher (c. 1857-1891) 
   George Anthony Fletcher, of both Wampanoag and Black heritage was born in Bournedale, a community in modern Bourne now mostly submerged by the Cape Cod Canal. His father, Moses Anthony, was a Black bootmaker and factory engineer as well as a Civil War veteran. His mother was Sarah Ann Fletcher of the Herring Pond Wampanoag community.  
​
Charles J. Tighe Captured Taunton  
      Charles J. Tighe was quickly located in Taunton following a tip from a local pawn shop owner where he tried to trade his bloody clothing. The Fall River Daily Evening News described him as “a sneak thief, a cheat, an ex-convict, the victim of the alcoholic habit, and the deserter of his wife and two children”.
    Charles had been involved with a married woman, Clarabel Gifford, and had been in town to visit her. Mrs. Gifford was said to be a “clairvoyant,” and for several years the two of them had managed a “clairvoyant and blackmailing business in Boston” under the pseudonyms Clara and Charles Houghton. Charles also worked as a bartender and waiter, working at the Adams House in Boston, where he stole a $100 diamond pin off a diner’s shirt. 

Charles J. Tighe Trial 
 The trial of Charles J. Tighe took ten (10) days. Nearly 100 witnesses testified. The defense attorney tried to shift suspicion onto George Fletcher, suggesting that Fletcher had killed Johnson before himself drowning.
     In the closing statement, the defense council suddenly produced Peter Johnson’s skull, which he placed on the table with the sockets turned toward the jury.

Verdict Charles J. Tighe                Prison Sentence Completed - Released
   Charles was convicted of manslaughter and sentenced to seven (7) years and one (1) day in the state prison.
   Charles was released in October 1897 after less than six (6) years in prison. No one was ever charged in George Fletcher’s death. 
    New Bedford newspaper editor George A. Hough in his reporting in the local paper, ignited outrage at the local post of the Grand Army of the Republic — the Civil War Union veterans' organization. The group promptly insisted that Peter Johnson’s head be restored to his grave, from which it had been quietly disinterred. If not for local reporting, Peter Johnson’s skull would've never been put with the rest of his remains.

                             Mary Robertson 1893                              
      Daniel M. Robertson (1848-1894) was a carpenter by trade; however, alcohol began to cause issues in his marriage. His use of alcohol lead to his wife, Mary Robertson (1843-1893), to assume the role of supporting the family. Mary opened a boarding house on Acushnet Ave (between School and Spring Streets).  In the meantime, Daniel committed petty crimes to feed his alcoholism, which resulted in frequent incarceration. 
   
September 9, 1893, 9AM
      On September 9, 1893, approximately 9AM Daniel was released from Ash Street Jail after being sentenced for being in default of a fine payment of $10 which was imposed on August 12, 1893. Daniel had $5 on him and sent his wife to gather the remaining amount and return to the jail to secure his freedom. Mary refused to assist him, and Daniel had to remain in jail, but vowed to kill his wife upon his release.
  While Daniel was in incarcerated, Mary filed for divorce which the court refused to grant. 

September 9, 1893, 1PM 
    Daniel returned home and killed his wife in front of his daughter Helen Robertson (1877-1962). After the murder, Daniel fled the scene however was captured by New Bedford Police shortly after 8PM in a saloon on Purchase Street.

Verdict 1894 Daniel Robertson               Executed at Ash Street Jail 
   Daniel Robertson was convicted murder and sentenced to be death by hanging.
On December 14, 1894, at 10:10AM Daniel Robertson, with rope around his neck, the platform door opened - the rope broke, and he fell to the floor. Now unconscious he was assisted back to the platform where a new rope was tied around his neck. At 10:33AM the platform opened again, and Daniel Robertson was hanged.
​   Daniel Robertson was the first and only person executed in the Ash Street Jail and the last person in Massachusetts to be executed by hanging.

Helen Robertson (1877-1962)               
​  Helen married Arthur L. Saunders (1875-1950) on December 11, 1900, in Lancaster Massachusetts and settled in Maine. 

                       Edward Dewhurst 1905 & Ida Howard 1908          
     On July 13, 1905, Edward Dewhurst (28) was shot and killed inside Hazelwood Park.  At the time of the murder, there were no suspects. The murder went unsolved.
    In 1908 as a result of a domestic dispute, the suspect and a witness were exposed - which led to another murder two (2) months later.

William C Howard (1883-1937)
    U.S. Coast Guard Private William C. Howard (24) was stationed at Fort Taber. His enlistment tour ended on October 3, 1907, and he returned to his home state of Tennessee and married Ida Williams (18) on October 26, 1907.
   William reenlisted and returned to Fort Taber. Soon after his return his new wife, Ida, joined him. She resided in a private home, that William paid for, while he resided in the barracks at the fort. In an unusual agreement, Ida presented herself as Howard's sister "Rhoda". 
   William later explained the reason for this agreement was to avoid having to explain an incident during his last enlistment at Fort Taber. William admitted he shot and killed Edward Dewhurst in the presence of Grace Sturtevant. Grace was the only individual who had knowledge of the crime.
William feared Grace, if informed of his marriage to Ida, would become angry and notify the New Bedford Police about the details of the murder. 
    During a heated argument between Ida and William, William revealed the truth about the Dewhurst murder. Ida went to the authorities and William charged with murder.  

Trial July 1908 William Howard            Charges Dropped
     During the trial, it was revealed William and Ida were married. Grace testified that she witnessed the shooting in Hazelwood Park, and confirmed that William was the shooter, but he acted in self-defense. 

Ida W. Howard (1890-1908)                   Murdered in Dartmouth
     ​On September 19, 1908, just two (2) months after the trial of her husband for the murder of Edward Dewhurst, Ida is found floating in the water near the Padanaram Bridge in Dartmouth.
    Autopsy report documented a scratch near one eye; no other marks were indicated on the body.  Cause of death was ruled strangulation (by choking), then tossed into the water to give the appearance of a drowning. Ida's death was ruled a homicide, and William was charged with murder. At time of her death, she was from three (3) to four (4) months pregnant. Ida was buried in Acushnet Cemetery.
   It was argued that William's motive to murder Ida was his desire to be rid of his wife; that he had a feeling of hostility towards her, based among other things the fact that she had caused his arrest and imprisonment for failure to support her, and upon his desire to be free to marry Grace Sturtevant. 
   
​Verdict 1908 William C. Howard             Paroled 1935            Deceased 1937 in Tennessee
    William was convicted of 2nd- degree murder and sentenced to serve life in prison.  
He was buried at Henry Cemetery #2 in Jones Cove, Tennessee.

                                Annie Walsh 1914                             ​   
​               January 10, 1914, Evening Standard “New Bedford’s Most Hideous Crime”

    On January 10, 1914, Annie Walsh (32) was murdered aboard the coal barge Snipe at the City Coal Company's wharf. Annie was a waterfront worker (prostitute) who met her killer, Captain Charles Matrony (23), earlier that evening during a period of heavy drinking at Joe Burke's Saloon.
  Captain Matrony attacked Annie inside his ship cabin with an axe, horribly mutilating and effectively decapitating her. 
    An acquaintance named Louis Therrien had been drinking with them earlier. He initially declined an invite to the barge but went to check on them later. Louis discovered the scene in the cabin. He found Captain Matrony heavily intoxicated, crying, covered in blood, and wearing a loose noose around his neck. Louis immediately alerted the New Bedford Police. Police noted that if Louis had not intervened, Captain Matrony likely would have dumped Annie's body at sea.

• Both her parents had passed, and she claimed to be the wife of Frank Walsh. She is buried in an unmarked grave in the public ground area of the shady southwest corner of Pine Grove Cemetery
• she lived at 330 purchas est 

The Burial: Annie Walsh was buried in an unmarked public plot in the southwest corner of Oak Grove Cemetery in New Bedford.

Verdict 1914 Charles Matrony         Pardoned 1937         Deceased 1941
   Charles Plead guilty to 2nd-degree murder. In 1937, Captain Matrony was pardoned and released from Charlestown Prison after serving twenty-three years of a life sentence.
 Captain Matrony was discovered dead on a New York City pier in 1941.

                          Alice Garcia Faria 1914             ​           
         On April 27, 1914, Alice Faria (30) was attacked and murdered by her husband Marcellino "Charles" Faria (30) in their residence at 7 Marvin Street. After slitting his wife's throat with a razor, Charles attempted to kill himself but was unsuccessful. They were married for nine (9) years.
   Charles was arrested and charged with 1st-degree murder.

Verdict 1914 Marcellino "Charles" Faria 
​   Marcellino was trial and plead guilty to 2nd-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison.
 At some point Marcellino was released from prison, returned to New Bedford and remarried.
 Charles died in February 1955 and interred in Sacred Heart Cemetery, along with his second wife, Antoinette M. Faria (1907-1979)

                                                  Joseph Walenty Juszynski 1924                           
        On August 14, 1924, Joseph Walenty Juszynski went missing. On September 25, 1924, Joseph was found deceased under the living room floorboards of his home at 651 South 1st Street. The discovery of Joseph was due to a flooding issue caused by a recent storm.
   Joseph owned and operated a grocery, and provisions store downstairs from his apartment. 

Investigation 
    The investigation into Joseph's death was led by New Bedford Police Chief Inspector Walter Almond.
When Joseph went missing in August, Mary also vanished - fleeing to Cohoes, New York. A note was found, written by Mary, indicating a dead man was under the floor, she was going to be drowning herself and two (2) others knew about the body under the floor. Due to translation, there was a possibility of a second body under the floor. The entire floor was then removed; no other bodies were discovered.

​Verdict 1925 Mary Juszynski           Deceased 1972 in New York     
   Mary was found guilty of murder and sentenced to life in prison. At some point Mary received parole and lived the remainder of her life in New York until she died at age 89. She was buried the Calvary Cemetery in Long Island City, New York.

                                   Celestino Medeiros 1924               
      Celestino had a criminal record consisting of a dozen arrests and convictions, as a result he dropped out of school at age 15 and began a life as a career criminal. He was associated with a group of individuals who worked the streets of Fox Point, the Portuguese section of Providence, Fall River, Taunton and New Bedford soliciting donations from the unsuspecting for their criminal cause.

   In January 1921, Celestino mysteriously came into possession of a large sum of cash which according to different accounts amounted to about $2,800.00. This amount has been pointed out by some historians to be approximately 1/6 of the payroll money stolen from a South Braintree heist.  According to Celestino's own signed confession there were six (6) bandits in all at South Braintree. 
  
Bank Heist and Murder 1924
   On the morning of November 1, 1924, Celestino along with three (3) other accomplices, Jimmy Weeks, Alfred Bedard and Harry Goldenberg, held up the First National Bank in Wrentham, MA. Celestino shot the cashier, who later died, while was attempting to set off the alarm. 
   Several days later, Celestino was taken into custody in Providence R.I. Jimmy Weeks and Alfred Bedard were captured a few days later. Harry Goldberg was never captured. Jimmy Weeks and Alfred Bedard agreed to testify against Celestino in exchange for a life sentence and as a result Celestino was convicted of 1st-degree murder and sentenced to death.
     An appeal was filed for a new trial. While waiting for word on the appeal in the Dedham Jail, Celestino passed a slip of paper to Nicola Sacco confessing to the crime. Celestino was denied a new trial.  

Sacco & Vanzetti 1924
    In 1924 Nicola Sacco & Bartolomeo Vanzetti were tried, convicted and then sentenced to death for the murder and robbery of a paymaster and his guard while delivering a payroll of $16,000 to a shoe factory in South Braintree MA.  
    Their lawyers made a motion for new trial based on Celestino’s confession and the supporting evidence they found that pointed toward the Morelli Gang as the real culprits in the South Braintree crime. Judge Webster Thayer, the same judge who officiated at Sacco and Vanzetti’s trial ruled the Medeiros motion and stated that “Medeiros is, without a doubt, a crook, a thief, a robber, a liar, a rumrunner, a bouncer in a house of ill-fame, a smuggler, and a man who has been convicted and sentenced to death for the murder of the cashier of the Wrentham Bank.” 

Execution 1927 
   On August 23, 1927, Nicola Sacco, Bartolomeo Vanzetti and Celestino were scheduled to be executed by electric chair at the Charlestown State Prison. Celestino was executed first, followed by Sacco and Vanzetti

Celestino Medeiros Burial 
   Celestino's body was claimed by his relatives and transported to Rogers and Sylvia Funeral Parlor at 216 County Street in New Bedford. Feeling badly and thinking the Medeiros family was destitute, Mayor Edward R. Hathaway said that the city would pay for the funeral and the burial. It was later determined that Celestino's mother owned a tenement building at 735 Belleville Avenue in New Bedford. The city revoked the offer of a free burial, as a result, Celestino was buried in the pauper’s section, grave #339 in Pine Grove Cemetery.​

                                       Manuel C. Almeida Jr. 1918               
      On January 9, 1918, Manuel C. Almeida Jr. (25), while working as a taxi driver, was shot, thrown over a stonewall and left for dead in a field. Autopsy results determined Manuel had been shot five (5) times, once in the head and four (4) in the shoulder. 
  During the investigation Philip Thorpe (26) became the prime suspect, since it became known that Manuel was having an affair with Philip's wife and had assisting her in obtaining a divorce. 

    Philip was located in Huntington Long Island NY where he was residing and working as a chauffeur. He was taken into custody and interrogated about the murder. The firearm used in the murder, a revolver, was purchased in Providence RI just two (2) days prior to the murder. After the murder, the firearm was pawned by a man using the name Frank Thomas. It was later determined Frank Thomas was a fake name.

Verdict 1918 
     Philip plead guilty to 2nd degree murder.

                                    Elizabeth McKinstry 1763                  
       On June 4, 1763, Dr. McKinstry's sister, Elizabeth (28) was brutally murdered by an enslaved teenager named Bristol (16) for reasons unknown. On the morning of the murder, Bristol had been in the back yard tending to the doctor’s horse. He tied the horse near the back door and came into the house to find Elizabeth and an unknown little girl (never identified) working in the kitchen. Elizabeth was starting to do some laundry and asked Bristol to put some flat irons on the hearth and instructed the little girl to go upstairs to grab the ironing cloth.
       After the girl left the room, Elizabeth bent over the hearth to check on her flat irons. Bristol seized one of the flat irons and struck Elizabeth on the back of the head, pitching her into the hearth and burning the left side of her face. He dragged her unconscious body downstairs to the basement of the house. Bristol delivered a fatal blow to the back of Elizabeth’s head with an axe, giving her a gash two inches long and one inch wide in her skull. Elizabeth lingered near death throughout that day and into the next. On the morning after the attack she was visited by Dr. Elisha Tobey, of Dartmouth, one of the county’s best-known physicians.
Dr. Tobey confirmed that Elizabeth’s wounds were mortal, and she died later that evening.
     Elizabeth was buried on June 14, 1763. Her gravestone stands in the Plain Burial Ground (now called Plain Cemetery) on Broadway in Taunton.   

​Verdict 1763 Bristol
    Bristol was found guilty and was sentenced to death. He was scheduled to be hanged on November 4, 1763. He was granted a three-week reprieve until December 1, 1763.  

McKinstry's Forced to Leave Taunton
      After Elizabeth’s murder the McKinstrys remained in Taunton for eleven (11) years before they were driven out by townspeople who found their support of the Crown (British) unacceptable. 
The American Revolution began and the McKinstry family sided with those Loyal to the British government. In 1779, the house and property were seized by the Massachusetts Legislature.  ​

McKinstry's House - Now Rectory for St. Thomas Episcopal Church 
    In 1828 the property was sold to the St. Thomas Episcopal Church. The McKinstry House was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1984.

​                                 Peleg Cornell & Tillinghast Kirby  

Peleg Cornell (70), Little Compton, R.I. 1902   
      Peleg Cornell was discovered bludgeoned to death at his Adamsville Road home in Little Compton R.I. on February 11, 1902. Police had to break into the home where they found Cornell dead on the floor with a knife close by.  The house was in perfect order, no signs of struggle or a break-in, and nothing appeared missing. Oddly, two chairs were pulled away from the table, as if two people were sitting at the table. Also, a half-bottle of apple cider was still open. Cornell was known for selling cider and had small amounts of cash on hand. His wallet was missing, so robbery appears to be the motive.  The Town of Little Compton posted a $400 reward for the arrest and conviction of the individual(s).  The unsolved murder puzzled law enforcement for years, the most difficult question to answer was who want to kill an aging man in such a violent manner?  In 1910 the answer became known.  

Tillinghast Kirby (87), Westport, MA 1903    
   In September of 1903, Tillinghast "Uncle John" Kirby was residing at Burden Head's hotel/rooming house at Horseneck Beach which was also referred to as the Bar Rock Cottage. On September 9, 1903, Kirby got some sea clams for bait from another lodger who worked as an employee of Mr. Head and set off around Gooseberry Island fishing. When Uncle John, who was well known among the local fishermen, didn’t return by nightfall, locals began searching for him early the next morning and discovered his boat and nets unattended. His son Edward assumed his father had fallen overboard. He offered a $100 reward for anyone who found the body.
   On September 16, 1903, the Standard Times reported that Kirby's boots had washed ashore on west side of Gooseberry Island. Kirby never went fishing without his boots, now suspicion began to rise about Kirby's disappearance. On September 18, 1903, the body of Kirby washed ashore and was discovered by another fisherman. His shirt was covered in blood, a large head wound was noted over his right ear, apparently from a severe blow to the head, and a three-foot piece of anchor rope was tied in noose fashion around his neck. A doctor determined his manner of death was murder, caused by a blow to the head which fractured his skull.   
     Shortly before his death, Kirby had withdrawn $160 in cash from a New Bedford bank. When his body was found, his pockets were turned inside out, he held just $3.38. Tillinghast Kirby was buried alongside his wife, Dolly, in New Bedford’s Oak Grove Cemetery.

Identities and Locations Unknowns     
    Angles Snell allegedly claimed to have murdered two (2) vacationers in Westport MA from parts unknown, their identities and locations of their remains are unknown. Snell claimed he murdered an unidentified "Portuguese" man from a neighboring town, his identity and location of his remains are unknown.

Angles Snell (1844-1910)
    Police quickly cast their suspicions upon the man who had given Kirby the sea clams for bait, had been among those searching for the body, and was also the first one to report the old man missing. Angles Snell was a “bad man” with a long criminal record and was known to police in Massachusetts and across the border in his native Tiverton. Snell had been married and divorced at least twice, had four convictions for assault, theft, and selling liquor illegally, and had been tried and acquitted for setting fire to a Dartmouth man’s barn in 1893. The word around town was that Angles Snell (56) supplied fishermen with illegal liquor and then robbed them once they were intoxicated. There were also rumors that he had been involved in the murder of a Little Compton man named Peleg Cornell.
Investigators brought Snell to see the body when it washed ashore and noted him to be nervous and denied any involvement.
     In the weeks leading up to the murder, Snell had had issues with Burden Head, and allegedly threatened to kill him and Sarah Sherman, the hotel’s housekeeper who had been the subject of his infatuation.
     The case against Angles Snell went to trial in Fall River in September of 1904. Although the bulk of the evidence was circumstantial, a jury convicted him of assault and murder, and he was sentenced to death. In November of 1905, a month before his scheduled execution date, Snell’s sentence was commuted to life in prison. 
      Snell died of a heart attack in prison on March 15, 1910. At the time of his death, there is claims that Snell had confessed to three (3) additional murders and divulged the motives for the murder of Tillinghast Kirby and Peleg Cornell. Snell claimed that four (4) murders were committed with robbery as the motive. Snell confessed that Tillinghast Kirby was different - revenge was the motive, however although he apparently also acquired some money as a result. Snell is buried in Canton Massachusetts ​

                                                  Benjamin Howard 1870  
  ​   On December 3, 1870, neighbors discovered Benjamin's body on his Main Road farm just south of Charlotte White Road. Benjamin had been shot in the arm, then struck four (4) times with an axe. His right leg was severed off at the thigh. Robbery appeared to be the initial motive, A watch and money was missing. 

Investigation 
  Charles Cuffee (14) walked to Central Village and made several purchases with $12. This raised the suspicion of the store clerk. The clerk, knowing $12 was a significant amount of money back then, and Charles coming from a poor family, triggered a call the police.
    On December 5, 1870, two (2) New Bedford police officers arrived at the school which the Charles attended in Westport and asked him to accompany them to the scene of the murder. 
    Charles explained to police, in great detail how Benjamin was killed. He was placed under arrest for murder and transported to New Bedford. Without legal consultation, or contact with friends or family, police searched him, stripped him of his clothing, and placed him in a cell at the police station.  At 10PM he was taken from the cell for questioning until midnight, without warning him of his rights, or offering him any opportunity to consult with legal counsel. Charles was charged with 1st degree murder then transferred to a Bristol County House of Corrections in the New Bedford where he allegedly confessed.
Charles Cuffee's Admission   
     Charles admitted he took his gun about 4AM to the Benjamin's Farm. He attempted to gain entry with a crowbar and fearing Benjamin would hear it, he hid behind a wall and waited until Benjamin returned from milking the cows. When Benjamin returned Charles shot him, then struck him with an axe. Charles claimed he stole Benjamin's wallet containing $12 and performing the mutilation to Benjamin's body.

Charles Cuffee's Admission Changes - John Petty 
      While in custody, Charles recanted his original admission and provided more specific details on what happened. Charles explained that another boy from Charlotte White Road named John Petty had committed the crime. Charles claimed they both knew Benjamin and knew he had money. Charles admitted taking Benjamin's watch, but claimed they planned the robbery, however Charles was on only to help cover-up the crime. Charles claimed after hearing shots at home he came to the Benjamin's farm and saw John Petty strike Benjamin with an axe and also witnesses John Petty drag Benjamin's body into the woods.
    Once the body was in the wooded area, A wallet, key, knife, money and tobacco were found in the dead man's pockets. John Petty took the money the two of them then dug a grave until daylight. The body was then tossed into the grave, but the hole wasn't deep enough so they removed the body. John Petty then went to the farmhouse and gathered a saw and axe and while Charles watched, Petty chopped Benjamin's leg off. John Petty was later questioned and denied any involvement and never charged.

Charles Cuffee's Admission Changes - William Davol 
     The day after implicating John Petty, Charles stated that William Davol (20) had murdered Benjamin and had paid Charles to be quiet about the crime. William Davol has recently been released from jail after serving a sentence for robbery. Charles claimed William Davol borrowed his BB gun, and later heard shots from the Benjamin's farm, and saw Davol killing Benjamin. William Davol offered Charles $12 to help him drag Benjamin's body into the woods and sworn to secrecy. Charles then explained that Benjmin's leg was hacked off because it got tangled in the fence while going through the woods. Charles claimed he confessed to the crime because he promised William Davol never to mention the crime about his involvement. Charles claimed he accused John Petty because he knew about what the murder and hoped that he would come forward and implicate William Davol, thus Charles would then have kept his promise. William Davol was questioned and denied any involvement and never charged. 
     The New Bedford court appointed two (2) lawyers to defend Charles because his mother could not afford legal representation. Defense attorneys pointed out that this boy lacked the physical ability to have dragged a heavy body into the woods.
   Charles took the stand and testified to the same details he had provided in the 3rd confession. John Petty and William Davol both testified they knew nothing of the murder.

Verdict 1871 Charles Cuffee                      Deceased 1874 Tewksbury State Hospital
  Charles was found guilty of 1st-degree murder. He was sentenced to be hung. Massachusetts Governor Claflin commuted the sentence to life imprisonment because of Charles’ youth and lack of education. 
   ​On August 28, 1874, Charles Cuffee (17) died of pneumonia in Tewksbury State Hospital. He is buried in the Tewksbury State Hospital Cemetery in an unmarked grave.

 Charles Cuffee was a great grandnephew of Captain Paul Cuffee, who was a sea captain and entrepreneur, one of the most prominent Black figures of post-Revolutionary America and was perhaps the wealthiest black American of his time. 

Charles was born out of wedlock, which was very much frowned upon in those days. His father was a sailor named Charles Hall who was lost at sea before he could marry Lucy, his mother.
​

​                                            Holder Alonzo Tripp 1897                     
       Holder Alonzo Tripp (1846-1897) was a farm laborer and resided in Westport into his early adult years. In 1886, while residing in New Bedford, Holder (40) married Fannie Lee Morris (20). The marriage was brief and ended in divorce. Holder then moved back to Westport.

   While residing back in Westport he met Sarah Smith Reagan who was 20 years younger than him. Sarah, at the age 15, married William Reagan of Fall River in 1881. Sarah left William in 1887, never divorcing him, and moved in with Holder.
​
   Sarah had just turned 30 years old when she left Holder for a man much closer to her own age, Jeremiah Manchester Jr. (26).  On June 24, 1897, Sarah and Jeremiah appeared before Justice of the Peace to be married. Sarah provided her name as Sarah Smith, which was her maiden name, and the ceremony was performed, despite the fact that she never divorced William Reagan or identified herself as never being married.

Holder Alonzo Tripp Murder 1897
     On July 11, 1897, Jeremiah and Sarah were out riding in their carriage on Eastern Avenue in Fall River when they came upon Holder Tripp in his wagon. Holder offered to have a few drinks with the newlywed couple and produced several bottles of lager from his own wagon. The three drank to the point where they all became intoxicated. 
    Words were exchanged and Holder challenged Jeremiah to return to Westport to settle their differences once and for all.  At the railroad crossing at the Narrows near Sanford and New Bedford Roads, the fight began. Jeremiah was able to get Holder on the ground where he kicked him several times in the head. Witnesses at the time passing by reported they saw Sarah holding Holder's bloodied head in her lap comforting him. Holder died just before 12:30 AM. The medical examiner noted no less than 10 blows to the head, fracturing his skull and all of his facial bones except his lower jaw. 
  
​​Verdict Jeremiah Manchester (1871-1951)  
    Jeremiah confessed to killing Holder, plead guilty to manslaughter and sentenced to serve 6 to 8 years in prison. Jeremiah served his sentence however was declared insane and confined to the Bridgewater State Hospital for the remainder of his life. He died there in 1951 at age 80.
​     Sarah Reagan plead guilty to polygamy and sentenced to two (2) years at hard labor.

Interesting Note:
   Jeremiah B Manchester's Jr. grandfather, Gideon Manchester (35), was the first Fall River Police Officer to be killed in the line of duty. ​

                  Almeda Albertine Hall Fanning 1909        Murder / Suicide ​
      On July 25, 1909, around 1:30 AM Robert M. Fanning (28) walked into the New Bedford Police Department and presented Lt. Comstock a letter.

"To woman it may concern: I am very very sorry for what has occurred, and the police can judge for themselves if I was not too hasty likewise my wife. God bless her, and I hope she will never know what happened to her dead father and mother. I loved my child better than myself. May God give me his blessing and to my child everlasting good will. I have has a good deal to put up with and the end is near. Trusting my my baby will have the best care, as she is such a happy child but my God I must. Oh God I wish I could live to comfort my child; she has everthing to live for. I hope she will benefit by it, as there is enough for her to be wealthy. I would like to have my baby join us but as cruel as I am, I have no heart for such. My wife's body lays on the west side of Lyon's Brook, about 50 feet to the south of the bushes. Please give it immediate attention and remove same as soon as possible. At my request, please bury us both together. Trusting you will do your duty, I remain, Yours very truly Robert M Fanning."
  "P.S. Don't fail to look for my wife's body and remove same as soon as possible. Oh, my god, what have I done (***) for baby. 
     Be sure and put my baby in good hands. My folks will take her, as I wish, which is my last wish. Hoping my baby will be looked after, I know my folks will attend to it, good-by Pa and Ma, brother and sisters and to all my friends. God Bless you all, and not forgetting my own flesh and blood, my baby. Mrs. Murray is a kind woman, and I must not forget her; God bless her. I am sorry for what I have done. Please give my ring and belongings to my brother Will."

    After the letter is read by Lt. Thomas Comstock, Robert removes a pistol from his pocket and commits suicide in the lobby of the police station. The investigation determined Almeda Albertine Hall Finning (27) was attacked and killed with an old tomahawk which Robert allegedly dug from a grave of a dead Indian chief in Westport. Robert hacked his wife to death on the west side of Lyons Brook then hid her body in the bushes. Robert then returned to his home in Westport, wrote the letter addressed to the chief of police in New Bedford, drove to the station confessed to the crime presented the letter and shot himself in the head in of front of the police officers. 
    Almeda and Robert are buried next to each other in Section A Lot 73 in an unmarked grave in Maple Grove Cemetery. Their daughter, Rita Fanning (1908-2000) is buried in an unmarked grave in the Fanning Plot in St. Ann Cemetery in Cranston, R.I.

                             Jennie & Stanislaw Szurlej 1922        Murder / Suicide                    On May 27, 1922, ​Walenti Szuriej (1888-1922) attempted to murder his wife, Anna Szurlej (1894-1942) of nine (9) years, and their four (4) children.
     For reasons unknown, Walenti attacked his family, killed his youngest child, Jennie Szurlej (1921-1922) with a blow to the head, and beat the others into unconsciousness. After the attack, he attempted to burn the house down, starting a fire in the bedroom and then the attic. Anna was able to flee to a neighbor's home. This is where Frederick Hearn becomes involved. 
    Walenti fled the scene and drowned himself in the South Wattupa Pond. 

Frederick Hearn (1901-1962)  
  Frederick Hearn (17) ran to the burning house and entered, going through the kitchen into the bedroom containing the children. After a little delay in locating the children, he picked up Amelia and carried her out of the house. Then he returned and carried out one of the boys as bits of burning wood and plaster fell into the bedroom and kitchen and flames started to spread from the attic into the kitchen. 
      Frederick went inside one last time, into the bedroom through thick smoke and carried out the third child. The roof collapsed just after Frederick left the house. The children, Emilia, Stanislaw and Louise sustained only slight burns, but Stanislaw (Stanley) (1915-1922) died later of the injuries inflicted in the beating. 
    Frederick received the Carnegie Hero Fund Award for his actions. Frederick died in 1962 and is buried in St. Patrick's Cemetery with his wife Hazel Hearn (1898-1969)
    Walenti and the two (2) children were buried in the potter's field inside North Burial Ground.

Anna Szurlej Remarries 
 In 1923 Anna married Michael Nowacki (1879-1957). Anna and Michael are buried in Notre Dame Cemetery.

                                  Marie Lapointe 1925                             
    On June 3, 1925, Marie Lapointe (45) was discovered naked and beaten to death in a field behind the cottage she shared with her husband Elie Lapointe (45) in the Greenwood Park area of North Westport.
   Elie was reported to have been drinking significantly and went into a rage and beat his wife to death in their home, then dumped her body in the field. They had a daughter, age 9, at the time of her death.
        Daula Goyette, of North Westport, sold the illegal moonshine to Elie and others from his store.  He was sentenced to serve six (6) months in jail.  
​
Verdict 1925 Elie Lapointe   
   Elie plead guilty to manslaughter and sentenced to 15 to 20 yrs in prison.