The Boston Herald, 13 March 1882
| Johnny Roach of Arlington was unconciously the cause of an unusual scare among the good people of that town, yesterday, as well as the source of considerable anxiety to certain detectives and policemen, who throughout the day and night, believed that another murder had been committed. |
| It appears that Edward J. Butler, a well-to-do old gentleman of this city, owns a lot of land, on which stands a dilapidated shanty, on the corner of [North] Union and Cross [Norcross] streets in Arlington, a locality noted for its hard citizens and knockdown encounters. This house has been unoccupied for nearly two years, during which it has furnished a rendezvous for midnight prowlers and tramps. |
| Mr. Butler, for the first time in a year on Sunday went out to Arlington, with Edward Norton, of the Charlestown district, to look over his domain. They discovered a large pool of blood on the floor of the front room, and on visiting the yard, discovered blood in all directions. There were blood spots fresh and undried on the clapboards of the house in the rear, and from other indications, both gentlemen concluded that someone had been murdered. Daniel O'Hearn and one Sullivan, with other neighbors who live near the shanty, claimed that hard characters were about the place on Saturday night; but when pressed for information, they simply said "We have nothing to say." They, however, expressed suspicions that a foul murder had been committed, and joined in the investigation instituted by Mr. Butler. The latter discovered that the chimney had been torn down and that the old brick had been thrown into the well nearby. All came to the conclusion that the body of the unfortunate victim, after being dragged out of the house through the yard, had been thrown to the bottom of the well, and the old chimney thrown on top of it. As was natural, the report soon spread that a man had been murdered in "Sandy Bottom." |
| Mr. Butler, to make sure of getting the murderer, yesterday notified Chief Wade of the district police of his discovery, and Detective Bean was detailed to work up the case with local officers. The well was found to be 70 feet deep, and, as it was considered best to get the identity of the supposed victim before looking further, it was decided to postpone operation to to-day, when a force of laborers residing in the locality expected to do a decent day's work in excavating the well. |
| Late last night the writer, who had his attention called to Butler's discovery, made an investigation, which showed there was no reason for alarm. It was learned that Johnny Roach, who is a family man, on Saturday completed the fattening of a big hog he had kept during the winter, and that Bill Teel, a butcher, had killed the porker in Mr. Butler's back yard, without the latter's knowledge. The blood spots proved to be the gore of the dying pig. The well, it was learned, was plugged up with the debris of the old chimney, two months ago, and the only bodies buried in it were half a dozen old cats and a canine or two. |
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