An Unsolved Murder Mystery in Boston from 1885 (Part 3)
On July 23, 1885, a janitor at a Boston club house noticed something floating in the Charles River. A woman had been brutally murdered and chopped into four pieces. Over the next several days, the remaining body parts were recovered. Boston police at first thought that the victim was named Nellie Halsey. However, they soon changed their thinking to believe it was actually a woman named Rose C. Gilbert. Her husband, Lawrence, was a butcher.
A piece of Brussels carpet had also been recovered with the body, serving as a potential clue. Continue below, or catch up beginning with Part 1 and Part 2.
Boston in the late 19th century. (Courtesy: New York Public Library)
On July 28, following reports that Rose Gilbert was believed to be the slain victim, the woman was buried at Mount Hope Cemetery. The New York Times reported that the dismembered corpse was placed in a “plain pine coffin” and “buried among the pauper dead.” Gilbert’s mother, identified as Mrs. Hickey, arrived after the burial. She was shown a photograph of the remains, but was not able to identify the victim as being her daughter.
“There is still no report of a woman of middle age being missing in Boston or vicinity,” the Times published.
Another report was also published about a purported “second Charles River murder” victim. In early July, a man who was “pursued by 15 or 20 men” who were described as “a gang of half-drunken roughs” did reportedly cause a man to drown after chasing him across Cragie’s Bridge, according to a story from The New York Times. The case was unrelated to the brutal murder of the woman.
On Aug. 3, new developments in the woman’s death came from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. A schooner named Oriole was believed to be associated with the crime. When it arrived in the city, “a piece of the carpet in the galley was missing,” which gave hope that the mystery was about to be solved.
Inspector Burke, of Boston, came to Philadelphia today, bringing with him the carpet in which a portion of the body was wrapped when found. He was taken on the harbor police boat to the schooner, which is lying at anchor off Point Airy. It was found that all the carpet on board differed in texture and figure from that taken from the body.
Henry L. Sparrow, the mate of the Oriole, said that he had been on the vessel since April 3, and that the only carpet on board was that which McIntyre, the former steward of the boat, had put down in the galley, some pieces of which still remained.
McIntyre said that he found the carpet on a wharf in Boston among some rubbish, and had covered the galley floor to save the trouble of washing it up.
The man named McIntyre was reportedly “strongly suspected of the murder.” Police were searching for him at the time.
The biggest development in the entire case came on Aug. 19, when a man named Frank Mitchell was arraigned and charged with the murder of his wife, Ellen. He would be the final suspect.
Next up: In Part 4, I’ll reveal the potentially damning case against Frank Mitchell.