Murder of Harriet Bell

37-year-old Harriet Bell was a widow by 1882 and worked as a seamstress to support her and her daughter. On morning of March 7, 1882, Harriet left her home of Kirkland Street in Boston, Massachusetts.13-year-old daughter stayed at home as she headed out to do errands.

The witness saw a man following behind Harriet and she was unaware until she got home around 8 a.m. When she got to her doorway the man attacked her, but not before the witness heard her say "I don't know you." He then took her arm and shoved her inside. The witness then heard her scream and the man leave the home. What he didn't know is in that short time he had stabbed her to death.

They quickly found two police officers nad stated the man just attacked a woman. They did nothing and let him go. They didn't stop the man nor did they do anything about it at the time saying it was a family matter. They had not known that she had been murdered and that they let the killer walk free.

Later the witness asked another officer to check on the woman. This was when the officer found her body. Several people were suspected, but none were charged in this case.

He was described as a white man around 45 or 50-years-old. He was 6'1" and 165 lbs. He had very broad shoulders and sandy side-whiskers, and mustache with a grey tinge. He was wearing a dark blue smooth overcoat with a velvet collar, a black worn high round derby hat, and dark pantaloons.

10 years later in late 1892, a man came forward with some information. The morning of the murder he and a woman who looked similar to Harriet had robbed a drunk sailor. They kicked him out in the street and he slept in a doorway near where the woman lived and where he was kicked out. It was believed that the doorways were similar and when he saw Harriet he believed her to be this other woman and killed her in revenge.

I couldn't find if this sailor was identified and arrested, but it could be possible the case was never solved.

SOURCES:
The Boston Globe March 11, 1882
Chicago Tribune March 9, 1882
The Boston Globe May 16, 1892
Democrat and Chronicle December 24, 1892
The Cape Girardeau Democrat December 31, 1892
The Anaconda Standard Jan. 3, 1893