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

Murder of William Wise

Alice Riley arrived in America in December of 1733. The teenager came bound to be an indentured servant to escape the famine happening in Ireland. She was sent to work for a man named William Wise. She worked for William in Savannah Georgia and knew that she had to work for him for several years to pay off her debt.

It was said that William wasn't a good man to work for and was cruel and sadistic. He was a plantation owner and not only did his servants despised him, but the people of town also did. Alice initially thought she was to be a housemaid or field hand. William had other plans for the girl.

Alice was described as pretty and decided to use her for his own pleasures knowing she couldn't say no. He would mistreat and beat her daily much like he would an African slave. He would often make her and other female servants/slaves bath and groom him.

Alice met Richard White on the plantation and fell in love with him. He was working as a butler for William Wise. During the night of March 1, 1734,  while Alice bathed William Richard heard her screams, and together they killed William. It's unknown if it was planned ahead of time or not.

Alice was said to have suffocated William with a handkerchief which was still tied around his neck and Richard finished him off by drowning him in a bucket of water. They left his body still laying on his bed. They had fled the house and his at the Isle of Hope but were found.  The two were arrested and set to hang for the murder of their master.

They hung Richard first. It was found that Alice was pregnant at the time and the people of Savannah didn't want to hang a pregnant woman. She stayed in jail until the birth of her son James and four weeks after his birth she was hung on Jan. 19 1735 at Wright Square in Savannah Georgia. Her body was left hanging for three days before being cut down. To the end, Alice maintained she was innocent.

James did not live long after his mother's death. He died around two months later.

There's a legend of a ghost woman looking for her child in Wright Square. She asks everyone to help her look for her baby and often tourists will call the police reporting her. A woman with dated clothing from Alice's time is never found.

SOURCES:
Murderpedia
Victims of Homicide Wiki
Georgia Info
Freeman's Rag
Capital Punishment UK
Mostly Ghosts
Savannah Now October 30, 2014
Savannah Now October 22, 2015