NOTICE: This site is part of a network that offers FREE genealogical and historical information

p.161
"Boston Daily Journal," Tuesday, December 27, 1853

Dr. [Peter] Pineo, the Physician of the Poor House, came into the house about the time of the tragedy and Haynes immediately made an attack upon him with the razor. At the same time a drunken person, who was present, seized the doctor round the waist and held him so firmly that for a while his situation was very critical. He suceeded, however, in releasing himself from the hold of the drunken man, and soon mastered Haynes, who was rapidly growing weak from the loss of blood. Haynes survived but a short time. We learn that a few days since, he made an attack upon Dr. Pineo, though not of so violent a character.

"Lowell Journal and Courier," December 30, 1853"

Mr. [Prentiss] Haynes, one of the overseers of the poor of that town, has been supposed to be somewhat deranged for some time past, and was asked by his wife to retire for the night, when he told her that he would sleep upstairs, as he was fearful somebody would shoot him if he slept below, and accordingly the two went up stairs. After a while a noise was heard and Mrs. Haynes rushed downstairs, followed by her husband with a razor in his hand, the two running against an old lady present, and around the house and back up stairs again, when Mr. Haynes was heard to bolt the door and say, "You have got to die now, any how."

When the door was opened shortly after, it was found that both the wife's and husband's throats were cut from ear to ear causing their death almost instantly!

From appearances the husband attacked his wife and cut a gash on the side of her face before she rushed down stairs and there was another cut on one of her hands, probably done at the same time. At the second attack he was perfectly sucessful, it appears.

A terrible murderous transaction occurred in this town on Thursday afternoon [September 5] last, resulting in the death of two individuals.

It appears that one Augustus Read, who belongs to Dunstable, was in the employ of Mr. A. H. Fuller, drawing wood from his lot near "Commun- ity Village," so called, between the Junction and Groton Centre. Reed was on his return to the wood lot when one Charles Messer asked him for a ride. Reed took him into his cart and they went off. On arriving at the lot, Reed asked Messer to give him a lift and help load the wagon. Messer declined, when Reed insisted, and they soon got involved in a dispute which led to blows. Messer turned to leave, Reed follow- ing him, when Messer immediately drew a bowied knife (one belonging to his son, a returned volunteer) and rushed upon him, stabbing him in three places, and in the back.

Reed then returned to his cart in a high state of excitement, declaring to an Irishman who was at work with him, that he would finish the devilish rascal; so snatching up a bludgeon he hurried after Messer, and struck him with such tremendous force as to break his skull, kill- ing him almost instantly.

In the mean time the Irishman, much frightened, had fled for assist- ance, and soon brought back some persons to hand. Reed immediately gave himself up to the authorities and was taken to the residence of his mother, in a weak state. His wounds being of a dangerous character, he gradually failed and died on the following morning.

Reed and Messer, both, had been drinking freely; so, again, we have another shocking fact to record, of two men at the head of families murdering each other from the most trivial cause, while under the influence of liquor!

A Double Murder in Groton.
A sad affair, resulting in the death of two men, occurred in the town of Groton, in this State, on Thursday last. Charles Messer and August- us Reed while occupied in loading a team with wood, became involved in a dispute which led to blows. Messer was badly beaten by Reed over the head with a club till life was extinct, but during the fight, Reed received several stabs in the abdomen from Messer, which he did not suppose were serious, for he delivered himself up to the authorities and was placed under watch at his mother's. Today, however, his wounds terminated fatally. Both men leave families.

Dr. Green goes on to say,
"Akin to these homicides, and for the same reason that they are ment- ioned, I will add a very short notice of three other tragedies that have occurred in the town within a few years. A radius of half a mile would describe a circle, which includes the scenes of them all.

Mrs. Maria L. Crue was murdered on January 17, 1880, in her house near the Ridges, by Stearns Kendall Abbott, who is now serving in the State Prison a life sentence for the crime.

Mrs. Susanna (Blood) Prescott was murdered on November 11, 1885 in her house near the Ridges by Mrs. Mary Ann Jane Baker, now serving in the Middlesex House of Correction at East Cambridge a life sentence for the deed.

p.164
Henry Winch was killed by Nathan Nutting on May 16, 1887; but the grand jury, considering it a case of justifiable homicide, failed to find a bill against him.

Transcribed by Janice Farnsworth
Used with permission by Janice Farnsworth