Living Room

Reported Friday, May 22, 1941.

Ruby Davis, housewife, found dead on the stairs by her husband, Reginald Davis.

Mr. Davis gave the following statement:

He and his wife spent the previous evening, Thursday, May 21, quietly at home. His wife had gone upstairs to bed shortly before he had. This morning he awoke a little before 5:00 a.m. to find that his wife was not beside him in bed. After waiting a while, he got up to see where she was and found her dead body on the stairs. He at once called the family physician who, upon his arrival, immediately notified the police.

The model shows the premises just before the arrival of the family physician.

(To see a full-sized picture, click on the picture.)

Log Cabin

Reported Thursday, October 22, 1942.

Arthur Roberts, local insurance salesman, found dead by police who responded to a call from a friend of the victim, Marian Chase.

Mrs. Chase gave the following statement:

She met Arthur at the log cabin on Wednesday, October 21, about 5:15 p.m. They were in the habit of meeting there. Roberts was married and living with his wife. Mrs. Chase was also married but not living with her husband. Roberts told her at this meeting that the affair between them was ended. There was no quarrel. They were standing at the foot of the bunk. He turned towards the door, took a pack of cigarettes from his outside pocket, selected a cigarette, but dropped it. As he stooped over to pick it up, a shot was heard, he fell flat and a gun dropped beside him. Mrs. Chase picked up the gun but then replaced it. It did not belong to her. She then ran out of the door, jumped into her car and drove to summon the police.

The gun was identified as belonging to Arthur Roberts. Mrs. Close identified the handbag on the bunk as hers.

A single bullet had passed entirely through Mr. Roberts' chest from front to back, and the powder around the entrance hole indicated that it had been fired at a fairly close range.

The model shows the premises just after Mrs. Chase left and before her return with the police officer.

(To see a full-sized picture, click on the picture.)

The Barn

Reported Saturday, July 15, 1939.

Eben Wallace, local farmer, found dead by his wife.

Mrs. Wallace gave the following statement:

Mr. Wallace was hard to get along with. When things didn't go the way he wanted, he would go out to the barn, threatening suicide. Mr. Wallace would stand up on a bucket and put a noose around his neck, but she would always manage to persuade him not to do it. On the afternoon of July 14, about 4:00 p.m., they had a dispute. Mr. Wallace made his usual threats, but she didn't follow him to the barn right away. When she did go to the barn, she found the premises as represented in the model.

The bucket usually stood in the corner just inside the barn door, but yesterday she had used it and left it out by the pump. The rope was always kept fastened to the beam just the way it was found--it was part of the regular barn hoist.

(To see a full-sized picture, click on the picture.)

Pink Bathroom

Reported Tuesday, March 31, 1942.

Rose Fishman, widow, found dead by janitor Sanuel Weiss.

Mr. Weiss gave the following statement:

Several tenants complained of an odor, and on March 30, he began looking for the source of the odor. Mrs. Fishman didn't answer her bell when he rang it, and upon checking with other tenants he learned that she had not been seen recently. Therefore, he looked into her mailbox and saw that her mail had accumulated for several days. He entered Mrs. Fishman's apartment, found it in order but the odor was very strong. The bathroom door was closed. When he tried to open the door, he could only get it opened a little way and the odor was much stronger. He immediately went downstairs and climbed the fire escape to enter the bathroom through the window. He could not remember if he found the window open or closed.

The model, however, shows the premises as he found them.

(To see a full-sized picture, click on the picture.)

Woodman's Shack

Ruby Jenks found dead in a woodman's shack she lived in with Homer Gregg and Carl Stebbins.

On Tuesday, February 6, about 5:00 p.m., High Field Village Chief of Police Lawrence W. Farmer was notified by Dr. George Barbour of High Field Village that there was a dead woman in a lumberman's camp on Pine Grove Road. Medical investigator Chester W. Dombey, Deputy Sheriff Thomas Gorman, photographer Adam Stanhope, and Chief Farmer went over at once. They found Mr. Gregg and Mr. Stebbins there, both very drunk, and the body of Ruby Jenks on the bed entirely covered up, including her head and face. Chief Farmer pulled the blanket down and Stanhope took a picture. Dr. Dombey made an examiniation of the body and ordered it removed to Coffin & Graves Funeral Parlor. Mr. Stebbins then lay down on the bed and photographer Stanhope took a picture of him and one of the outside of the shack. At the funeral parlor, Dr. Combey again examined the body and found no marks of violence. Adam Stanhope took another picture here. The two men were questioned that night and again the next day.

The model shows the premises as found by Dr. Barbour upon his arrival at 4:25 p.m. on Tuesday, February 6. Mr. Stebbins is lying on the bed--also Ruby. Mr. Gregg is seated on the chair.

U.S. Weather Bureau Report: Weather clear; temperature 17F; sunset 5:03 p.m.

(To see a full-sized picture, click on the picture.)

Reported Thursday, February 8, 1945.

Burned Cabin

Reported Sunday, August 15, 1943.

Daniel Perkins missing and presumed dead.

Phillip Perkins, Daniel Perkins' nephew, gave the following statement:

On Saturday evening, August 14, he came to spend the night with his uncle, as he frequently did. In the middle of the night, he was wakened by the smell of smoke and ran outside to find the house on fire and the fire engines arriving. He said he had been very confused and could not remember any other details.

Joseph McCarthy, driver of Fire Engine #6, gave the following statement:

The call to the fire was received at 1:30 a.m., Sunday, August 15. Upon arrival of the fire engine, the fire was quickly extinguished before the building was completely destroyed. He notice Phillip Perkins, fully clothed, wandering around near the house.

The model represents the premises after the fire was extinguished and before the investigation was started.

(To see a full-sized picture, click on the picture.)

Garage

Reported Monday, January 7, 1946.

Hugh Patterson, Vice President of Suburban Bank, found dead in the garage by his wife, Sue Patterson.

Mrs. Patterson gave the following statement:

Hugh went out alone in the car after dinner on Saturday, January 5. He often did this, especially lately, and would stay out very late. Sunday morning when he hadn't come home by breakfast, Mrs. Patterson went to the garage to see if the car was there. She looked in the left-hand door and saw Hugh hanging out of the car. She then telephones the local police station for help as she couldn't reach the doctor.

When the patrolman arrived, he went around to the back, broke the glass, climbed in the window and opened both doors. He left through the window so as not to disturb footprints in front. He found the garage full of gas fumes, the car's ignition turned on and the gas tank empty.

Hugh had seemed troubled for some time and money hadn't been as plentiful as it once was. Some time ago he told her that he carried heavy life insurance, with the double indemnity clause for accident, in her favor, and about that time he deeded the house to her. He had begun to drink a good deal lately.

The model shows the premises just after the patrolman left the garage by way of the window.

(To see a full-sized picture, click on the picture.)

Saloon and Jail

Frank Harris, dock laborer, found dead in a jail cell after found lying on the street by patrolman Dennis Mulcahy.

Patrolman Mulcahy stated that on Saturday night, November 11, at half past eleven, he was walking his beat on Dock Street. He saw a man lying sprawled out on the sidewalk in front of Pat's Place, a saloon. The man was breathing and smelt strongly of liquor. Mulcahy called the wagon, which took the man to Station 2, where he was locked up in a single cell. His union card bore the name of Frank Harris, address 27-1/2 Walter Street. He appeared to be very drunk. There were no marks of violence on him.

On Sunday morning, November 12, at 7:00 a.m., when round were made in Station 2, Mr. Harris was found dead in his cell, as represented by the model.

(To see a full-sized picture, click on the picture.)