—
Her Body Found on the Mystic River Flats.
—
Alleged Lover Trefethen Now Under Arrest.
—
Brother-in-Law Held as an Accessory.
—
Evidences of Foul Play Said to Exist.
—
Men in Custody Take Situation Very Coolly.(sic)
Tena Davis has been found, but not alive.
The body of the girl who had been missing from her home in Everett since Dec. 23 was yesterday recovered from the Mystic river.
Whether or not the unfortunate girl committed suicide or was murdered does not yet appear, but the police have taken no chances, and have now under arrest the man to whom suspicion has long pointed as knowing more of the girl's disappearance than anyone else James A. Trefethen.
The body bears, however, such marks as to warrant the gravest suspicions that death did not come to the girl by her own act.
It is in view of these suspicions that the arrest of Trefethen has been made.
Should the latter show that a murder has been committed, he must clear himself if he can.
With him has been arrested his brother-in-law, William E. Smith, as an alleged accessory after the fact.
Both took their arrest calmly, were closely questioned separately by the police and were then locked up for the night in the town lockup of Everett.
From the time the hat of the dead girl was found on the banks of the Mystic river, the stream has been more than suspected to contain her body, and a most careful search has been made by the police of the places where they thought the body might lie.
The progress of this search has been chronicled from day to day and many people have also seen the officers at work.
It was one of these persons who found the body.
About 4 o’clock yesterday afternoon Edwin Fuller of Somerville was passing along the Wellington bridge and was thinking of the search and its fruitless result.
It was low tide at the time, and in looking down the river he saw an object lying on the mud flats about half-way between high and low water mark, and 150 feet from the bridge.
He went over upon the marsh, waited as far as it was safe to go and saw that the object was the body of a woman.
He then notified the bridge tender, Thomas Lahey.
Lahey and his son immediately
Put Out in a Boat,
and on reaching the body fastened a line to it and drew it to the pier of the draw, where it was taken from the water.
By the time the body had been placed upon the pier a large crowd of searchers had collected, among whom were several Everett citizens.
They at once identified the body as that of Tena Davis.
Among them were Franklin Fox, a next door neighbor; Walter Peak and M.H. Bullard.
The brother of Miss Davis had been with the searching party, but had left for home about a half hour before the finding of the body.
The part of the River where the discovery of the body was made lies between the Middlesex av. Bridge -- which crosses from the Wellington side to Ten Hill Farm in Somerville and the Boston & Maine, western division, railroad.
It was upon the sidewalk of the former bridge that Drawtender Lahey discovered the wheel tracks of a vehicle on Christmas morning.
These tracks leading from the Medford side are still plainly visible, and stop at the draw, where the wagon was lifted over the eight-inch guard timber that separates the roadbed from the sidewalk.
Here the marks show that the horse was turned around and driven back toward Wellington.
The body when found was frozen and completely covered with mud.
The hair was badly matted.
The body was in remarkably good condition considering the time it must have been in the water.
It was clad in a seal plush sacque, a reddish-brown cashmere dress, black stockings, French kid boots encasing the feet, and a full outfit of underclothing.
Medical Examiner Durell of Somerville was notified as soon as possible after the finding of the body, but it was almost dark before he reached Wellington bridge.
He found that the body had been taken from the River and placed on the pier of the draw.
Owing to the gathering darkness Dr. Durell made only a hasty examination of the body, and then ordered its removal to Nichols’ undertaking establishment in Medford.
Both eyes were blackened, and there is a discoloration on the forehead.
They may not indicate death by violence, but no police officer would hesitate to arrest
A Suspected Person
with such evidences of a possible murder before him, coupled with the suspicions previously entertained. At the same time that the medical examiner was notified, word was sent to Chief of Police Holmes of Medford, and the body is now in his custody, having been found in his jurisdiction.
Chief Emerton of Everett, Deputy Chief Sullivan of Malden and State Police Officer J. H. Whitney were also notified, and after a look at the body decided that the man against whom suspicions had been made must be arrested.
In the meantime, however, Sergt. Hewitt of Everett, who has been untiring in his work upon the case from the beginning, had fully identified the body as that of the much-sought for girl, Tena Davis.
Trefethen was arrested at his home on Nichols st. soon after 7 o'clock by Sergt. Hewitt and Deputy Chief Sullivan.
The officers went into the room at the rear of the store and asked for him.
There was a great commotion among the people there when the officers appeared.
“He is up-stairs. We will call him.” was the reply to their question.
“Never mind,” said the sergeant, “I guess I'll go up myself if you’ll show me the way.”
So up stairs they went, and found Trefethen in his room in the upper story.
With him was W.E. Smith, his brother-in-law, the man to whom Trefethen says he sold out his store and stock Dec.14.
Both men looked up in surprise as the officers entered.
“I want you.” Said the sergeant tersely.
“Very well,” replied Trefethen, and both men prepared to accompany the officers.
No talk was made on the way to the station, and when ushered into the presence of the chief Trefethen was as little worried as anyone in the room.
Then he was taken into the chief's private office and was closely questioned. Officer Whitney and Deputy Chief Sullivan were present.
The examination was a long and searching one, and at its close Trefethen was
Taken to the Lockup.
He looked little more worried when he came out of the private office than when he went in.
“Good evening,” he said pleasantly, as he recognized THE GLOBE reporter as the one with whom he had previously had several interviews.
An equally long and searching examination was made of Smith, the brother-in-law.
He did not know at first that the body had been found.
He went into the private office calm and confident. He came out pale and worried, and like Trefethen, was taken to the lock up.
Information was at once sought from the officers as to the results of the questioning.
“I have arrested Trefethen for murder,” said Chief Emerton in response to questions, “and arrested Smith as being an accessory after the fact.
“They will be taken before Judge Pettengill at Malden tomorrow morning, and will be formally committed to await the result of the autopsy.”
Concerning the result of the examination of the prisoners the chief was more reticent, in view of his duty in case a prosecution should become necessary.
It was learned, however, that Trefethen took his examination coolly, except when suddenly informed that the body of the girl had been found.
“My God, you haven’t found her, have you?” Was his exclamation as he rose partly from his chair and then dropped back again.
He soon recovered his composure, however, and answered as calmly as ever.
He told a different story concerning his movements on the Wednesday night the girl disappeared from the one he told Chief Emerton when first questioned.
Then he told the chief that he started for Charlestown, but didn’t get there before meeting his brother and returning home.
His present story is believed to be that he really went to Charlestown on business and returned.
The examination of Smith brought out the fact that the bill of sale of the store and stock and the lease of the premises to him by Trefethen, were not made on Dec. 15, as he had previously stated, but since the disappearance of the girl.
The officers also say that there are discrepancies between the stories of the two men.
Smith became quite faint several times during his examination and was given water to revive him.
And now, in view of the arrest of Trefethen, it is pertinent to review the
Grounds of Suspicion
which the police have against him.
In the first place Trefethen is the man accused by the girl’s mother of her daughter’s ruin; the only man known to the mother who was sufficiently intimate with her daughter to warrant such an accusation; the man named by the daughter herself when she could no longer conceal her condition from her mother’s eyes and was forced to a confession.
In the second place, the police have been able to find no one else who was even reasonably intimate with the girl, and believe they have proof to show that Trefethen’s visits to her were much more friendly than he himself admits.
“Business” he says was the only occasion of his calls, and that he never paid the girl any particular attention.
Again, the police have the letter received by the mother on the day following her daughter’s disappearance, and which bears a much stronger resemblance in its handwriting to that of Trefethen than it does to that of the girl.
This strong resemblance to Trefethen’s handwriting was fully explained and commented upon some days ago, and it now suffices to say that in the opinion of all who have compared the superscription on the envelope with her receipt given Mrs. Davis by Trefethen, the writing is either his or is a close imitation of it.
The words “Everett” are almost identical in both, and the peculiarities in the formation of the capital letters are similar and very marked.
Then the police have the evidence of wheel tracks on the sidewalk of the Wellington bridge, just above the spot where the body was found, and the bits of red wool and fibre taken from the railing of the draw.
The wheel tracks were made Christmas night and were found by the draw-tender the next morning.
The bits of wool fibre correspond very closely with similar fibres taken from a piece of the girl’s dress.
Also in the possession of the police is
A Long Hair,
Corresponding in color and texture to that upon the head of the dead girl.
This hair was found in a crease in the cushion of the buggy owned by Trefethen.
Lastly the police have the hat which the girl wore away.
It is a blue plush turban with blue and yellow feathers. The frame on which it is made has been crushed nearly flat, as if a wagon wheel had passed over it.
The hat was found on the bank of the Mystic river in Somerville at a point where things seldom drift in with the tide.
It was found the day after Christmas resting at high-water mark on the shore, and a careful examination of it shows that it could not have been in the water very long, if at all.
Pressure into the mud under a wagon wheel would give it the appearance it had when found.
Through it was passed the pin used to confine it to the wearer’s head.
It is almost impossible that the hat should have been torn from the wearer’s head with the pin still in it.
These are the things Trefethen will find confronting him if the autopsy shows a murder.
William E. Robinson.
—
MOTHER DOES NOT KNOW.
—
Before She is Told of Finding of Body She Will Make a Statement.
The little home of the Davises on Ferry st., Everett, was dark and quiet last evening.
The mother of Tena was abed, sick, tired, worn out over the disappearance of her daughter and the rumors of foul play that have been floating around in connection with her and that of an Everett man.
A friend of the family stood at the entrance to the home, which is located over the store, and refused admittance to all strangers.
But few friends were allowed upstairs to see the haggard mother.
But in the store there was a dim light.
The curtains were drawn close, but repeated rappings at the door brought a smooth-faced, coatless youth to the door, which he cautiously opened.
It was the brother of the dead girl.
He admitted the reporter, who had a note from a personal friend.
Inside were a couple of neighbors.
“I have a note for you.” Said the reporter, drawing Charlie Davis away from the others. The brother laughed, and said, “That’s what they all say.”
We had learned a couple of hours previous from the chief of Police that the body of his sister had been found.
He displayed no signs of emotion, save the laugh as he took the note.
“I can say nothing about the case,” said young Davis. “There will be an autopsy tomorrow and then maybe I can say something.”
“Have the police arrested Trefethen?”
“Yes? And where did they find him? I knew they were looking for him. Well, I must not say anything. It may be suicide or it may be murder. I have been told not to talk.
“Mother does not know that the body has been found. We are afraid that if she was informed it would kill her. She is subject to heart disease and worn out as she is the shock would certainly end her life. She will not know tonight that the body has been recovered, but maybe with a night’s rest she will be stronger in the morning and can bear the news.
“But I am afraid that even then the shock will be too much for her.
“She is the most important witness for the government, and before she is told of the finding of the body she will make a sworn statement before a justice of the peace. Then if the shock should prove too great for her strength her testimony can be used at the trial.
“After the autopsy may be I can say more about the case. At present it will be impossible for me to express my opinion.”
With that Charles Davis went out of doors in went up stairs to look out for his mother.
Did she possess a fraction of his indifference she could have been informed of the finding of her daughter’s body last night.
As it is will the shock kill her?
The Boston Globe, January 11, 1892 page 1
Vol. XLI. – No. 11 Return to the top Return to James A. Trefethen web page