NOTE: Name spelled as Allen J in census and military records.
Son of Silas Adams and Rosanna Adams (both born in Franklin, MA); resided in North Bellingham, Vermont. He is buried in a secret spot known only by the sexton in Bridge Street Cemetery.
Enlisted in Philadelphia, PA on 6 December 1866. Served as a private marine in the US Navy. Admitted to the US Naval Hospital in Norfolk, VA on 13 July 1868 with a diagnosis of mania. Discharged from the hospital and service on 25 August 1868 as unfit for duty.
Sometime between 23 and 25 November 1875, he murdered Moses Dickinson with an axe and stole $150.00 cash. The body was found on the evening of November 27. Mr Dickinson supposedly was a "opium-eater" whose family had left him due to his "peculiarities." He had hired a vagabond calling himself John to help on the farm. The hired hand had not been seen for several days. Although a $1000 reward was offered, the crime remained unsolved until 1885 when Mr Allen admitted to it while in prison in Tazewell, Tennessee, for forgery. Although found guilty of that crime, and sentenced to 3 years in the penitentiary, the court set the sentence aside and he was remanded to Massachusetts for trial.
Trial – 8-10 December 1885, Hampshire Superior Court, Northampton
Charged with murder in the first degree – on the evening of November 27 neighbors heard the cattle bellowing in Dickinson's barn as if in want of food. Mr Dickinson found dead upon a lounge with a broken skull from an axe, which was smeared with blood, and had been dead for a day or two. The only item missing was a pocket-book; he had recently sold his tobacco crop for $150.00
Presiding judges - Justice Charles Devens and William Allen
Prosecuting attorneys – District Attorney Bond and Attorney General Sherman
Defense attorneys appointed by court as defendant was indigent – Judge W G Bassett and J B O'Donnell
Defense – insanity.
Jury pool of 60 men – 4 excused for scruples against capital punishment, 4 for prejudice against Adams, 1 couldn't hear, 1 had a death in the family, 7 not called. 13 were challenged by the attorney-general and 14 by Adams. Seated jury – Foreman, John Springer of Northampton, William D Douglass of Greenwich, Merrick Whitney of Belchertown, William E Dickinson of Granby, Jarius E Frary of Southampton, George G Hall of Ware, Gilbert W Arms of Northampton, Albert a Grout of Prescott, Joel Engram of Chesterfield, James N Benjamin of Plainfield, Franklin M Bragg of Belchertown and Thomas Buffum of Easthampton.
Prosecution:
Eye-witnesses identifying Adams as "John" - William H Bates, son-in-law of Moses Dickinson & found the body, Lewis W Spear, Amherst blacksmith, Ellen McCarty, Amherst
Seneca Adams, 2nd cousin, denied any knowledge of fits
Expert witnesses – Dr Earle of Northampton (legally sane, no evidence of epilepsy), Dr Bancroft, ex-superintendent of the Concord (NH) lunatic hospital (legally sane), Dr Hurd, superintendent of the Ipswich lunatic hospital (legally sane), Dr Park, superintendent of the Worcester hospital (legally sane) and Dr A W Thompson, superintendent of Shady Lawn private asylum (legally sane)
Defense:
A P Brown and Henry Jackson rebutted identification as same man
Henry M Potter, Jailer, testified to Adams strange behavior while in custody. Sister in Bellingham, Vermont could not be present but testimony read – all 6 boys in family had fits & 1 brother hung himself.
Dr George W Cain, Newport, VT, saw Adams before commital to Concord NH insane asylum in 1877.
Justice Allen charged jury reminding them that question of guilt hinged on identification and mental state. Although there was no proof that Mr Allen committed the crime, he had confessed to it multiple times and knew details that only someone who had been there would have known.
Jury went out at 6:30 p.m; returned at 8:30 p.m. – Guilty of murder in the first degree
Sentenced to hang on March 12, 1886 between 8 and 12 in the forenoon
On 22 February 1886, he petitioned the governor for commutation of the sentence to life imprisonment. Drs Earle, Bancroft, Thompson and Park favored the commutation of the sentence. On 27 February 1886, the Governor declined to intervene.
On 2 March 1886, he got a pen-knife from another prisoner and attempted suicide. The Governor granted him a reprieve until April 17.
He requested from Sheriff G N Clark that he be hung at 8:00 a.m. so he would have time to have dinner in Hell. The hanging took place at a gallows built next to the jail. He was hung at 10:30 a.m. and declared deceased at 10:55 a.m. No friends or relatives claimed the remains.
The cemetery sexton was afraid that the Dickinson relatives would desecrate the grave so he chose a "secret" spot. He never revealed where he buried Mr Adams.
Moses B. Dickinson Æ 59y. 9m. 12d., son of Oliver and Elizabeth (Billings) Dickinson (all three born in Amherst). Moses is buried in South Amherst cemetery.
Sources:
Amherst Deaths, Vol. 5, p. 78
Boston Journal, Saturday, 27 February 1886, p2
Hampshire Co. Quarter Centennial p. 9
Kalamazoo Gazette (Michigan) Sunday 18 April 1886, p3
New Haven Register, New Haven CT, Saturday, 7 March 1885, p2
New York Herald, Saturday, Aril 17, 1886, p2
Northampton Deaths, Vol. 1, p. 55
Springfield Republican, Sunday 8 March 1885, p7
Springfield Republican, Tuesday 8 December 1885 & Thursday 10 December 1885
Springfield Republican, Sunday 13 December 1885, p4
Worcester Daily Spy, Monday 22 February 1886, p4
Son of Silas Adams and Rosanna Adams (both born in Franklin, MA); resided in North Bellingham, Vermont. He is buried in a secret spot known only by the sexton in Bridge Street Cemetery.
Enlisted in Philadelphia, PA on 6 December 1866. Served as a private marine in the US Navy. Admitted to the US Naval Hospital in Norfolk, VA on 13 July 1868 with a diagnosis of mania. Discharged from the hospital and service on 25 August 1868 as unfit for duty.
Sometime between 23 and 25 November 1875, he murdered Moses Dickinson with an axe and stole $150.00 cash. The body was found on the evening of November 27. Mr Dickinson supposedly was a "opium-eater" whose family had left him due to his "peculiarities." He had hired a vagabond calling himself John to help on the farm. The hired hand had not been seen for several days. Although a $1000 reward was offered, the crime remained unsolved until 1885 when Mr Allen admitted to it while in prison in Tazewell, Tennessee, for forgery. Although found guilty of that crime, and sentenced to 3 years in the penitentiary, the court set the sentence aside and he was remanded to Massachusetts for trial.
Trial – 8-10 December 1885, Hampshire Superior Court, Northampton
Charged with murder in the first degree – on the evening of November 27 neighbors heard the cattle bellowing in Dickinson's barn as if in want of food. Mr Dickinson found dead upon a lounge with a broken skull from an axe, which was smeared with blood, and had been dead for a day or two. The only item missing was a pocket-book; he had recently sold his tobacco crop for $150.00
Presiding judges - Justice Charles Devens and William Allen
Prosecuting attorneys – District Attorney Bond and Attorney General Sherman
Defense attorneys appointed by court as defendant was indigent – Judge W G Bassett and J B O'Donnell
Defense – insanity.
Jury pool of 60 men – 4 excused for scruples against capital punishment, 4 for prejudice against Adams, 1 couldn't hear, 1 had a death in the family, 7 not called. 13 were challenged by the attorney-general and 14 by Adams. Seated jury – Foreman, John Springer of Northampton, William D Douglass of Greenwich, Merrick Whitney of Belchertown, William E Dickinson of Granby, Jarius E Frary of Southampton, George G Hall of Ware, Gilbert W Arms of Northampton, Albert a Grout of Prescott, Joel Engram of Chesterfield, James N Benjamin of Plainfield, Franklin M Bragg of Belchertown and Thomas Buffum of Easthampton.
Prosecution:
Eye-witnesses identifying Adams as "John" - William H Bates, son-in-law of Moses Dickinson & found the body, Lewis W Spear, Amherst blacksmith, Ellen McCarty, Amherst
Seneca Adams, 2nd cousin, denied any knowledge of fits
Expert witnesses – Dr Earle of Northampton (legally sane, no evidence of epilepsy), Dr Bancroft, ex-superintendent of the Concord (NH) lunatic hospital (legally sane), Dr Hurd, superintendent of the Ipswich lunatic hospital (legally sane), Dr Park, superintendent of the Worcester hospital (legally sane) and Dr A W Thompson, superintendent of Shady Lawn private asylum (legally sane)
Defense:
A P Brown and Henry Jackson rebutted identification as same man
Henry M Potter, Jailer, testified to Adams strange behavior while in custody. Sister in Bellingham, Vermont could not be present but testimony read – all 6 boys in family had fits & 1 brother hung himself.
Dr George W Cain, Newport, VT, saw Adams before commital to Concord NH insane asylum in 1877.
Justice Allen charged jury reminding them that question of guilt hinged on identification and mental state. Although there was no proof that Mr Allen committed the crime, he had confessed to it multiple times and knew details that only someone who had been there would have known.
Jury went out at 6:30 p.m; returned at 8:30 p.m. – Guilty of murder in the first degree
Sentenced to hang on March 12, 1886 between 8 and 12 in the forenoon
On 22 February 1886, he petitioned the governor for commutation of the sentence to life imprisonment. Drs Earle, Bancroft, Thompson and Park favored the commutation of the sentence. On 27 February 1886, the Governor declined to intervene.
On 2 March 1886, he got a pen-knife from another prisoner and attempted suicide. The Governor granted him a reprieve until April 17.
He requested from Sheriff G N Clark that he be hung at 8:00 a.m. so he would have time to have dinner in Hell. The hanging took place at a gallows built next to the jail. He was hung at 10:30 a.m. and declared deceased at 10:55 a.m. No friends or relatives claimed the remains.
The cemetery sexton was afraid that the Dickinson relatives would desecrate the grave so he chose a "secret" spot. He never revealed where he buried Mr Adams.
Moses B. Dickinson Æ 59y. 9m. 12d., son of Oliver and Elizabeth (Billings) Dickinson (all three born in Amherst). Moses is buried in South Amherst cemetery.
Sources:
Amherst Deaths, Vol. 5, p. 78
Boston Journal, Saturday, 27 February 1886, p2
Hampshire Co. Quarter Centennial p. 9
Kalamazoo Gazette (Michigan) Sunday 18 April 1886, p3
New Haven Register, New Haven CT, Saturday, 7 March 1885, p2
New York Herald, Saturday, Aril 17, 1886, p2
Northampton Deaths, Vol. 1, p. 55
Springfield Republican, Sunday 8 March 1885, p7
Springfield Republican, Tuesday 8 December 1885 & Thursday 10 December 1885
Springfield Republican, Sunday 13 December 1885, p4
Worcester Daily Spy, Monday 22 February 1886, p4
NOTE: Name spelled as Allen J in census and military records.
Son of Silas Adams and Rosanna Adams (both born in Franklin, MA); resided in North Bellingham, Vermont. He is buried in a secret spot known only by the sexton in Bridge Street Cemetery.
Enlisted in Philadelphia, PA on 6 December 1866. Served as a private marine in the US Navy. Admitted to the US Naval Hospital in Norfolk, VA on 13 July 1868 with a diagnosis of mania. Discharged from the hospital and service on 25 August 1868 as unfit for duty.
Sometime between 23 and 25 November 1875, he murdered Moses Dickinson with an axe and stole $150.00 cash. The body was found on the evening of November 27. Mr Dickinson supposedly was a "opium-eater" whose family had left him due to his "peculiarities." He had hired a vagabond calling himself John to help on the farm. The hired hand had not been seen for several days. Although a $1000 reward was offered, the crime remained unsolved until 1885 when Mr Allen admitted to it while in prison in Tazewell, Tennessee, for forgery. Although found guilty of that crime, and sentenced to 3 years in the penitentiary, the court set the sentence aside and he was remanded to Massachusetts for trial.
Trial – 8-10 December 1885, Hampshire Superior Court, Northampton
Charged with murder in the first degree – on the evening of November 27 neighbors heard the cattle bellowing in Dickinson's barn as if in want of food. Mr Dickinson found dead upon a lounge with a broken skull from an axe, which was smeared with blood, and had been dead for a day or two. The only item missing was a pocket-book; he had recently sold his tobacco crop for $150.00
Presiding judges - Justice Charles Devens and William Allen
Prosecuting attorneys – District Attorney Bond and Attorney General Sherman
Defense attorneys appointed by court as defendant was indigent – Judge W G Bassett and J B O'Donnell
Defense – insanity.
Jury pool of 60 men – 4 excused for scruples against capital punishment, 4 for prejudice against Adams, 1 couldn't hear, 1 had a death in the family, 7 not called. 13 were challenged by the attorney-general and 14 by Adams. Seated jury – Foreman, John Springer of Northampton, William D Douglass of Greenwich, Merrick Whitney of Belchertown, William E Dickinson of Granby, Jarius E Frary of Southampton, George G Hall of Ware, Gilbert W Arms of Northampton, Albert a Grout of Prescott, Joel Engram of Chesterfield, James N Benjamin of Plainfield, Franklin M Bragg of Belchertown and Thomas Buffum of Easthampton.
Prosecution:
Eye-witnesses identifying Adams as "John" - William H Bates, son-in-law of Moses Dickinson & found the body, Lewis W Spear, Amherst blacksmith, Ellen McCarty, Amherst
Seneca Adams, 2nd cousin, denied any knowledge of fits
Expert witnesses – Dr Earle of Northampton (legally sane, no evidence of epilepsy), Dr Bancroft, ex-superintendent of the Concord (NH) lunatic hospital (legally sane), Dr Hurd, superintendent of the Ipswich lunatic hospital (legally sane), Dr Park, superintendent of the Worcester hospital (legally sane) and Dr A W Thompson, superintendent of Shady Lawn private asylum (legally sane)
Defense:
A P Brown and Henry Jackson rebutted identification as same man
Henry M Potter, Jailer, testified to Adams strange behavior while in custody. Sister in Bellingham, Vermont could not be present but testimony read – all 6 boys in family had fits & 1 brother hung himself.
Dr George W Cain, Newport, VT, saw Adams before commital to Concord NH insane asylum in 1877.
Justice Allen charged jury reminding them that question of guilt hinged on identification and mental state. Although there was no proof that Mr Allen committed the crime, he had confessed to it multiple times and knew details that only someone who had been there would have known.
Jury went out at 6:30 p.m; returned at 8:30 p.m. – Guilty of murder in the first degree
Sentenced to hang on March 12, 1886 between 8 and 12 in the forenoon
On 22 February 1886, he petitioned the governor for commutation of the sentence to life imprisonment. Drs Earle, Bancroft, Thompson and Park favored the commutation of the sentence. On 27 February 1886, the Governor declined to intervene.
On 2 March 1886, he got a pen-knife from another prisoner and attempted suicide. The Governor granted him a reprieve until April 17.
He requested from Sheriff G N Clark that he be hung at 8:00 a.m. so he would have time to have dinner in Hell. The hanging took place at a gallows built next to the jail. He was hung at 10:30 a.m. and declared deceased at 10:55 a.m. No friends or relatives claimed the remains.
The cemetery sexton was afraid that the Dickinson relatives would desecrate the grave so he chose a "secret" spot. He never revealed where he buried Mr Adams.
Moses B. Dickinson Æ 59y. 9m. 12d., son of Oliver and Elizabeth (Billings) Dickinson (all three born in Amherst). Moses is buried in South Amherst cemetery.
Sources:
Amherst Deaths, Vol. 5, p. 78
Boston Journal, Saturday, 27 February 1886, p2
Hampshire Co. Quarter Centennial p. 9
Kalamazoo Gazette (Michigan) Sunday 18 April 1886, p3
New Haven Register, New Haven CT, Saturday, 7 March 1885, p2
New York Herald, Saturday, Aril 17, 1886, p2
Northampton Deaths, Vol. 1, p. 55
Springfield Republican, Sunday 8 March 1885, p7
Springfield Republican, Tuesday 8 December 1885 & Thursday 10 December 1885
Springfield Republican, Sunday 13 December 1885, p4
Worcester Daily Spy, Monday 22 February 1886, p4
Son of Silas Adams and Rosanna Adams (both born in Franklin, MA); resided in North Bellingham, Vermont. He is buried in a secret spot known only by the sexton in Bridge Street Cemetery.
Enlisted in Philadelphia, PA on 6 December 1866. Served as a private marine in the US Navy. Admitted to the US Naval Hospital in Norfolk, VA on 13 July 1868 with a diagnosis of mania. Discharged from the hospital and service on 25 August 1868 as unfit for duty.
Sometime between 23 and 25 November 1875, he murdered Moses Dickinson with an axe and stole $150.00 cash. The body was found on the evening of November 27. Mr Dickinson supposedly was a "opium-eater" whose family had left him due to his "peculiarities." He had hired a vagabond calling himself John to help on the farm. The hired hand had not been seen for several days. Although a $1000 reward was offered, the crime remained unsolved until 1885 when Mr Allen admitted to it while in prison in Tazewell, Tennessee, for forgery. Although found guilty of that crime, and sentenced to 3 years in the penitentiary, the court set the sentence aside and he was remanded to Massachusetts for trial.
Trial – 8-10 December 1885, Hampshire Superior Court, Northampton
Charged with murder in the first degree – on the evening of November 27 neighbors heard the cattle bellowing in Dickinson's barn as if in want of food. Mr Dickinson found dead upon a lounge with a broken skull from an axe, which was smeared with blood, and had been dead for a day or two. The only item missing was a pocket-book; he had recently sold his tobacco crop for $150.00
Presiding judges - Justice Charles Devens and William Allen
Prosecuting attorneys – District Attorney Bond and Attorney General Sherman
Defense attorneys appointed by court as defendant was indigent – Judge W G Bassett and J B O'Donnell
Defense – insanity.
Jury pool of 60 men – 4 excused for scruples against capital punishment, 4 for prejudice against Adams, 1 couldn't hear, 1 had a death in the family, 7 not called. 13 were challenged by the attorney-general and 14 by Adams. Seated jury – Foreman, John Springer of Northampton, William D Douglass of Greenwich, Merrick Whitney of Belchertown, William E Dickinson of Granby, Jarius E Frary of Southampton, George G Hall of Ware, Gilbert W Arms of Northampton, Albert a Grout of Prescott, Joel Engram of Chesterfield, James N Benjamin of Plainfield, Franklin M Bragg of Belchertown and Thomas Buffum of Easthampton.
Prosecution:
Eye-witnesses identifying Adams as "John" - William H Bates, son-in-law of Moses Dickinson & found the body, Lewis W Spear, Amherst blacksmith, Ellen McCarty, Amherst
Seneca Adams, 2nd cousin, denied any knowledge of fits
Expert witnesses – Dr Earle of Northampton (legally sane, no evidence of epilepsy), Dr Bancroft, ex-superintendent of the Concord (NH) lunatic hospital (legally sane), Dr Hurd, superintendent of the Ipswich lunatic hospital (legally sane), Dr Park, superintendent of the Worcester hospital (legally sane) and Dr A W Thompson, superintendent of Shady Lawn private asylum (legally sane)
Defense:
A P Brown and Henry Jackson rebutted identification as same man
Henry M Potter, Jailer, testified to Adams strange behavior while in custody. Sister in Bellingham, Vermont could not be present but testimony read – all 6 boys in family had fits & 1 brother hung himself.
Dr George W Cain, Newport, VT, saw Adams before commital to Concord NH insane asylum in 1877.
Justice Allen charged jury reminding them that question of guilt hinged on identification and mental state. Although there was no proof that Mr Allen committed the crime, he had confessed to it multiple times and knew details that only someone who had been there would have known.
Jury went out at 6:30 p.m; returned at 8:30 p.m. – Guilty of murder in the first degree
Sentenced to hang on March 12, 1886 between 8 and 12 in the forenoon
On 22 February 1886, he petitioned the governor for commutation of the sentence to life imprisonment. Drs Earle, Bancroft, Thompson and Park favored the commutation of the sentence. On 27 February 1886, the Governor declined to intervene.
On 2 March 1886, he got a pen-knife from another prisoner and attempted suicide. The Governor granted him a reprieve until April 17.
He requested from Sheriff G N Clark that he be hung at 8:00 a.m. so he would have time to have dinner in Hell. The hanging took place at a gallows built next to the jail. He was hung at 10:30 a.m. and declared deceased at 10:55 a.m. No friends or relatives claimed the remains.
The cemetery sexton was afraid that the Dickinson relatives would desecrate the grave so he chose a "secret" spot. He never revealed where he buried Mr Adams.
Moses B. Dickinson Æ 59y. 9m. 12d., son of Oliver and Elizabeth (Billings) Dickinson (all three born in Amherst). Moses is buried in South Amherst cemetery.
Sources:
Amherst Deaths, Vol. 5, p. 78
Boston Journal, Saturday, 27 February 1886, p2
Hampshire Co. Quarter Centennial p. 9
Kalamazoo Gazette (Michigan) Sunday 18 April 1886, p3
New Haven Register, New Haven CT, Saturday, 7 March 1885, p2
New York Herald, Saturday, Aril 17, 1886, p2
Northampton Deaths, Vol. 1, p. 55
Springfield Republican, Sunday 8 March 1885, p7
Springfield Republican, Tuesday 8 December 1885 & Thursday 10 December 1885
Springfield Republican, Sunday 13 December 1885, p4
Worcester Daily Spy, Monday 22 February 1886, p4
Inscription
NONE. No marker, burial location within cemetery is unknown.
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