The Belanger Murder

Kat · Post by **Kat** » Tue Nov 15, 2005 5:07 am

Do we know about this? I ran across this snippet at the bottom of a news item page devoted to the Borden crime. It's from the Fall River Evening News, Wednesday, August 10, 1892. The snippet is supposedly from The Lowell Times.

"Strangely Coincident.
Some features of the Borden tragedy seem strangely coincident with some of those that characterized the Belanger murder in this city. In both cases a sharp instrument was used, but in neither case can the precise nature of the instrument be determined. The final conclusion was that a butcher's cleaver was used in the Lowell murder, and the same probability is suggested in the Fall River case. The perfect accuracy with which the blows were struck was something particulary noted in both cases. The blows precisely followed each other; there was no hacking, and the slashing looked like the work of a practical hand. The actual concealment of all traces was another remarkable feature, common to both cases. The assassin left no drippings from his instument, and no other traces of his retreat. Probably all this is mere coincidence, but, nevertheless, is it not strange?"

---The part about the weapon not being agreed upon, no traces of the person leaving a bloody scene and no drippings from the instrument are what got my attention. We've yet to figure out why there was no blood trail from the guest room.

sguthmann · Post by **sguthmann** » Tue Nov 15, 2005 7:25 pm

Most interesting. I know I had never heard of this crime. Even though it occurred some distance from Fall River, I wonder why more wasn't made of it? I wonder if it was of interest to Lizzie's defense? Surely they must have known/been told about it. Very interesting indeed. Hopefully together we can dig up more facts about this incident...

Susan · Post by **Susan** » Tue Nov 15, 2005 9:42 pm

Thanks, Kat, thats a new one on me. I am surprised too that this murder wasn't thrown about like the Manchester murder by Lizzie's defenders. Tried to do a search online to see if there might be anything at all about it, but, I couldn't find a thing.

Kat · Post by **Kat** » Wed Nov 16, 2005 12:51 am

I found 5 items on the murder in the Boston Globe, 1891. The Belanger man had lived in Fall River for a time!
Maybe Harry or others can fill in the details?

(Sorry, Hatchet duties call)

Harry · Post by **Harry** » Wed Nov 16, 2005 7:45 pm

The murder of David Belanger occurred in Sept. 1891 in Lowell, Mass. He was a store owner dealing in "remnants" and was found dead in his store. Apparently it was a robbery gone bad and Belanger was killed with "a small sword or cleaver".

Over the years efforts were made to find the murderer but as late as 1907 the killer had not been found.

Belanger at one time owned a store in Fall River on Pleasant St. before moving its location to Main St.

Susan · Post by **Susan** » Wed Nov 16, 2005 10:11 pm

Thanks for all the info, Harry. It would be interesting to know, other than that newspaper article, how seriously the similarities were considered with the murders? Did they think Belanger's killer struck again at all?

Kat · Post by **Kat** » Fri Nov 18, 2005 5:56 am

I sent the items to another trusty sidekick for review as I have been pretty busy and I think the murder was not too interesting after all.