tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7493712084606110971.post6661857816474429793..comments2024-03-28T04:48:19.626-07:00Comments on Strange Company: The Tenants Harbor MysteryUndinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16214242522330278662noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7493712084606110971.post-41950690561512974782016-01-22T04:53:20.004-08:002016-01-22T04:53:20.004-08:00I guess if you grow up living in cities, like me, ...I guess if you grow up living in cities, like me, that doesn't seem near at all. :)Undinehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16214242522330278662noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7493712084606110971.post-24857677204996833572016-01-21T17:04:12.122-08:002016-01-21T17:04:12.122-08:00The Meservey house did have near neighbors. The pa...The Meservey house did have near neighbors. The parsonage was 70 feet away and Mark Wall's house was 85 feet in the other direction. From there is was 760 feet, quite a distance, to Nathan Hart's house. Mrs. Bickmore's house was directly across the street from the parsonage.This from a chart on page 27 of Dunton's book.little gatorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17586496670612861469noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7493712084606110971.post-56725143572582147952016-01-21T10:34:06.094-08:002016-01-21T10:34:06.094-08:00Dunton's book is online at https://books.googl...Dunton's book is online at https://books.google.com/books?id=WopDAQAAMAAJ&printsec=frontcover&dq=hart-meservey+murder&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwi98-P-w7vKAhXH_R4KHavDC9EQ6AEIHTAA#v=onepage&q=hart-meservey%20murder&f=false<br /><br /><br />and then there is this: http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~mecstgeo/hartmeserve.html<br />little gatorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17586496670612861469noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7493712084606110971.post-90860541508719884322016-01-19T12:56:25.469-08:002016-01-19T12:56:25.469-08:00Minnie was kept in entire ignorance of the amount ...Minnie was kept in entire ignorance of the amount of her father’s estate, and of the manner of its management. In August, 1874, Minnie married Frank Sprague. and removed to New York, and in October of the same year he “suddenly sickens and dies.” Doubly orphaned and widowed, she returns to Palmyra, and soon is induced to sign what is called “an agreement,” which proves to be a deed. The treatment she receives at the hands of the defendant finally arouses her suspicions, and she communicates with Mr. and Mrs. Powell, whose acquaintance she had formed. Mr. Powell employed an attorney to investigate, and he found the record of the deeds. Minnie (Mrs. Sprague) is advised by counsel to leave Palmyra, and with some difficulty she escapes from the home of defendant. It was found that the personal property of Mr. Lovett inventoried at about $73,000. The real property he owned at the time of his death is worth from $30,000 to $40,000. Out of all this amount the plaintiff has received some $2,800. To-day she is penniless, dependent on the charity of strangers. The defendant has also appropriated $10,000 or $15,000 rents. The defendant persuaded plaintiff to give away most of the money received on insurance policies on her husband’s life—then borrowed the remainder, and refuses to repay it.” The plaintiff, Minnie Lovett Sprague, brings suit to set aside the conveyances—to compel an accounting of the administrators, etc. Issues were settled some time ago by the court, and certain questions of fact are to be passed upon by the jury, including the legality of the Dunton divorce, etc., etc.Undinehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16214242522330278662noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7493712084606110971.post-45758477972391503712016-01-19T12:56:13.309-08:002016-01-19T12:56:13.309-08:00Dunton had quite a personal life. While reading u...Dunton had quite a personal life. While reading up about the Meservey case, I came across this article from the "New York Evening Express" (May 30, 1881):<br /><br />Lyons, N. Y., May 30—One of the most remarkable lawsuits has just been postponed until the next term of the Circuit Court in this place. The counsel for the plaintiff has outlined his case with the following startling story: In 1861, J. C. Lovett was a resident of Palmyra, N. Y., where he had resided for some time, and in his business it was understood he had acquired a handsome fortune. He had been a careful, prudent business man, and had the confidence of the entire community. In the year named his wife was living, though an invalid, and there were two children, Edward, aged 18, and Minnie, the plaintiff in the present suit, was then about 10 years old. In the year above mentioned Alvin R. Dunton, and Laura, his wife, went to Palmyra and engaged in teaching writing. They boarded next door to Mr. Lovett’s residence. “It is believed,” said the counsel, that Mrs. Dunton soon after forming the acquaintance of Lovett formed the settled purpose to obtain control of his large estate. The obstacles then in the way were these: Mrs. Lovett, Mr. Dunton, Lovett himself, and the children, Edward and Minnie. They would seem formidable, but we shall see the result. From Palmyra Mr. Dunton and his wife went to Rochester. Mr. Dunton had been for some time ill, and his illness was more serious after leaving Palmyra. They subsequently went to Danville, Avon, and Clifton Springs. About 1864 they removed to Philadelphia, Mr. Dunton’s health continuing very poor. They resided mainly in Philadelphia until I860. During all this time the intimacy between Lovett and the defendant continued. Their correspondence was after the manner of lovers. On one occasion Lovett took Mrs. Dunton to Long Branch, New York, and Boston.<br /><br />In 1868 Mrs. Lovett died, so the first obstacle is removed. Propositions looking toward a divorce are made to Dunton and repeatedly rejected. In 1879 Lovett took the defendant to his home where she remained. In 1871 a divorce was again urged, and Mr. Dunton, sick and discouraged in an hour of weakness, consented to the arrangement proposed. A divorce was obtained. One week after the divorce Lovett married Mrs. Dunton, and while in a state of gross intoxication. Another step in defendant’s design. Lovett continued almost constantly under the influence of liquor, and died in June, 1872. Almost immediately upon her application, Mrs. Lovett, the defendant, with Mr. Lonsbury, were appointed to administer upon the estate. Another obstacle removed. Edward, the son, remonstrated with his father when the defendant first came to live with him and was driven from home. When the father died and she saw he was heir to one-half of his property, she with the aid of a sister won his friendship. In the spring of 1873 the defendant made application for insurance on Edward’s life for about $100,000; $40,000 of insurance was obtained, and for the benefit of herself and her sister. In September of the same year Edward gave defendant a power of attorney to transact all business for him; his habits had become bad. In November he deeds his property to defendant. This deed was not recorded until December, 1874. December 2, 1873, Edward died. Defendant immediately procures letters of administration. Another step to the accomplishment of the purpose. The plaintiff, Minnie Lovett (subsequently married to a Mr. Sprague), now stands alone between defendant and the consummation of her plans. Minnie was enjoined by her father to heed all the wishes of defendant and treat her as a mother. Minnie was excluded from society, and defendant exercised complete control over her. She was a minor when her father died, and the very day she became of age she gave defendant a power of attorney to manage her affairs.Undinehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16214242522330278662noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7493712084606110971.post-5525798102948901982016-01-19T09:28:02.723-08:002016-01-19T09:28:02.723-08:00Really pleased to see you write about the Tenant&#...Really pleased to see you write about the Tenant's Harbor mystery...I've been a bit obsessed with it a few years now - even have an actual copy of the Dunton book - got a full run of the Rockland Maine newspapers on PDF with great trial coverage etc...will post a photo of the Dunton book on your Facebook page tonight - it really is a classic case of what happens in a wrongful conviction: incompetent defense counsel, reportedly below-average intelligence of defendant, questionable jailhouse snitch testimony...and more...but I do agree that Dunton comes off more humbug than heroic - I have to say, though, that the subtitle of his book: "in Which Light is Thrown Upon Dark Deeds, Incompetency and Perfidy; And Crime Fastened Upon Those Whose Position, If Not Manhood, Should Have Commanded Honest Dealing" wins all-time best subtitle...keep up the great work on the blogJim Schmidthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03635615531025513644noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7493712084606110971.post-89963866011345911792016-01-18T19:36:52.711-08:002016-01-18T19:36:52.711-08:00On the one hand, people probably didn't get ou...On the one hand, people probably didn't get out much in the middle of a Maine winter. On the other hand, the murder apparently happened three days before Christmas. It does seem odd to me that the murdered woman wasn't expected anywhere on Christmas Day (unless this was a terribly Puritan village where they didn't celebrate Christmas). If they were very religious, it seems odd that none of her in-laws would check on her until she'd missed church for 3-4 weeks in a row. <br /><br />By the way, is this anywhere near Castle Rock or Derry?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7493712084606110971.post-71953513246623126962016-01-18T10:03:43.949-08:002016-01-18T10:03:43.949-08:00A lot of Harts, and apparently not closely related...A lot of Harts, and apparently not closely related. I don't find her neighbours' apathy toward Sarah Meservey's disappearance all that strange. They were probably used to people not being seen for weeks.<br /><br />I feel a rather sorry for Nathan Hart, being convicted on such flimsy evidence. Even if he was the murderer, he should have had a more convincing verdict.John Bellenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10946140614088069665noreply@blogger.com