The Knife in Boston.

On the afternoon of November 27, 1874, Aaron P Barnes went, with his business assistant, John W. Ganie, to a lodging house Barnes owned on Gouch Street in Boston. One of the lodgers had left, and they wanted to ensure the room was ready for the next tenant. They went upstairs and found three young ruffians, somewhat intoxicated, lounging in the furnished but otherwise vacated room.

The men, Richard Nealon, James McCall, and George Watson (alias Jeremiah Cummings), appeared ready for a permanent stay. Barnes told them to leave, and they refused. An argument ensued.

McCall stepped up and said, “Shut your mouth; I’ll shoot you.”

This fired Ganie’s wrath, and he proposed to his boss that they “go for them.” Instead, Barnes told him to go and fetch a police officer. Gaine went to the 3rd Police Stationhouse. The officer in charge heard his story but decided that, as the men had performed no act of actual violence, he had no jurisdiction in the matter. 

While Ganie was gone, Nealon and McCall left the building. They saw Ganie returning on the other side of the street, so they crossed over. Nealon confronted Ganie and struck a heavy blow to his face. A fierce struggle ensued, and Ganie drew a large sheath knife and plunged it into Nealon’s chest. He dropped the weapon and fled into the house.

Officer Thomas Lynch, who was in the vicinity, not in uniform, witnessed the fight instigated by Nealon, but did not see the stabbing. He ran to the scene to arrest Nealon but was surprised when Nealon said, “I am stabbed.” When Lynch saw the blood flowing from the wound, he assisted Nealon to a nearby doorway. McCall went for a doctor.

When Dr. Crilly arrived and saw the severity of the wound, he commandeered a passing wagon, loaded Nealon into the wagon, and told the driver to rush to Massachusetts General Hospital. As they rode, the doctor reached into the wound and grasped the severed artery with his fingers to stop the bleeding. However, at the hospital, they discovered that the damage was even worse than it appeared, and Nealon died within five minutes of arriving. 

A group of police officers searched for Ganie on Gouch Street. They found the weapon. It was a large knife, six to eight inches long with a broad, keen blade, “being altogether an ugly-looking affair.” They found Ganie in a dark room in a different building on Gouch Street. He offered no resistance and was soon behind bars in the Third Stationhouse.

Richard Nealon, the victim, was 22 years old. He was the least intoxicated of the three, but was known to have a wild disposition. At the time of the murder, Boston detectives had a warrant for his arrest for some earlier crime.

John W. Ganie, the murderer, was 26 years old, born in Canada, dark-complexioned, and had Indian blood. He was an eccentric individual, and some who knew him doubted his sanity. He was considered more intelligent than average, but investigated spiritualism, “and many other of the ‘isms’ of the day.” He would sometimes go an entire day without food while poring over some book. He had roomed with Aaron Barnes for upwards of ten years and was employed by Barnes as an assistant in his business.

The coroner’s jury concluded that Richard F. Nealon died as a result of a stab in the left breast inflicted by a knife in the hands of John W. Ganie. Although it was not stated in the verdict, the jury were of the opinion that Ganie acted in self-defense. When the case went to trial the following February, the trial jury agreed with the coroner’s jury and found Ganie not guilty.

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Sources: 

“Coroners' Inquest,” Boston Globe, December 2, 1874.
“Coroner's Inquest,” Boston Globe, December 3, 1874.
“The Fair,” Boston Daily Advertiser, February 19, 1875.
“The Knife in Boston,” Illustrated Police News, December 10, 1873.
“Superior Criminal Ccourt,” Boston Globe, February 17, 1875.