A Contract for Murder with the Devil in New Hampshire
New England Legends Podcast
Jeff Belanger
4.8 • 1K Ratings
🗓️ 30 March 2023
⏱️ 26 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
In Episode 293 Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger investigate an 1897 Good Friday murder and bank robbery that left the town of Somersworth, New Hampshire, in shock. A 68-year-old pillar of the community named Joseph Stickney was found lying in the bank in a pool of his own blood. The police chased 24-year-old Joseph Kelley into Canada where he was apprehended and brought back to New Hampshire for trial. In court, Kelley claimed he was under contract with the Devil.
See more here: https://ournewenglandlegends.com/podcast-293-a-contract-for-murder-with-the-devil-in-new-hampshire/
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Downtown Summersworth, New Hampshire, looks like a cute little quiet New England town, Jeff. |
| 0:06.7 | Yeah, for sure. The town's nestled on the banks of the Salmon Falls River, which also marks the town and states border with Maine. |
| 0:13.5 | There's a big white church here on Market Street, some restaurants and shops, and a fire engine red building there. |
| 0:20.3 | Oh, it's a bakery. That bakery is our |
| 0:23.8 | destination. Perfect. I could go for a cupcake or something like that. All right. Yeah, we'll park |
| 0:28.0 | right over here. This handsome three-story building wasn't always a bakery, Ray. |
| 0:41.2 | This used to be the location of the Great Falls National Bank. |
| 0:44.6 | Well, now that you say it, it does seem like it could have been a bank. |
| 0:48.0 | It's got that stately look to it. |
| 0:49.9 | Yeah, for sure. |
| 0:50.6 | So back on Good Friday of 1897, a bank cashier was murdered and robbed inside this |
| 0:56.6 | building. The perpetrator was chased across state and country lines, and when he was brought |
| 1:01.9 | before New Hampshire judge, he explained he committed this heinous crime because he was under |
| 1:07.2 | contract with the devil. |
| 1:19.2 | Hello, I'm Jeff Belanger, and welcome to episode 293 of the New England Legends podcast. |
| 1:26.7 | And I'm Ray Osier. Think of us as your towny buddies taking you on a strange tour as we chronicle every legend in New England one story at a time. |
| 1:28.2 | We appreciate you riding with us as we explore true crime, ghosts, monsters, UFOs, aliens, roadside oddities, and the |
| 1:34.4 | just plain weird. Please subscribe to our podcast wherever you get your podcast because it's free |
| 1:39.5 | and we don't want you to miss a thing. Now before we investigate this strange tale of Easter |
| 1:44.1 | weekend robbery, murder, and contracts with the devil, we want to to miss a thing. Now, before we investigate this strange tale of Easter weekend robbery, |
| 1:45.0 | murder, and contracts with the devil, we want to take just a minute to tell you about our sponsor, |
| 1:49.4 | Newadi Herbles. Jeff, spring is springing. Yep. Time to get back outside and get active and strong again. |
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