 Love triangles are as old as time. Did Bridget (Mary) McGuire have two lovers? Was she purposely shot by Dennis Mulhern, originally of Easton, the 20-year-old butler in the Boston home of Frederick Lothrop Ames? It’s most likely. Travel back in time to January 11th, 1888, location: in the hall of Frederick Lothrop Ames’ Boston mansion on the corner of Commonwealth and Dartmouth Streets. Bridget (called Mary as she was the second Bridget in the household), a domestic with 3 years residence at the home, was found by Mrs. Ames and various servants after a scream startled the household at about 7 pm that evening. Mary was found just fallen into the hands of young Oliver Ames who happened to be nearby when the commotion occurred. Bridget had been shot in the abdomen and was spurting blood. Nearby stood the butler, Dennis Mulhern, holding a smoking revolver. A policeman and physician were quickly called and Bridget, in critical condition, declared Dennis had shot her but that the shooting was an accident, although she later said Mulhern had been angry when the gun went off. He had been ‘showing’ her the gun when it ‘accidentally’ went off although apparently no one in the household knew he has access to a gun. Bridget later died at Mass General Hospital. It was discovered during an autopsy that she had been pregnant. Mr. Mulhern was removed to the Charles Street jail, where he fretted and wept, swearing it was an accident. Initially the household, including Mrs. Ames, considered the shooting an accident. But why did Mulhern have a pistol on his person at 7 o’clock in the evening? Why was he ‘showing’ it to Bridget? It came out that Bridget had 2 lovers and was engaged to both. The previous summer- spent in North Easton- Bridget was visited by a Patrick Gillespie of the South End to whom she was supposedly engaged. They had known each other for 4 years. At the time she seemed eager for the engagement but after he went off on a trip to Europe and she returned to Boston, she seemed less eager and more taken with young Mulhern, to whom she became, according to him, also engaged. The theory that the shooting was an accident was later dismissed and Mulhern’s charge was changed from assault with intent to kill to willful murder. According to those who knew them, Bridget was pretty and vivacious, and Dennis was good-looking and popular with the girls. Gillespie, who managed to visit Bridget in the hospital before she passed claimed to know of Mulhern’s attentions toward Bridget and the fact that he was jealous of Gillespie. Interestingly, Bridget’s sister, Mrs. Hayley of Boston, did not know of a Patrick Gillespie. According to an article in the Boston Globe Jan. 15, 1888, Dennis Mulhern “comes of an unfortunate family, if current reports are to be credited. Dennis himself, through the patronage of Mr. Ames, rose above the condition of his parents, who are known throughout North Easton.” So most likely it was murder that was committed, with the pistol, in the Hall, by the butler, the motive being jealously. Dennis Mulhern (also Mulhearn) died in Easton on July 10, 1911, of pulmonary tuberculosis. At the time he was single and an unemployed shoemaker living on Mechanic Street in Easton. He is buried in the Catholic cemetery on Canton Street.  Anne Wooster Drury
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Missing!Has anyone seen this fieldstone marker? At one time it was located at the corner of Washington and Depot Streets.  Colonial era milestones guided travelers on their way. The earliest Boston milestones were erected in 1707. Boston judge Samuel Sewall noted that year that he had set two milestones on the road over the Boston Neck to Roxbury. Many early milestones were located along the old Bay Road as it was a major highway of the time. Some of these are in Easton and still stand. According to MACRIS (Massachusetts Cultural Resource Information System) the stone in the above photo was “constructed” in 1861. Its historic name is Easton Center Milestone. The milestone indicated that Easton Center was 1 mile from the stone’s location. According to the MACRIS report dated 7/3/70 it was approximately 14” by 18” inches in size and was set in concrete. It was located on the historic Easton Green. The report noted it to be in ‘deteriorated’ condition and of ‘moderate’ importance. Was it moved? It must have been at one time as it is no longer there. If so, where did it end up? Sketches from MACRIS report showing location of the stone, 1970.   Just curious- if anyone knows what happened to the milestone- I’m interested!
Anne Wooster Drury Sources:
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