Angles Snell 1902 Victims: 5
Victim #1 Peleg Cornell (70), Little Compton, R.I. 1902
Peleg Cornell was discovered bludgeoned to death at his Adamsville Road home in Little Compton R.I. on February 11 1902. Police had to break into the home where they found Cornell dead on the floor with a knife close by. The house was in perfect order, no signs of struggle or a break-in, and nothing appeared missing. Oddly, two chairs were pulled away from the table, as if two people were sitting at the table. Also, a half-bottle of apple cider was still open. Cornell was known for selling cider and had small amounts of cash on hand. His wallet was missing, so robbery appears to be the motive. The Town of Little Compton posted a $400 reward for the arrest and conviction of the individual(s). The unsolved murder puzzled law enforcement for years, the most difficult question to answer was who want to kill an aging man in such a violent manner? In 1910 the became known.
Victim #2 Tillinghast Kirby (87), Westport, MA 1903
In September of 1903, Tillinghast "Uncle John" Kirby was residing at Burden Head's hotel/rooming house at Horseneck Beach which was also referred to as the Bar Rock Cottage. On September 9, 1903 Kirby got some sea clams for bait from another lodger who worked as an employee of Mr. Head, and set off around Gooseberry Island fishing. When Uncle John, who was well known among the local fishermen, didn’t return by nightfall, locals began searching for him early the next morning and discovered his boat and nets unattended. His son Edward assumed his father had fallen overboard. He offered a $100 reward for anyone who found the body.
On September 16, 1903 the Standard Times reported that Kirby's boots had washed ashore on west side of Gooseberry Island. Kirby never went fishing without his boots, now suspicion began to rise about Kirby's disappearance. On September 18, 1903 the body of Kirby washed ashore and was discovered by another fisherman. His shirt was covered in blood, a large head wound was noted over his right ear, apparently from a severe blow to the head, and a three-foot piece of anchor rope was tied in noose fashion around his neck. A doctor determined his manner of death was murder, caused by a blow to the head which fractured his skull.
Shortly before his death, Kirby had withdrawn $160 in cash from a New Bedford bank. When his body was found, his pockets were turned inside out, he held just $3.38. Tillinghast Kirby was buried alongside his wife, Dolly, in New Bedford’s Oak Grove Cemetery.
Angles Snell
Police quickly cast their suspicions upon the man who had given Kirby the sea clams for bait, had been among those searching for the body, and was also the first one to report the old man missing. Angles Snell was a “bad man” with a long criminal record and was known to police in Massachusetts and across the border in his native Tiverton. Snell had been married and divorced at least twice, had four convictions for assault, theft, and selling liquor illegally, and had been tried and acquitted for setting fire to a Dartmouth man’s barn in 1893. The word around town was that Angles Snell (56) supplied fishermen with illegal liquor and then robbed them once they were intoxicated. There were also rumors that he had been involved in the murder of a Little Compton man named Peleg Cornell.
Investigators brought Snell to see the body when it washed ashore and noted him to be nervous and denied any involvement.
In the weeks leading up to the murder, Snell had had issues with Burden Head, and allegedly threatened to kill him and Sarah Sherman, the hotel’s housekeeper who had been the subject of his infatuation.
The case against Angles Snell went to trial in Fall River in September of 1904. Although the bulk of the evidence was circumstantial, a jury convicted him of assault and murder and he was sentenced to death. In November of 1905, a month before his scheduled execution date, Snell’s sentence was commuted to life in prison.
Snell died of a heart attack in prison on March 15 1910. At the time of his death, there is claims that Snell had confessed to three (3) additional murders and divulged the motives for the murder of Tillinghast Kirby and Peleg Cornell. Snell claimed that four (4) murders were committed with robbery as the motive. Snell confessed that Tillinghast Kirby was different - revenge was the motive, however although he apparently also acquired some money as a result. Snell is buried in Canton Massachusetts
Victims #3-5 Identities and Locations Unknowns
Angles Snell allegedly claimed to have murdered two (2) vacationers to Westport MA from parts unknown, their identities and locations of their remains are unknown. Snell claimed he murdered an unidentified "Portuguese" man from a neighboring town, his identity and location of his remains are unknown
Victim #1 Peleg Cornell (70), Little Compton, R.I. 1902
Peleg Cornell was discovered bludgeoned to death at his Adamsville Road home in Little Compton R.I. on February 11 1902. Police had to break into the home where they found Cornell dead on the floor with a knife close by. The house was in perfect order, no signs of struggle or a break-in, and nothing appeared missing. Oddly, two chairs were pulled away from the table, as if two people were sitting at the table. Also, a half-bottle of apple cider was still open. Cornell was known for selling cider and had small amounts of cash on hand. His wallet was missing, so robbery appears to be the motive. The Town of Little Compton posted a $400 reward for the arrest and conviction of the individual(s). The unsolved murder puzzled law enforcement for years, the most difficult question to answer was who want to kill an aging man in such a violent manner? In 1910 the became known.
Victim #2 Tillinghast Kirby (87), Westport, MA 1903
In September of 1903, Tillinghast "Uncle John" Kirby was residing at Burden Head's hotel/rooming house at Horseneck Beach which was also referred to as the Bar Rock Cottage. On September 9, 1903 Kirby got some sea clams for bait from another lodger who worked as an employee of Mr. Head, and set off around Gooseberry Island fishing. When Uncle John, who was well known among the local fishermen, didn’t return by nightfall, locals began searching for him early the next morning and discovered his boat and nets unattended. His son Edward assumed his father had fallen overboard. He offered a $100 reward for anyone who found the body.
On September 16, 1903 the Standard Times reported that Kirby's boots had washed ashore on west side of Gooseberry Island. Kirby never went fishing without his boots, now suspicion began to rise about Kirby's disappearance. On September 18, 1903 the body of Kirby washed ashore and was discovered by another fisherman. His shirt was covered in blood, a large head wound was noted over his right ear, apparently from a severe blow to the head, and a three-foot piece of anchor rope was tied in noose fashion around his neck. A doctor determined his manner of death was murder, caused by a blow to the head which fractured his skull.
Shortly before his death, Kirby had withdrawn $160 in cash from a New Bedford bank. When his body was found, his pockets were turned inside out, he held just $3.38. Tillinghast Kirby was buried alongside his wife, Dolly, in New Bedford’s Oak Grove Cemetery.
Angles Snell
Police quickly cast their suspicions upon the man who had given Kirby the sea clams for bait, had been among those searching for the body, and was also the first one to report the old man missing. Angles Snell was a “bad man” with a long criminal record and was known to police in Massachusetts and across the border in his native Tiverton. Snell had been married and divorced at least twice, had four convictions for assault, theft, and selling liquor illegally, and had been tried and acquitted for setting fire to a Dartmouth man’s barn in 1893. The word around town was that Angles Snell (56) supplied fishermen with illegal liquor and then robbed them once they were intoxicated. There were also rumors that he had been involved in the murder of a Little Compton man named Peleg Cornell.
Investigators brought Snell to see the body when it washed ashore and noted him to be nervous and denied any involvement.
In the weeks leading up to the murder, Snell had had issues with Burden Head, and allegedly threatened to kill him and Sarah Sherman, the hotel’s housekeeper who had been the subject of his infatuation.
The case against Angles Snell went to trial in Fall River in September of 1904. Although the bulk of the evidence was circumstantial, a jury convicted him of assault and murder and he was sentenced to death. In November of 1905, a month before his scheduled execution date, Snell’s sentence was commuted to life in prison.
Snell died of a heart attack in prison on March 15 1910. At the time of his death, there is claims that Snell had confessed to three (3) additional murders and divulged the motives for the murder of Tillinghast Kirby and Peleg Cornell. Snell claimed that four (4) murders were committed with robbery as the motive. Snell confessed that Tillinghast Kirby was different - revenge was the motive, however although he apparently also acquired some money as a result. Snell is buried in Canton Massachusetts
Victims #3-5 Identities and Locations Unknowns
Angles Snell allegedly claimed to have murdered two (2) vacationers to Westport MA from parts unknown, their identities and locations of their remains are unknown. Snell claimed he murdered an unidentified "Portuguese" man from a neighboring town, his identity and location of his remains are unknown