Prime Crime: Solved Murders - Captain Joseph White

Episode Date: December 16, 2020

The brutal murder of one of the wealthiest ship owners in the world shocked the town of Salem, Massachusetts in 1830. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hey, it's Carter. All of us at Parcast really want to thank you for your continuing support throughout the year. Parcast could not be what it is today without you. We also wanted to give you a heads up that we're taking a break for the holidays, and we won't be back until after the new year. But since the season is all about giving, we do have something special lined up for the next two weeks, so be sure to tune in. In the meantime, enjoy the season, and we'll be back the first week of January with our regular. programming. Have a happy and safe new year. Due to the graphic nature of this murder case, listener discretion is advised. This episode includes dramatizations and discussions of murder, assault, and suicide that some people may find offensive. We advise extreme caution for children

under 13. On the northeast coast of the United States, the temperate waters of the Atlantic Ocean lap against the shores of Salem, Massachusetts. Today, the city is small, but its history Rhyr runs deep. Originally founded by Puritans in 1626, the town has stood in some form for nearly 400 years. Its people have seen harsh winters, mass starvation, plagues, and wars. Its most famous tragedy, the Salem Witch Trials of 1692 and 1693 mark the town with a ghastly pall. And yet, for all its early catastrophe, the town of Salem grew into one of the most important ports in American history. In the early 1800s, some of the wealthiest ship owners lived in Salem. They were pioneers of commerce generating trade routes between the United States, India, Sumatra, and more,

all for spice and fortune. The less scrupulous ship captains traded in darker fair, human lives. While slavery was seen as a great moral evil by many in Massachusetts, and had been outlawed in the 1780s, there were several captains who leased their ships to the slave trade for easy cash. Most did so in secret to avoid public moral condemnation, yet some were unashamed, like Captain Joseph White. By 1830, Captain White was 82 years old. He'd made a fortune through sailing and trade in his youth,

and later owned his own shipping fleet, which only expanded his wealth. He lived in an expansive mansion in the center of town, with all of life's little luxuries and conveniences. He felt no remorse or shame, for he thought his pleasure was well worth the suffering of others. Now, as he neared the end of his life, he made plans for what would become of his wealth. He would often go to bed around 9 p.m., pondering the question of his inheritance. Yet, while he expected death would come for him soon, even he did not realize. he would be the victim of a cold, vicious murder. Welcome to Solved Murders, True Crime Mysteries,

a Spotify original from Parcast. I'm your host, Carter Roy. And I'm your host, Wendy McKenzie. Every Wednesday, we step into the world of true crimes most fascinating murder cases and tell the tale of how real-life detectives close the case. You can find episodes of Solved Murders and all other Spotify originals from Parcast

for free exclusively, on Spotify. Today, we're exploring the 1830 murder of Captain Joseph White. In this week's one-part episode, we'll tell his tale from beginning to end and see how his murderers were brought to justice. We have all of this and more coming up. Stay with us.

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While 20-something Benjamin was a distant relative of Captain Joseph White's, He was not allowed to live in the captain's home for free. Instead, he was employed as a living handyman, and Benjamin took his job very seriously. The sun had barely risen as Benjamin pulled on his trousers. He lit his oil lantern and wandered barefoot into the hall, the flickering light of the flame casting long shadows on the mansion's walls. Yet as he walked, the air felt cold.

Spring mornings were always chilly in Salem, but this morning felt different. He walked through the halls searching for an explanation when he felt a slight draft coming from beneath the door to an empty room. As he opened the door, he was surprised to see a window hanging wide open. This was very odd. Nobody who lived in the house used this room, and nobody would have left this window open.

As he approached, the situation became even stranger. The window's lock had been removed, as well as the bars intended to keep out intruders. To make matters worse, a broad plank of wood leaned against the window on the outside, like a ramp. And the ground had a single set of footprints coming and going away. Someone had broken in. Benjamin raced to the nearest person, the captain's domestic servant, Lydia Kimball, to wake her. Lydia! Lydia! Huh?

The captain's been robbed. Impossible! Who would dare? You check the first floor. I'll wake the captain. You haven't woken him yet? I'm waking him now. Now move!

Benjamin flew up the stairs to the captain's bedroom. He kicked open the door to see the sun's first rays cast in slants over the captain's stately bed. There the captain laid diagonally across the mattress with blankets and sheets. pushed aside. He rested on his side as if he were sleeping. But something seemed dreadfully off. Captain, I have some terrible news. Captain! Oh, Lord, Lord, no! Someone had bludgeoned and stabbed the captain, murdering him in his sleep. Benjamin was shocked and horrified by the sight, but he still checked to see if the captain's valuables were present. Just like a pirate from legend, Captain Joseph White, kept the chest of gold doubloons at the foot of his bed.

Benjamin held his breath as he lifted the chest's lid. To find that all the gold was still there, as Benjamin stared at the untouched treasure, it dawned on him. This break-in wasn't a robbery. It was an assassination. Benjamin returned to the first floor. His mind racked with suspicion.

Lydia had woken the only other person, in the house, the captain's 40-something niece, Mary Beckford, and she met him with her own worried energy. Benjamin, we checked the first floor, but nothing seems out of place. Have you woken the captain? What does he think of all this? The captain is dead. He was murdered in his bed. Dead! Uncle Joseph is dead! The burglars killed him! Those devils! Not burglars. Nothing was taken. All they wanted was the captain dead. And you know, the window could only be open from the inside, Mary. What are you implying?

You are his niece. Perhaps you'd make a tidy sum after he passed. How dare you! Think, before you speak, Benjamin. A scurrilous accusation could mean the hangman's news for any of us. You're right, you're right. We'll need to spread the word and start at investigation. The trio first brought news of the captain's death to his nephew, Stephen White.

Stephen was a prominent member of Salem's High Society, and he had been elected to the Massachusetts state legislature. As far as anyone knew, he had been on good terms with Captain Joseph White before his death and therefore not a likely suspect. In the interest of investigation, Stephen summoned a physician named Samuel Johnson to conduct an autopsy. Johnson held the autopsy in front of a coroner's jury to prove to witnesses that a crime had taken place. He documented 13 stab wounds, all centered around the heart.

Based on the depth of the wounds, the captain had likely been attacked with a double-edged dagger. The stab wounds also contained less blood than one would expect. This implied that the captain's circulation had likely been cut off before he was stabbed, meaning the killer likely struck the captain's head first. At a second autopsy the following day, with the assistance of another doctor, it was determined that the captain's head wound was dealt with a single strike from a heavy blunt object, most likely a club. That hit either killed the captain immediately or stunned him enough for his heart to slow.

Once the autopsies were complete, all of these gruesome details were made public in the local paper. While the captain was not a beloved figure, he was a prominent businessman, and many members of Salem Society had a vested interest in catching his killer. After all, if Captain Joseph White wasn't safe in his own home, neither were they. The killer could easily come for them next. The town fathers assembled a group of 27 men and dubbed it their Committee of Vigilance. The committee was dedicated to one task, solving the murder of, Captain Joseph White. They were given extraordinary powers to do so, including the legal authority

to search houses and interrogate individuals. The committee was primarily funded by Stephen White, and it offered a $1,000 reward for information leading to the capture of the killer, a sum of money worth more than $28,000 today. Their first order of business was to assemble a list of suspects. They sent for the captain's last will and testament to see who had the most to gain from the captain's death. The matter of his inheritance was far from clear cut. His wife had died years before, and they never had children of their own. While he lived in a sizable home, he only shared it with his 40-something niece, Mary Beckford, his 20-something-year-old distant relation, Benjamin White, and his domestic servant, Lydia Kimball.

His once favorite relative, his grandniece, 20-something Mary Beckford Jr., had grown up in his home, but the two had a falling out three years prior. She had married one of the captain's employees, Joseph Knapp Jr., which angered the captain. He believed Joseph Knapp was a fortune hunter, a hooligan who was only marrying his favorite niece to have a shot at the captain's wealth. The captain swore he would write her out of his will, and true to his word, His once favorite niece never saw a dime from his death. Surprisingly, Stephen White, the very man funding the Committee of Vigilance, was the prime beneficiary of Captain Joseph's will.

As the captain's nephew in closest male heir, Stephen was set to receive the bulk of the captain's estate and more than $200,000. That would be worth more than $5.6 million today. Several of the captain's nieces received much smaller sums of money, including Mary Beckford, who was given $25,000, more than $700,000 today. Of course, the captain's relatives weren't the only people who would profit from his death. As one of America's most pre-eminent businessmen,

he had a large number of business partners who would be able to claim ownership of parts of his company. If Captain Joseph White had been killed for money, any number of people could have done the deed. The committee began the work of interrogating and investigating each and every one of them. Yet, in their search, they could find no concrete evidence connecting their suspects to the murder. A week of fruitless investigations passed and tensions were high. Townsfolk began locking their doors at night. Neighbors stopped talking to each other. Someone in the town was a murderer, and until they were unmasked, nobody was safe.

If the town had carried on like this, Salem could have very well seen a repeat of its infamous witch trials. But luckily, after days of searching, the committee finally found its first break in the case. Up next, a captured criminal points the committee in the right direction. Listeners, if you haven't had a chance to check out the sizzling new podcast, Blind Dating, now is the time to binge what you've missed before catching all new. episodes every Wednesday. In this Spotify original from Parcast, we're expanding the places you can meet your match with a twist you'll never see coming. Join host Tara Michelle as she introduces one hopeful single to two strangers in a voice only call. Through a series of illuminating

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82-year-old Captain Joseph White was found, bludgeoned and stabbed to death in his bed. The committee of 27 men was formed to catch his murderer, but after a week of investigation, they had found nothing. While they had dozens of potential suspects, they could find no evidence to implicate any of them. Yet as word of the murder spread to the surrounding towns, a petty thief named Hatch grew far too excited by the news.

Jailer, what's that paper say there? $1,000 reward? Yep, for information on the murder of some shipman in Salem. Looks like it's Captain White. Tell me it's Joseph White. The name is White. Did you kill the man? No, but I know who did. Write a letter for me, jailer. I'm going to be rich. Almost ten days after the murder, the Committee of Vigilance received a letter from a jailer in New Bedford, a town 70 miles south of Salem. The jailer claimed that a prisoner, a petty thief named Hatch, had important information about the murder of Captain Joseph White.

Members of the committee had Hatch brought to Salem to testify and see what information he really had to offer. Are you Hatch? I'm Stephen White. We spent a lot of money to bring you here. Your information better be worth it. Oh, I promise it will be. I was in Salem back in February. To pass the time I frequent. some of the city's less respectable locales. The gambling houses? Well, they're not just for gambling. There's also music and dancing and women. Get to the point.

I overheard a group of men talking about Captain Joseph White. They claimed he had a chest full of gold and they meant to steal it. The chest wasn't taken. Maybe they got spooked. I think you're full of nonsense. At least let me give you their names. You can investigate them for yourself. Fine.

Richard and George. George, Crown and Shield. We'll look into it. And then I'll get paid? And then I'll get paid. While Hatch seemed fairly confident in his information, the committee wasn't so sure. But when they investigated Hatch's claims, other people confirmed the details. Richard and George, Crown and Shield had been planning a burglary of Captain Joseph White's treasure chest.

To many members of the community, this came as shocking news. The Crown and Shield name had been prominent in Salem for generations. Many of the family's patriarchs were powerful shipowners and statesmen. To hear that two Crown and Shields might have been involved in one of the city's darkest murders was a shock. However, to those in the know, Richard and George Crown and Shield were actually highly likely suspects. As the youngest men in the Crown and Shield family, the two 20-something brothers had used their father's influence to get away with all sorts of. of petty crimes. They were near-do-wells and good-for-nothings, and their involvement in Captain White's murder seemed par for the course. Having identified their first real suspects, the Committee

of Vigilance rushed to the Crown and Shields home and arrested them. Yet as they threw the duo in a jail cell, Richard was quick to point out the problems with the Committee's case. You'd lock us up based on idle, drunken chatter? My uncle is dead. I know. say your chatter was anything but idle. It was nothing more than empty boasts. Words tossed like wind from the bottom of our cups. That should be obvious by the fact that nothing was taken, shouldn't it? My uncle's life was taken.

But his money wasn't. Nobody heard us planning a murder. They heard us planning a robbery. And no robbery occurred. I... I know you had something to do with it. You don't know anything. If you tried to hang me...

for this. You'll have the blood of two innocent men on your hands. The committee's case against the Crown and Shields was flimsy at best. The fact that the Crown and Shields said they were planning to break into the captain's home was certainly suspicious, but it was not enough to connect them to the murder itself.

Still, the men remained in jail. The committee began to search for more evidence, and luckily, they wouldn't have to wait long before it fell into their laps. An entirely new, family was about to get involved in the case, the Knapp family. Much like the Crown and Shields and the whites, the Naps were a prominent family in the town of Salem. The patriarch, Joseph Napp Sr., owned many ships of his own and had worked with Captain Joseph White on numerous occasions.

Knapp's youngest, 19-year-old John Francis, or Frank, Knapp, spent most of his teens working as a sailor and followed in his father's footsteps. The middle son, 23-year-old Nathaniel, Fippin' Knapp had recently graduated from Harvard and begun a promising career in law. Perhaps the only nap to draw suspicion was the eldest, Joseph Knapp Jr. At 26 years old, Joseph Jr. was the sailor who had married Captain White's once favorite grandniece and made her lose her inheritance. Then, on May 14th, a little over one month after the murder of Captain White, Joseph Knapp Sr. received an odd letter in the post.

Father, do you know anyone in Belfast, Maine? Belfast? Can't say that I do. Let's see what this is about. It is useless for me to enter into a discussion of facts which must inevitably harrow up your soul. Oh, I will merely tell you that I am acquainted with your brother Franklin. Franklin? You don't have a brother named Franklin. Perhaps he means Frank, but that would be my son. Which means this letter is meant for Junior. Perhaps.

Let's keep rating. With your brother Franklin and also the business that he was transacting for you on the 2nd of April last, and that I think you was very extravagant in giving $1,000 to the person that would execute the business for you. $1,000? What business is this man talking about? The letter doesn't say, but the author threatens to say, if Junior doesn't pay $350 for the author's silence. Extortion?

I think we better speak to Junior about this. Post-haste. I'm inclined to agree. Mystified by the strange letter, Joseph Knapp, Napp, rode to Junior's house to ask him what it was about. Junior's response was hardly enthusiastic. Hmm.

Signed Charles Grant, Jr. I don't know a Charles Grant. Then why did he send you this letter, Joseph? I'd say it's nothing more than a devilish lot of trash. Throw it in the bin. Joseph, this has all the writings of an extortion letter. I think it deserves a little more attention than that. If you're really so concerned about it, give it to the Committee of Vigilance.

They care so much about law and order. Perhaps they'll care about this trash, too. Not a bad idea, son. Not a bad idea. Wait, you're actually going to take it to them. I think we should. Yes, good, good. I'm eager to hear what they have to say.

As are we. Knapp Sr. took the letter to the Committee of Vigilance, just as his son had recommended. While the letter never explicitly mentioned Captain White or his murder, several details piqued the committee's interest. The letter mentioned business that occurred in April, only a few days before Captain White's murder. Furthermore, a person could only be extorted about their business if those dealings were illegal in some way.

The committee felt this letter was a lead worth pursuing. Not only did it cast Joseph Knapp Jr. in a suspicious light, but it also brought a new possible suspect into the mix, Charles Grant. Grant was sure to have some answers, and they were determined to speak with him. They sent a return letter to Grant and enclosed $50, promising the rest of the most of the most of the money would be sent at a later date. They also sent an attorney named Joseph Waters to watch the post office. When Charles Grant came to the post office to claim his money, Waters would arrest and interrogate him. The committee had laid their trap, and soon they would catch their killer. Coming up, we'll solve the murder. I knew about investing, but I really didn't know how to go about it.

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intended for his son, Joseph Knapp Jr. He gave the letter to the Committee of Vigilance who in turn laid a trap for the letter's author. The committee replied with a payment of $50 and a promise of more money. They also sent an attorney named Joseph Waters to arrest the man when he came to pick up the payment. As Waters watched and waited, he saw a young man arrive at the post office.

Halt, Prigand. Excuse me? You are Charles Grant, are you not? Charles Grant, I think not. You've picked up a letter addressed to him. I think you are. Grant is... Who are you?

My name is Joseph Waters, and I've been sent by Salem's very own committee of vigilance to catch the man who killed Captain White. I should think you know something about this, Mr. Grant. Oh, from the committee? I... Well, I suppose that's better than being caught by them. Them?

Do you mean the naps? Look, Mr. Waters, I'll tell you everything I know, if you can guarantee my safety, from the killers, and from the law. Witness protection, eh? I'm sure that can be arranged. Now tell me what you know, Charles. I'll start with this. Charles Grant is a pseudonym I invented to avoid retaliation.

My real name is John Palmer. The revelation was significant. John Palmer was known to spend much of his free time, cavorting with the crown and shields. His involvement meant his testimony could carry a little more weight than the jailbirds who had already fingered the crown and shields as Captain White's killers.

While his name alone was substantial, John Palmer's testimony proved even more powerful. So, Mr. Palmer, I hear you know everything about my uncle's death. How did you come about this information? On April 2nd, I was staying at the Crown and Shields' home. That night, George and Richard approached me with an offer. They were going to kill Captain Joseph White, and they wanted me to help for a third of the prophets. Prophets?

We've heard they were planning to rob the captain, but nothing was taken. What do you mean, prophets? They had been hired to kill him, taking the captain's property risk connecting them to the crime. Who did the hiring? Frank Knapp was the first to approach them. He told the Crown and Shields that his brother, Joseph Knapp, Jr. would pay $1,000 to anyone willing to take the contract. The Crown and Shields readily accepted. Why did Joseph Knapp want my uncle dead? Was it purely revenge for being written out of the will?

I have my own theories, but you'd have to ask Kim to get the real answer. Following Palmer's story, the Committee of Vigilance immediately wrote out to arrest Joseph Knapp Jr. and Frank Knapp. After their arrest, more witnesses claim they had seen Frank Knapp standing in the street outside of Captain White's home on the night of the murder. Evidence was piling up against the Knapp brothers. Many in the town predicted they would be convicted of murder and conspiracy to commit murder. They were all sure to hang, unless one confessed and turned state's witness. Desperate to save at least one of his brothers, Fippin Knapp went to the prison with Reverend Henry Coleman, the man who had conducted Joseph Jr.'s wedding ceremony.

Frank refused to speak, but Joseph Jr. was a little more amenable to suggestion. Either all of us hang or one of us walks free. Is that it? I can guarantee you protection from prosecution so long as you confess and testify to your confession in court. You want my words to hang my friends and my brother. Your actions are what might hang you, brother. But I'd rather not become an only child because of this. And to be clear, Joseph, you have a wife at home to worry about. Frank understands that you have a lot more to lose. Do you really think my wife will accept me back after, after all that's happened to her great-uncle?

You'll only find out if you walk away from all this. And you'll only walk if you confess. So be it. In a written confession, Joseph Knapp Jr. explained the whole sordid affair. The plans had started in February when Joseph Jr. first mentioned to his brother Frank that he would not begrud. $1,000 that Captain White was dead. Joseph had recently discovered that Stephen White had been named the captain's latest heir. He believed that the captain's prior will had given more than half of his estate to marry

Beckford, Joseph's mother-in-law. Joseph did not like Stephen White, and he was probably convinced that Stephen had talked the captain into disinheriting his wife and dishonoring his mother-in-law. As such, Joseph's plan was... was as much about getting vengeance against the captain and money for his own family as it was about spiting Stephen. In addition to killing the captain, Joseph planned on destroying the new will. If the captain died without a legal will, Joseph believed the estate would be evenly divided between his two primary heirs, Stephen White and Mary Beckford.

With half of the captain's fortune going to his mother-in-law, Joseph's wife would become the next heir to half of the captain's fortune. Once his mother-in-law died, Joseph would become a rich man indeed. Joseph asked Frank if he would be willing to kill the captain with him. Frank didn't have the nerve, but he knew two people who would. Sometime during the next two months,

Frank recruited Richard and George Crown and Shield. The Crown and Shields agreed to take the job, and they talked at length about how to plan the attack. After much deliberation, they decided to strike the captain while he was asleep in his home. On April 2nd, Joseph took a key to the captain's home from his wife. He crept into the captain's bedroom and stole what he believed to be the captain's will. In reality, it was an outdated will, and the real will was securely kept at the captain's lawyer's office. But Joseph didn't know this.

That same day, Joseph, Frank, Richard, and George met once more to finalize their plans. Joseph explained the house's floor playing to the crowning shields, and Richard showed the naps the weapons he intended to use in the attack. Richard was a skilled blacksmith, and he had built himself a club just for the occasion. It was made of hardwood, two feet long, and loaded with lead to make its blow that much heavier. Richard had also gotten a dagger of. about five inches long and sharpened for murder. Confident that the Crown and Shields would follow through,

Joseph snuck back into the captain's home. He found a room with a window that opened to the backyard. He unscrewed the security bars from the inside and unlocked the shutters. With this change, the window could be opened from the outside. With the weapons and entryway secured, Frank Knapp and Richard Crown and Shield set their plan in motion. Sometime between 10 and 11 p.m. on Tuesday, April 6th, Frank Knapp and Richard Cranichield walked across town to Captain White's home.

Frank stood watch in the street while Richard continued on without him. With careful steps, Richard entered the front gate and snuck his way through the yard. The sound of his footsteps was dampened by the lawn's soft soil, and he approached the unlocked window with each. ease. He opened the window, then grabbed a nearby plank of wood to function as a bridge to the raised sill. With a delicate balance, Richard climbed up into the captain's home. The moon was bright and its light streamed through the shuttered windows, illuminating his path as he made his silent way up the mansion's stairs. Confident that no one in the house had seen him, he slipped into the

captain's bedchambers and closed the door. There laid the captain, his face clear in moonlit repose. The elderly man was fast asleep unaware and unsuspecting. The assassin walked up to his side and raised his club, then slammed it down on the captain's skull. With this strike, the captain's body fell limp, but his chest still moved. To finish the job, Richard brought the dagger crashing down into the captain's heart over and over again. His dark task complete.

The assassin left the way he came in and rejoined Frank Knapp on the street. The duo calmly walked away. The following day, Richard hid the club beneath the steps of the Howard Street Meeting House, a common building in town. Joseph only paid Richard a portion of the promised payment, but it was enough to satisfy the crown and shields for the time. Over the next few days, Joseph could hardly contain his excitement. His mother-in-law was sure to be rich, bringing him one step closer to his goal.

Yet his hopes were dashed by his own massive oversight. His wife told him about the pittance her mother received compared to Stephen White's massive inheritance. He was horrified to discover the captain's true will, had been kept at his lawyer's office all along. Joseph Knapp Jr., the fortune hunter disinherited by Captain Joseph White, never got his fortune after all. His entire murder plot had earned him nothing but a trial for murder and a shameful confession. When Richard Crown and Shield heard that Joseph had confessed, he lost hope. He knew that he would be charged with first-degree murder and that his brother and his friends would be charged as accessories to the crime. all four were sure to hang.

Desperate for any shred of hope, he sought advice from a lawyer who told him that there was one legal loophole that may yet help his friends. Thanks to Massachusetts' legal code at the time, a person could not be charged as an accessory to a crime if no one had first been convicted of the crime in a court of law.

And according to the legal code, a dead man could not be convicted. On June 15th, only a few days before Richard's slated trial, the jailer found him suffocated in his cell. He had tied two silk handkerchiefs together and used them to form a noose. He had the proper motivation. He thought that by killing himself, he was saving his brother's life and the lives of his friends. But he was wrong. Determined to see the Naps face justice, Stephen White, and the prosecution hired Dan

Daniel Webster, one of the most famous lawyers and acclaimed orators of the time to prosecute the case. Webster made incredible arguments to prosecute Frank Knapp as a co-principal to the crime, and the trial went to court as planned. While Joseph had been promised legal immunity thanks to his confession, when he was brought to the witness stand to testify against his younger brother, he could not bring himself to speak. Perhaps the guilt or fear was too great for him. him. In his stark silence, Joseph had broken his agreement with the government. His brother Frank

was found guilty and sentenced to die. Shortly after, Joseph's case was brought to trial, and he was found guilty as well. On September 28, 1830, Frank Knapp was publicly executed in front of thousands of Salemites at the age of 20. 26-year-old Joseph Knapp Jr. followed his brother to the grave in a similar fashion on December 31st that same year. George Crown and Shield was the only one of the four to walk away from the whole affair. While he had been present for much of the planning and had been aware of the conspiracy, he had not participated in any direct way. He had not provided the murder weapons.

He had not provided entry to the captain's home. He had not been present on the night of the murder, and he had not struck any blows himself. With all of these pertinent facts, the jury decided to spare the man his life. As far as Salem was concerned, justice had already been served. The murder of Captain Joseph White would have a profound impact on the community, American law, and even American literature. The dramatic nature of his death, the whodunit aspect of the investigation, and the complicated web of conspiracy involving three of the most prominent families on the,

East Coast fascinated people all throughout the nation. Daniel Webster's legal arguments shaped legislation following the case. His words also captivated a large audience, including writers Edgar Alan Poe and Nathaniel Hawthorne, who both found inspiration in his speeches. Poe seemed to use portions of the tragedy in his classic short story, The Tell-Tale Heart. Hawthorne used aspects to inspire both his novels, The Scarlet Letter and the House of the Seven Gables. The murder of Captain Joseph White had ripples of influence that are still felt to this day. While the men responsible for the crime met their ends by the hangman's noose, the story of their dark deed lives on in infamy.

Thanks again for tuning into Solved Murders. We'll be back next Wednesday with a new episode. For more information on the murder of Captain Joseph White, Amongst the many sources we used, we found a murder in Salem by E.J. Wagner and Daniel Webster in the Salem murder by Howard A. Bradley and James Albert Weinins extremely helpful to our research. You can find all episodes of Solved Murders and all other Spotify originals from Parcast for free on Spotify. We'll see you next time. If we live till next time. Solve Murder's True Crime Mysteries is a Spotify original from Parcast.

It is executive produced by Max Cutler, sound designed by Michael Langsner, with production assistance by Ron Shapiro, Carl Lee, Madden, and Joshua Kern. This episode of Solved Murders was written by Giles Hofsef with writing assistance by Abigail Cannon, fact-checking by Claire Cronin, and research by Mickey Taylor.

The amazing cast of voice actors includes Tom Bauer, Joe Hernandez, KG Tang, Bill Butts, and Rebecca Thomas. Solved Murder stars Wendy McKenzie, and Carter Roy. Parcasters, there's no better time than right now to make a meaningful connection with the Spotify original from Parcast, Blind Dating. Every Wednesday, find out if there's more to love than just looks. Follow Blind Dating free on Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.