Patrolman William H. Welch (1870-1923) was the only Framingham Police Officer ever murdered in the line of duty. His story began and ended in Saxonville. His parents were Irish immigrants who settled in the Saxonville section of Framingham in the 1800s. William was the oldest of Michael and Bridget (Corcoran) Welch’s three children.
Bill, as he was known, was appointed to the Framingham Police Department on March 23, 1908. He held this position for the next fifteen years. As was the custom of the day, Bill lived in the area he patrolled, Saxonville. He worked twelve hour shifts, seven days a week with only two weeks off a year for vacation. Bill was an old fashion, hard-nosed, strict cop who would administered corporal punishment to misbehaving youth when necessary. He made a point of knowing everyone who lived in his beat. Bill kept close watch for any suspicious characters among the many outsiders who came to Saxonville on the trolley to work in the mills, one of the town’s largest employers.
On October 11, 1916, Bill married Jennie Neylon. The couple made their home at 60 Elm Street where they raised their three children, William, Jr., Charles, and Agnes.
February 2, 1923 started out as just another day in his life. It was Friday, which was payday for the mill workers who gathered for their weekly card game at the Mill Boarding House. Bill was extra vigilant because the card game‘s pot had grown quite large. It began to rain around 11:00 p.m., so Bill stopped by his home to grab a rain coat. Around 3:30 a.m., February 3, while patrolling McGrath Square, Bill noticed a stranger acting suspiciously. He brought the subject to the Roxbury House, a company owned boarding house for male workers. At the boarding house Bill telephoned Police Headquarters for assistance. Suddenly the suspect tried to escape. The two scuffled. The suspect pulled out a concealed revolver and shot Officer Welch three times at point blank range, killing him. John McGrath, a night fireman in the Roxbury House, saw the scuffle. He went to the door to call the night watchman at the Roxbury Carpet Company who was approximately 100 yards away when he heard the gunshots and saw the suspect escape and flee up Elm Street. The residents of the Roxbury House had also heard the gunshots and rushed to the scene. Within the hour, the Framingham Police with the help of the State Police began their investigation. The residents of the Roxbury House described the assailant as a white male, approximately 25 years old, 5’ 6” tall, clean shaven, wearing a dark suit. Area police departments were alerted to be on the lookout for a man who fit this description. Because the night’s rain and sleet made the roads icy and dangerous, the police effort to find and follow the suspect’s footsteps was unsuccessful.
Patrolman Welch’s funeral Mass was celebrated on February 6, 1923 at St. George’s Church in Saxonville. Following the requiem Mass, his body was placed in a tomb in Edgell Grove Cemetery. Eventually, his remains were buried on the top of the hill in St. George’s Cemetery.
While sitting on a bench alongside the Charles River basin in Cambridge in late April 1923, Salvatore Letteri was arrested and charged with Welch’s murder. He went on trial in the Superior Criminal Court, East Cambridge in October of that same year. The prosecution’s case was weak, consisting of mainly circumstantial evidence. To make matters worse for the prosecution, the murder weapon had not been found. After two hours of deliberation, the jury found the defendant not guilty. Letteri was released, but did not stay free for long. On December 19, 1924, Letteri was sentenced to 7 to 10 years in prison for shooting another man during a robbery. While on his death bed in prison, Letteri confessed to the murder of Patrolman Welch.
The Framingham Police Department has never forgotten Patrolman Welch. They honored his service and ultimate sacrifice by naming their Medal of Honor after him, The William H. Welch Medal of Honor. This medal is awarded to an officer who has performed acts of extraordinary heroism, involving imminent and extreme personal risk of life, above and beyond the call of duty. In the mid-1990s, the Police station on Union Avenue was renovated. Ordway Street, which runs alongside the building was renamed William H. Welch Way.
Facts
Born: December 30, 1870
Framingham Police Department was founded in 1871. There was no formal police training and officers supplied their own equipment and uniforms. There was no roll call or backup for the officers.
Wife: Jennie Neylon Welch, 1887-1951(2)
Children: Pfc William H., 1919-1944, died in the battle of Anzio during WWII and is buried in Military Cemetery in Nettuno, Italy; Charles J., 1921-1959; Agnes, 1917-2000, married Waldo Anderson, raised two sons in Framingham, and is buried in Lakeview Cemetery in Wayland.
Bibliography
“EMPTY SHELLS AT SCENE OF MURDER.” Boston Daily Globe (1923-1927), 04 Oct 1923, p. 17. ProQuest. ; Accessed 05 Sept. 2018.
“FIND NO CLEW TO POLICEMAN’S SLAYER.” Boston Daily Globe (1923-1927), 04 Feb 1923, p. 1. ProQuest. https://search-proquest-com.ezproxy.bpl.org/hnpnewyorkbostonglobe/docview/497187589/52241E00B4344810PQ/1?accountid=9675 Accessed 5 Sep. 2018.
“FINDS LETTERI IS NOT GUILTY.” Boston Daily Globe (1923-1927), 12 Oct. 1923, p. 1. ProQuest. ; Accessed 05 Sept. 2018
Framingham Police Dept. Framingham Police Department, 1871-1994: Commemorative History Book. Taylor Pub., 1994.
Herring, Stephen. Framingham: An American Town. Framingham Historical Society, The Framingham Tercentennial Commission, 2000.
“Jennie Neylon Welch, Memorial Page.” Find a Grave. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/184226792/jennie-welch/photo Accessed 05 2018.
“LAUGHTER CAUSED BY “MAN FROM AUBURN”.” Boston Daily Globe (1923-1927), 11 Oct 1923, p. 4. ProQuest. ; Accessed 05 Sept. 2018.
“Patrolman William H. Welch.” Officer Down Memorial Page. https://www.odmp.org/officer/13968-patrolman-william-h-welch Accessed 05 Sept. 2018.
“STILL SEEK SLAYER OF OFFICER WELSH.” Boston Daily Globe (1923-1927), 06 Feb 1923, p. 3. ProQuest. https://search-proquest-com.ezproxy.bpl.org/hnpnewyorkbostonglobe/docview/497135758/fulltextPDF/2168128A71D74553PQ/1?accountid=9675 Accessed 5 Sep. 2018.