On the edge of Evergreen Cemetery one hundred and fifty-five years ago this morning, the discovery of a body and an ensuing murder charge against a church deacon shocked and divided Kingstonians.
Local true crime author John Gallagher is writing an account of Cornelius Holmes’s murder, which in 1868 was one of the most horrific crimes ever committed in the history of Plymouth County. The murder of the wealthy scion of one of Kingston’s most prominent families split the community as the defendant, Samuel Andrews, claimed
self-defense.
Excerpts from Gallagher’s forthcoming book are expected to be published in Kingston 300’s new illustrated history of the town, which is being prepared for the 300th anniversary in 2026. The sordid details of Holmes’s murder and Andrews’s conviction (he served more than 14 years of a 20-year sentence) pit neighbors against each other.
Stay tuned for more in the months ahead. We welcome your submissions and ideas for the book project at http://www.kingston300book.com
John F. Gallagher served with the Boston Police Department for more than thirty years and rose to
become superintendent and chief of detectives. He is the author of four historical nonfiction books, including, A History of Homicide in Hanover: Murder on Broadway; Arsenic in Assinippi: The Trial of Jennie May Eaton for the Murder of Her Husband, Rear Admiral Joseph Eaton, the story of a 1913 murder in Norwell; A Monument to Her Grief: The Sturtevant Murders of Halifax, chronicling an 1874 triple murder; and Passion, Poison, and Pretense: The Murder of Hingham’s Postmaster, from 1857. His books are available at www.gallagherbook.com.