Dover historian Anthony McManus brings you “Infamous Dover: Crimes Along the Cochecho,” a compelling exploration of the Garrison City’s darker past. While Dover is celebrated as New Hampshire’s oldest settlement, known for its vibrant downtown, historic mill buildings, and its picturesque location along the Cochecho River, McManus delves into the shadowy chapters rarely explored in conventional histories: murders, robberies, scandals, and mysteries that once shocked the community and made headlines across New England.

April 23, 2025

Officer Down on Portland Avenue: Walter Sterling's Final Call (Part 1)

Remember Officer Walter Sterling from our first column? The friendly policeman who handled the bearskin theft has a much darker chapter in his story. In August 1908, this respected Dover officer met a violent end after being shot to death in his own home by his son-in-law, John Edward Dame. What led to this shocking domestic tragedy? In this first installment, Anthony McManus traces Sterling’s career from his gold badge presentation in 1891 to his final confrontation on Portland Avenue. Dame claimed self-defense against a threatening Sterling, but neighbors heard breaking glass and gunshots at 4:15 a.m. When the first officer arrived, Dame calmly handed over his revolver with the chilling statement: “Walter tried to do me up and I got the best of him.” Don’t miss this tale of family tension turned deadly, with part two revealing the sensational trial and its unexpected outcome later this week.

Previous "Crimes Along The Cochecho" columns:

Murder on Kirkland Street: The Glass Family Tragedy (Part 2)

What becomes of a man who kills his brother and brutally attacks his mother? In this concluding installment of the shocking Glass family tragedy, Anthony McManus reveals the legal and medical aftermath of Martin Glass’s violent outburst. Follow the case as medical experts examine Glass’s mental state, uncovering a history of “organic brain degeneration” dating back to a childhood head injury. Witness the fascinating intersection of early 20th-century criminal justice and mental health treatment as authorities grapple with questions of sanity and culpability. McManus ties up the loose ends of this Dover tragedy with poignant details about the final resting places of the Glass family members—and one telling absence. Don’t miss this conclusion to one of Dover’s most disturbing family tragedies from 1902.

Murder on Kirkland Street: The Glass Family Tragedy (Part 1)

In June 1902, Albert “Martin” Glass made a bizarre visit to the Dover police station, asking if he was wanted for any crime. Days later, his mother staggered, bleeding, into a neighbor’s apartment while Martin announced, “I have fixed them both this time.” What followed was a citywide manhunt using horse-drawn carriages and a grim discovery in the Glass family apartment. In this first installment of a two-part story, Anthony McManus recounts the shocking murder of Harvard Medical School student George Glass by his troubled brother, and offers a fascinating glimpse into turn-of-the-century Dover, when emergency transport meant rushing to nearby livery stables and doctors doubled as church tenors. Don’t miss the conclusion in Saturday’s edition, when the legal system confronts the complex questions of Martin’s sanity and culpability.

Six Years on the Run: Dover's Notorious Horse Thief

Not all criminals in Dover’s past were murderers or violent outlaws. Meet Thomas Coleman, a man with a peculiar specialty: stealing horses. When Coleman snatched a mare from James Frank Seavey in 1901, he had no idea he’d targeted one of Dover’s most prominent businessmen. Follow the trail of this hapless thief as he flees to Maine, serves time there, then faces another horse theft charge in Rockingham County before finally answering for his Dover crime — nearly six years later. Anthony McManus reveals the fascinating journey of this persistent equine bandit and offers a glimpse into early 20th-century justice and the long arm of the law that would patiently wait years to bring a criminal to justice.

The Curious Case of the Stolen Bear Skin

Step into Dover’s criminal past as historian Anthony McManus kicks off his new series “Crimes Along the Cochecho” with a peculiar theft from 1905. When Peter Gurgeon (or was it Turgeon?) snatched a bear skin from the American Fur Company, he thought pawning it nearby was a brilliant plan.