Ossipee Lake. Do you know of it? Well, it is in Carroll County, New Hampshire, U.S.A., within the boundaries of the small towns of Ossipee and Freedom. It is a popular vacation spot today, an area with houses, cabins and condos. The lake was surrounded by only a spattering of dwellings in 1916 compared to today.

_{Ossipee, NH, circa 1915 – wikiipedia.org.}

The Ossipee Lake History

Frederick L. Small and his wife, Florence Arlene (nee Curry) Small, purchased a lake home at Ossipee for about $900.00, three years before the renowned events of September 28, 1916. The home was in need of repairs, so it was a great property for Fred to utilize his DIY and inventive talents. There was a major problem Fred was not equipped to fix – the field stone cellar floor incessantly leaked water into the home’s cellar. This matter became especially troublesome during the Spring rainy season. Estimates were more than Fred was willing to pay, so he and Florence tolerated the flooded cellar and the effects of the constant moisture. The man did have a reputation for being very frugal, some may even say cheap, which he likely came to regret.

Neither Frederick nor Florence were native born New Hampshirites; he having been born in Portland, Maine, in 1866, while Florence was born in Hortonville, Nova Scotia, Canada, in 1879. Though thirteen years his junior, Florence appears to have loved Frederick, at first, despite being his third wife.

Before meeting Florence, Fred had a storied and unenviable marriage history. He was described by a Boston papers as “undersized, crippled in one leg and altogether inconspicuous – but also noted he had figured prominently in the newspaper over a score of years.” The reference to being “crippled” was because of Fred’s noticeable limp when he walked that was the result of being kicked by a horse when he was a young boy.

The First Two Wives

Married first to Nettie Davis in Minot, Maine, Fred’s first marriage ended when Nettie died in March 1891, at age 22, giving birth to their child. At the time, Small was proprietor of a grocery store that eventually failed. After the loss of Nettie, Small decided to moved to Boston, Massachusetts, looking for greater opportunities.

The New England Historical Society divulges that:

On July 31, 1899, he [Frederick Small] married Laura Patterson of Everett, Mass., and moved to the Boston suburb of Somerville.

The next year a farm he leased in Hudson, Mass., burned down after two fires mysteriously started on the premises in one day. Small had insured the property heavily, but investigations found nothing.

Little did anyone know that the two suspicious fires were portents of things to come from Fred Small.

At first Fred worked a number of service industry positions in Boston, specifically a hotel clerk, a waiter and a chef. Aspiring for bigger and greater success, Fred started to dabble in real estate with some success. He became so enthralled by his early success that he decided to open an office in Boston, adding stock market investing to his résumé.

Leaving Boston, Small suddenly appeared in New York City as a principal in the brokerage firm of Freeman & Small. Fred’s partner was Colonel Henry W. Freeman, the head of the 1st Regiment of the New Jersey National Guard. But after two years the firm failed and both men were investigated in 1908 for “grand larceny” for allegedly bilking a Brooklyn client out of $2,675. The Colonel claimed to know nothing about the misappropriation of client funds when New Jersey authorities arrested him on the grand jury indictment in New York. The Colonel was placed in jail for a day until he paid his own bail. Nothing reports Fred being arrested. Whether it was the power and influence of Colonel Freeman or just dumb luck, the authorities in New York dropped charges against both men.

Fred returned to Boston and again establish himself as a “man about town.” He fancied himself an astute businessman – which he was not – and went about establishing many business and social relationships. One woman in particular, Laura Patterson from Everett, Massachusetts, caught his interest and the two married on July 31, 1899.

The new couple moved to Somerville, a suburb of Boston, while Fred continued to develop his real estate and stock broker business. Fred often invited potential clients to his home to be entertained and it was during one of those client soirées that Laura Small met Arthur Soden, a wealthy Boston businessman.

Arthur Soden, a renowned millionaire, started with a roofing company and over time invested in a myriad of distressed companies that he made successful. His celebrity came mainly from his interest in professional baseball, having been an amateur baseball player himself. Soden was the owner and President of the Boston Base Ball Association, named The Boston Braves. (That team eventually relocated to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and then on to Atlanta, Georgia. Soden is a significant figures in Major League Baseball history.)

Of course, Arthur Soden was of particular interest to Frederick Small. Like a predator tracking prey, Fred maneuvered ways to do business with Soden. So, in 1909, when Small’s business was floundering due to his overstretched real estate investments, he sued his wife and Soden in hopes of recouping his losses. Fred alleged that Laura and Arthur Soden were in a relationship (literally an affair) after meeting at Small’s home, a relationship Soden emphatically denied. Small filed separate legal actions, one against Laura for alienation of affection based on 50 love letters purported to have been sent by Soden to Laura; and, another against Arthur Soden for breach of contract. (Ironically, Soden was noted throughout his career for his unquestionable integrity. Small’s absurd allegations went as far as to claim Soden drugged him and Laura.)

Laura and Fred remained legally married for approximately 11 years, three of those years were spent in a nasty legal battle against Laura and Soden. The divorce was the talk of Boston society and the baseball world in 1911. Soden, finally decided to get his name off the front page of the papers and agreed to a settlement . . . . he abhorred negative notoriety.

In the end, a Judge, (actually an arbitrator, with Soden’s encouragement and endorsement) awarded Fred Small $10,000 under the alienation action, far less than the $500,000 asked for in the law suits. The same judge dismissed the suit that alleged breach of contract on a stock deal with Soden. (Fred claimed that Soden agreed to let him share the profits on a stock purchased but only Soden would suffer any losses.) Tangible evidence, specifically written communications, the Judge pointed out made no mention of such an agreement between the two men.

In deciding the Small case of alienation, the judge was obviously attuned to the character of Fred Small, pointing out that “Laura Small needed ‘no great inducement to be led astray,” calling “Frederick Small an indifferent husband’ who knew his wife was cheating on him but didn’t care because he could profit by it.”

The Third Marriage

After years of legal battling and business trauma, Fred took his settlement money and went to a rest home and farm in Southborough, Massachusetts, operated by Mrs. Mary Elizabeth Curry. He informed his acquaintances that he needed rest and relaxation, according to one historical report.

Mrs. Curry and her two daughters, Nellie and Florence, are shown on a U.S. Census living in the home with boarders. The home is called a convalescent home today by some historical reports. It is likely Fred settled into the Curry’s home as an escape from the public eye. According to ossipeelake.org, ” . . . he had taken a job as handyman at a convalescent home . . . in Southborough, Mass.” Whether Fred was the handyman, a convalescent boarder or both, is only relevant because that is where he met his (future) third wife.

Florence, a spinster of 32, decided to marry Frederick a little over a month later, and within a year, they left the family home to move to Ossipee. Coincidentally (or perhaps not so coincidentally — no one will ever know), the family home in Southborough burned to ground the day after they moved.

A slightly more ominous story is reported by the New England Historical Society:

Mrs. Curry called him “smooth, suave and agreeable,” and he won the heart of Florence.

Two weeks after he arrived in Southboro, Frederick Small married Florence Curry. He quickly seized control of the family’s property, turned Mrs. Curry and her other daughter out of the house and took Florence to a lonely cottage in Ossipee, N.H.

The day they left Massachusetts, his Southboro property went up in flames. He was accused of leaving a delayed-action incendiary device behind, but no one ever proved it. Small collect $10,000 in insurance money.

Fred Small’s next stop was Ossipee Lake, New Hampshire, a two to three hour train ride north of downtown Boston. He and Florence moved into a home (that some refer to as a cabin) near the Lake in May 1914.

The Conflagration

Fred did continue to nurture his business relationships in Boston, periodically making junkets to that city to develop or consummate business deals. When Fred was away on business, Florence was alone at the Lake; it is reported the Small house was the only home at the lake at the time. Town’s people later commented that the Smalls pretty much kept to themselves. Despite their seclusive lifestyle most Ossipee town residents knew the Smalls. Those who lived across the lake said they often heard Fred verbally abusing Florence. These residents were called upon later to attest to the relationship of the married couple.

Edwin C. Connor, the principal at Alba Hight School in Ossipee, was a part-time insurance salesman, giving him commonality of interest with Fred Small. Ed sold insurance to supplement his meager earning as school principal, so he viewed Fred Small was the perfect man to help him do that. Thus, Fred involved him in some lucrative business deals in Boston that proved profitable for both of them. As a matter of fact, Fred purchased a $20,000 life insurance policy on both himself and Florence, plus a $3,000 homeowner’s policy on the lake house through Ed Connor.

A joint trip to Boston, arranged by Fred, was scheduled for the two men at the very beginning of October 1916. It was a complete shock for Ed when Fred called Thursday morning, September 28, 1916, to tell him he was going to Boston that afternoon rather than the previously scheduled October date. Ed was taken back, and somewhat annoyed, by the sudden change in plans. School was his primary responsibility and school was in session. Also, he had to duties to attend to on Friday morning. Fred pressed Ed with the importance of the Boston trip, it being the only time he would be able to get away. Fred suggested the two of them have dinner and then go to a show later that evening. Ed ultimately acquiesced. But before hanging up the call, Fred stressed the importance of being at the station in time to board the 4:07 p.m. train. Small ended the conversation saying he would reserve two seats for them on the train.

The high school principal was not cut from the same cloth as Fred Small. Ed Connor believed Fred drink too much and used inappropriate language, especially around women. Nonetheless, Connor wanted to obtain new business in the Boston area and he needed Fred to achieve that goal. That made the trip worth the inconvenience.

Shortly before noon the local grocer, Charles Sceggel, made a delivery to the Small home that included eggs, potatoes, yeast, a broom and five gallons of kerosene. Florence opened the door allowing him to place the items in the kitchen, but declined his offer to put them away as usual. Not certain where to put the kerosene ordered, Florence asked Sceggel to pour it into the large container outside the front door. His delivery completed, Siegel started his truck and drove back to town.

Once Fred had decided to go to Boston on the 4:07 p.m. train, he called George Kennett, the proud owner of a comfortable buggy and a lively mare to pull it. Kennett was the Day Clerk at the Central House, a 3-story hotel in town, where he was the equivalent to a Uber or Lyft service of today. Kennett was asked by Fred to be picked up at 3:30, allowing adequate time to arrive for the 4:07 p.m. train.

Kennett knew that Fred enjoyed a nip of alcohol from time-to-time and often invited Kennett in for a drink before departing for the desired destination. With that opportunity in mind, Kennett decided to arrive a bit early so he could once again imbibe an alcoholic beverage with Fred before leaving for the station.

As Kennett maneuvered his mare up to the Small house, he immediately noticed Fred standing on the porch, overnight bag resting on the deck, anxiously awaiting his ride to the station. Kennett handed the mail he collected for Fred in town. Fred quickly reached inside the house placing it on a table inside the side door. Before closing the door, Fred said loudly, Good-bye, dear! There was no invitation to have the usual liquid refreshment, so the grocer simply stood shocked as Fred closed the door, ending any hope of a drink or conversation.

The Alibi

Ed Connor arrived at the station in time to board the 4:07 p.m. train before Fred Small; he was standing on the platform when Fred arrived. That time of day going to Boston meant the passenger cars were relatively empty. Immediately upon arrival the two checked into their hotel and immediately left to have a stylish meal. Next on their itinerary was the movie theater to watch the silent film, “Where Are My Children.” For the time period, the film was very controversial because the subject was the trial of a doctor that performed abortions.

It was later when the bon vivants returned to the hotel. Ed had an early train ride in the morning and expected to immediately go to bed, but as he and Fred approached the lift to ride up to their room a hotel employee asked if one of them was “Mr. Frederick Small.” Responding to the inquiry, the messenger told Fred there was an urgent message for him and to call the number he gave Fred. The number was the front desk phone at the Central House. Fred spoke with the Night Clerk, Frank Perrin, located in the center of Ossipee. Ed overheard Fred say, “My God! It cannot be true!”

What Fred learned was that his home at the lake had burned to the ground, likely with Florence inside. Ed took the phone from Fred in reaction to his companion distress. Speaking with Frank Perrin he also was informed of the house fire and that there was no sign of Mrs. Small – not even a body had been found at that point.

When Fred returned to Ossipee very early the next morning, Fred did display mournful tears and appropriate moaning and sorrow over the likely loss of Florence. Fred’s hunger won out over his desire to rush to see the damage caused by the fire at his house or determine what happened to Florence. Instead, he remained in town for a substantial breakfast, all the while Ed watching in shock that he was able to eat at such a tragic time.

In trying to explain the possible cause of the fire, Fred told as many people as possible, as often as he could, that his “Little pet” had a habit of knitting close to the fireplace – a habit he warned her not to practice. That claim did not quell the suspicions of Carroll County Sheriff Arthur Chandler, who immediately believed the fire was not an accident – it burned too evenly throughout the entire home and more intense than the usual house fire.

At first there was no sign of Florence Small’s remains. One person first at the fire claimed to have looked in a window for Fred and/or Florence and was able to see Florence lying in bed bound to the posts. Searchers delicately removed debris looking for any evidence that Florence was consumed by the tremendous fire. They eventually worked their way to the opening to the cellar that was knee deep in water from the heavy rain of the prior day. What they found was not only a shock to the authorities, but a shock to Fred Small.

Resting in bed, somewhat intact, was the body of Florence Small. Her arms and legs had been disintegrated by the fire, but otherwise her body was unimpaired. As the fire consumed the home, the bedroom floor collapsed dropping the bed, with Florence still in it, down into the cellar that was deep with water – the cellar Fred decided was too costly to waterproof. The water in the cellar prevented the hellacious fire from consuming Florence’s entire body, submerging her head in a pool of water. It was that pool of water that protected the evidence Arthur Chandler needed to confirm his suspicions that Florence Small was murdered before the house caught fire.

An initial exam conducted in a barn by Dr. E. W. Hodsdon, an area retired medical examiner, revealed Florence’s head was wrapped in multiple layers of a cloth, secured by a cord tied in the back. Those findings confirmed the first eyewitness’ testimony that he saw through a window Florence bound to the bedpost of a bed.

A Coroner’s Inquest found that Florence Small had died of strangulation, not the fire. An autopsy by Dr. Hodsdon, according to the October 1, 1916 issue of The New York Times, also found a hole over Florence’s left eye where a bullet entered, that lodged in the back of her right ear. Wounds were also found on the back of Florence’s head where she had been bludgeoned by a blunt instrument.

Found among the debris in the watery cellar, untouched by the fire, was a .32 calibre revolver; clothing made into a ball that reeked with the smell of kerosene; blood stained bedding; and, a fireplace poker with signs of blood. Along with those items were a clock with wires and a dry cell battery, components used to set a delayed ignition of combustible materials.

While the investigation was being conducted, Fred Small already decided that a tramp (which were considered a threat at the time) was likely the miscreant responsible for the death of his wife, going as far to offer a $1,000 reward for anyone who could provide information about the malefactor responsible for the tragedy. When first at the site of the destroyed home, Fred told searchers of $5,000 in jewelry that allegedly was in the home and whoever found it could have it – he didn’t want it without Florence.

Once Sheriff Chandler and his other investigators finished interviewing the dozens of individuals that witnessed the fire and collected all the physical evidence, it became clear that Fred Small murdered his wife before he left for Boston. Chandler was further convinced Fred tried to cover up the murder by destroying the evidence of his deeds through his inventive and mechanical skills.

Sidebar: The paper reported the cord used to strangle Florence Small was a “window cord,” however later it was said to be similar to cord Fred used on his boat.

Based on the evidence and a phone consultation with the Attorney General, Sheriff Chandler arrested Fred Small for the murder of his wife, Florence, and for the arson that destroyed his home. As expected, Fred Small denied all charges, using his trip to Boston with Ed Connor as his alibi.

Considering all the individuals involved in fighting the Small’s house fire and those involved in the search of the remains of the home after the fire, it is not surprising 100 witnesses scheduled by the County Solicitor to indict Frederick L. Small. Further, The Portsmouth Herald paper of October 5, 1916 report 600 spectators crowed into Chandler Hall in Mountain View, New Hampshire to learn if Fred Small would be indicted or set free.

Knowing Fred Small’s history, The Boston Globe reported on December 24, 1916 that it anticipated a courtroom battle in the murder trial of Fred Small.

Jury selection commenced on December 26, 1916, from a pool of 80 “Talesmen” who were summoned to appear for jury duty.

Sidebar: According to marriemwebster.com, tales, ˈtā-ˌlēz, (often used attributively, e.g., “a tales juror”) are persons added to a jury from among those available in or about the courthouse or county to make up a deficiency in the number of jurors regularly summoned. That term is not commonly used today.

The Small trial was anything but “small” in rural New Hampshire. It received banner headlines because of its intriguing circumstances and facts. Small was tried at the brand-new Carroll County Courthouse in Ossipee, a fitting venue for a self-anointed celebrity.

Life insurance was the primary motive presented by the Solicitor for Frederick Small’s decision to murder his wife and burn down his own home.

One witness at the trial was Philip Davis. He regularly delivered mail to the Small residence and testified having personally observed Fred verbally and physically abuse Florence. In the case of one incident, while approaching the Small’s house, Davis claimed he observed Fred accost Florence when a flag pole they were installing fell to the ground. Fred blamed her for the mishap and proceeded to kick her out of anger. Another incident attested to by Davis was when he and Fred Small went in a boat together, leaving Florence to fend for herself. Fred insisted Florence was capable of handling a second boat alone. When she maneuvered her boat onto a sandbar and not able to free it from its perch, Fred started to swing his oar at her only to have Davis grabbed it to prevent Fred from striking her.

A retired Boston police inspector also testified overhearing Fred Small threaten Florence in the courtroom during a trial against a Boston newspaper, which was reported in the Boston Evening Globe on December 29, 1916.

It must have been horrifying for the mother and sister of Florence Arlene Curry Small to hear the testimony of expert witnesses at the trial describe how Fred Small murdered Florence, particularly learning that thermite (Thermit is the trademark name) was used in an attempt to destroy all evidence of the murder.

Vital to the prosecution’s case was the need to show Fred Small possessed the inventive skills and mechanical aptitude to create a delayed ignition device, beyond that of the average DIY homeowner. That theory was validated by The Boston Evening Globe newspaper. The use of thermit (a brand of thermite) was explained at the trial by a fire and arson researcher and expert: the intent was to disintegrate everything in the house.

On Jan. 8, 1917, a jury found Frederick Small guilty and sentenced him to hang for murder of his wife. Like all things confronted by Fred Small, the guilty verdict was not acceptable and he appealed the conviction. Insisting on his innocence, Small sought a new trial. New Hampshire State records state the Attorney General asserted, “the facts were too plain and abhorrent to be misunderstood.”

Frederick L. Small, despite his enduring claim of innocence, was executed (“hung”) by the State of New Hampshire on January 15, 1918 in Concord Prison.

The Frederick L. Small’s hanging was one of the last ever performed by the State of New Hampshire before it passed a law that prohibited the death penalty.

Ossipee, New Hampshire, returned to normalcy after the trial, though the tale of Fred Small continues to this day.

Today, homes on Ossipee Lake, New Hampshire, show no signs of the horror that occurred on September 28, 1916. Today, it is a pristine lake community, though some claim to sense a “presence.”

As one might expected, lore surrounding Ossipee Lake includes one of a ghost, likely that of Florence Small. Numerous haunting were reported once a new home was constructed on the foundation of the original home. Visitor and residents claimed to have felt a presence in the new house, suggesting Florence’s spirit still lingered in the vicinity.

During the 1940 and 1950 the property owners of Ossipee Lake formed a volunteer association dedicated to protecting and preserving the lake and its surrounding waters. It now identifies as the Ossipee Lake Alliance. An appropriate closing for this post is an excerpt from the Alliance’s page about the Florence Arlene Curry Small’s murder posted on its website: ossipeelake.org.

Ossipee — September 27, 2007 — Florence Aileen Curry Small is a name people in Ossipee ought to know and remember. The victim of a notorious murder in 1916, Small’s body lay in an unmarked grave in Grant Hill Cemetery in Center Ossipee for more than 90 years.

That has changed, due to the work of Natalie Peterson and other members of Ossipee Historical Society and the Ossipee community. They have bought and placed a stone to mark Small’s grave, and tomorrow, on the anniversary of her death, they plan to hold a graveside memorial service there, lighting 91 candles to mark each of the years that Small’s memory has lain in darkness.

For Peterson, the fact that Florence Small was never properly memorialized following her death at the hands of her husband was a final injustice marking the end of her tragic life. And it was one injustice that could still be corrected.

Rest in peace, Florence Arlene Curry Small.