Ah-ha! I think I may have solved the murder puzzle .... maybe a typo in the newspaper article? In Wellfleet there was a marriage on 13 May 1858 (Vol. 117:18 of MA VRs) between a Thankful K. WARD and a Samuel S. RICH. He was age 26, she 24, both born Wellfleet, his parents Elisha & Mary, hers listed only the father: Ebenezer Ward. Sam Rich had NONE for occupation. 1st marriage for both. In the 1860 census in the State Prison in Charlestown we find one Sam'l S. Rich, a whip maker, incarcerated for second degree murder. Whew, I am SO glad it's not one of my Fish cousins! But that would have been fun, too... Cheers, Bobbie Hall Chicago