A Turkey-less Thanksgiving

In honor of Turkey-Day, I give you a Dickensian story gastronomic tragedy. The two articles don't quite match in the telling, but the event described appears to be the same in both. Happy holidays.



Boston Daily Globe November 24, 1915


Offer Turkeys At Low Prices

Proprietors of Store Put Under Arrest.

Dover st Dealers Accused of Receiving Stolen Goods.

Wagonload Disappears on Way to Jamaica Plain.


Charged with receiving a wagonload of provisions and vegetables alleged to have been stolen Monday night from a market district firm, Morris Rautush, 23 years old, of Malden, and Joseph Tutchinsky, 22 years old, of 43 Willow st, Malden, proprietors of a market at 44 Dover st, were arrested last night by officers of the Court sq and East Dedham st stations after the firm had issued a circular in which they advertised turkeys at shockingly reduced rates.

Monday afternoon B. Kineen & Co, who have a store at 1 1/2 Faneuil Hall sq, sent a wagon load of turkeys, chickens, been, vegetables and miscellaneous articles valued at $386.71 to C.O. Bennett & Sons, Green st, Jamaica Plain. Later Monday evening the rig was put up at a stable on Cross st, stripped of its freight, but the driver disappeared quickly and has not been seen since, and word came from Jamaica Plain that the goods had not been received.

Yesterday the police secured some information regarding the alleged disposition of the property and placed the store on Dover st under surveillance. They had not been watching the store long before circulars advertising turkeys at 22 cents a pound and other things correspondingly cheap were displayed. Sergt McDonald and Special Officer Trayers of the Court sq Station with Sergt Irwin and Special Officer Morrissey of East Dedham st then placed the storekeepers under arrest.

The load that was stolen included 690 pounds of turkey, 126 pounds of been, four hams, many chickens, guinea chicken, celery and other vegetables. The police recovered property valued at $225. It is alleged that the dealers bought the cosignment of goods from the driver for $150. What became of the driver is a mystery.



September 6, 1916


Thanksgiving-less Mystery Cleared

Driver of Vanishing Dinner wagon Arrested

Charged With Stealing Turkeys and Fixin's Worth $365


Why between 150 and 200 residents of Jamaia Plain were left dinnerless last Thanksgiving was explained last evening when James Waters, 41 years old, who says he is "an habitual criminal," and lives "somewhere on Broadway, Cambridge," was arrested by officers of the City Hall av Police Station. Through Waters teh police learned that the dinners were stolen, but what became of them is still a mystery, for the prisoner refuses to tell.

Late last Thanksgiving Eve a wagon left 4 1/2 Faneuil Hall Market, loaded with turkeys, geese, ducks, fowl, potatoes, sweet potatoes, beets, celery and cranberries, in bundles addressed to residents of Jamaica Plain. The wagon represented the Thanksgiving dinners of these families.

Waters was driver of the wagon, which started, presumably, for Jamaica Plain. The conveyance did not arrive at its rightful destination. Not a trace of the horse, wagon, harness or Thanksgiving dinners did the police get for months.

The Jamaica Plain residents waited all Thanksgiving eve for the appearance of their dinners. Thanksgiving dawned, but still no dinners came. As it was then too late to purchase food for home consumption, that section of Jamaica Plain went Thanksgiving-less or to hotels.

Yesterday, Waters appeared at a Canal st store and applied for a job. An officer of the Court sq Police Station recognized him and promptly arrested him. A few days ago the horse, wagon and harness, which vanished last November, were recovered.

Waters was booked at the station charged with the larceny of a horse, wagon and harnes from Bartholomew Dineen of 4 1/2 Faneuil Hall Market. The complaint also states that Waters did steal turkeys, geese, ducks, fowl, beef, potatoes, sweet and white, celery and cranberries to the value of $365. He will be arraigned in court today.