4

THE ABDUCTION

Why Are You Looking at Me Like That?

On the pleasant Sunday morning of August 27, 1893, Frank Sheffield rose from his bed at seven o’clock. After getting changed into his daytime clothes, he informed Nancy that he needed to make some purchases and was going to take a walk down to Richmond Brother’s Grocery, which was located on West Broad Street, not far from their home. Nancy thought whatever errand he was on could wait until later. She had already begun cooking their morning meal. “Breakfast will be ready soon,” she told him. But Frank ignored the announcement and continued on with the plans he had made.

After walking out the door, he started down the road. Wherever he went and whatever he did immediately after that no one knew. But he failed to return home when he was done, leaving a cold breakfast and a wondering wife.

Eventually, he made his way to the train depot on Railroad Avenue, where he had been working several months earlier. Approaching the ticket booth, he handed over the fare for transportation to Providence. A man who was standing nearby recognized him.

“Where are you going?” the man asked.

“I’m going to Attleboro to get my child,” Frank replied. Despite the fact that his wife was waiting at home with no idea where he was, when the 8:18 a.m. train for the city left, Frank was on it.

Several hours later, when he still hadn’t returned home, Nancy became worried and went out looking for him. She had a good reason to be concerned. Frank had been seeing a doctor who had informed Nancy that her husband was not well and that she should take care not to let him wander off alone.

With growing concern, Nancy enlisted the help of Frank’s friend twenty-seven-year-old Dennison Hinckley of Westerly. Hinckley was an undertaker and part owner of Hinckley & Mitchell, a furniture store and undertaking business located at 44 High Street in Westerly. He and Frank were both members of Pawcatuck Lodge #90 and had been good friends for quite some time.

Nancy also decided it was a useful idea to send telegrams to Frank’s family members, including his sister in Attleboro, to determine whether they had seen him or had any idea of his whereabouts. Unfortunately, the message was not received by Mary Charlotte until the following day.

Frank’s sister and her husband, Methodist minister George Edgar Brightman, had been entertaining house guests for the past ten days. Her father and stepmother had come to stay with them for a short time, and since Maggie lived with her paternal grandfather, she was staying there also.

Mary Charlotte was very surprised to see Frank show up on her doorstep at twelve o’clock that afternoon. When she questioned him about his visit, he informed her that he was there to pick up Maggie and take her with him.

Greatly alarmed by his ruffled appearance and fully aware of his recent mental deterioration, Mary Charlotte urged Frank to lie down and take a nap. She explained to him that he would feel much better after he had some sleep. Frank showed little patience with the delay in obtaining custody of his daughter and quickly declined her offer. He acted much too eager, much too desperate, to collect the child and be on his way.

George Brightman returned home from preaching the morning service at the Methodist church to witness his disheveled brother-in-law being adamant about leaving with Maggie. The fidgety way he behaved while arguing with George and his wife, coupled with the strange way he continuously stared at Maggie, made them very uncomfortable.

Even the little girl could see that something was very wrong with her father and the way his eyes were set upon her. “Why are you looking at me like that?” she questioned him.

George desperately tried to reason with Frank. He attempted to convince him that it truly was in his best interest to go in another room and try to get some rest before starting back out for home. Whether he was mentally or physically exhausted by that time, Frank finally relented and went into one of the other rooms, where he slept for several hours.

George immediately sent a telegram to Nancy in order to let her know that Frank was there and safe for the time being. But that message was also delayed until the following day.

When Frank finally awoke later that evening, he joined the rest of the family at the dinner table and partook of a fairly large meal. He was persuaded to remain there at the Brightman house for the rest of the night, as they all believed that Nancy knew of his location via their telegram.

The next morning, when Mary Charlotte received the belated message Nancy had sent her asking if she knew where Frank was, she was wrought with confusion. She took her father and stepmother aside and shared the message with them, as they all tried to figure out why Nancy would send such a telegram when they had already informed her of the situation.

As the three of them spoke privately, Frank quietly took hold of his daughter and walked away from the house.

George had been away from home conducting a funeral service at the time of Frank’s departure, and when he returned home, Mary Charlotte alerted him that Frank had disappeared and taken Maggie with him. Other family members were made aware of what had happened, and a search for them was quickly begun.

After the search party had gone out into the town and questioned several people, it was discovered that Frank and his little girl had left North Attleboro on the trolley, heading toward Pawtucket. Pawtucket police were notified to be on the lookout for him, and Nancy was contacted and informed of all that was going on.

By noontime, Frank and Maggie had arrived in Providence, where he purchased tickets for the one o’clock departure of the Bay Queen steamer. Once aboard, Frank apparently felt the pangs of hunger again, as he stepped up to the purser and informed him that he desired to stop at Silver Spring to get a shore dinner.

Silver Spring was one of the many summer resort parks situated along Narragansett Bay. Standing within the town of East Providence, it had been opened in 1869 by Hiram Drowne Maxfield, a former caterer at Rocky Point. However, Frank was out of luck. The purser explained to him that this particular boat did not stop at Silver Spring. Its only destinations were Rocky Point Park and Crescent Park. Other passengers on the boat would later relate how their attention had been drawn to Frank’s scruffy appearance, strange vacant staring spells and aimless, unusual bodily movements.

With Maggie in tow, Frank got off the boat at Rocky Point and reached into his pocket to retrieve the ten-cent fare. They went directly to the park’s Shore Dinner Hall so that Frank could partake of the near-famous clam cakes, chowder, lobster and fish.

Silver Spring, where Frank Sheffield had planned to enjoy a shore dinner on the day he killed his daughter. Vintage postcard, author’s collection.

Rocky Point’s Shore Dinner Hall, famous for its seafood and clambakes. Vintage postcard, courtesy Jules Antiques & General Store.

The waiters and ticket-takers at the hall immediately noticed that something was not quite right about Frank’s behavior and would later testify that, as Maggie talked incessantly, it was obvious that Frank was trying very hard to pay attention to her but that his gaze was pulled around the room without reason, stopping regularly to stare into nothingness.

He consumed another rather large meal before leaving the dining hall with his daughter and heading up over the hill that led toward the theater and the high cliffs jutting up around the edge of the park.

The time was about half past three. In less than an hour, the happy little girl walking alongside her father, taking in the gay laughter and barrel organ melodies that surrounded her, would be dead.