This Day in Norwood History-November 5, 1954-Geraldine Annese Was Singing When She Left Chums

Girl Friend Tells Story of Date

NORWOOD. Nov. 5 — The closest friend of murdered Geraldine Annese today told of their last double date with two boyfriends, which ended with the victim-to-be happily singing a popular song called, “Teach Me Tonight.”

Cynthia Savage, 15, daughter of Mrs. Patricia Savage of 15 Dean st. — just around the corner from the victim’s home —said that “Gerry called me at 6 p. m. yesterday and said the boys were going to pick us up.”

The boys, aged 16, were known to both girls and have given police their story of the last date they were to have with the dead girl

“I decided to go to her house,” said Cynthia, “and on the way I went into Weismin’s variety store on Austin st., to get a book. Gerry saw me in there from the street.

“She came in and said the boys were parked across the street in an automobile. We went over and talked with them
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“They asked us where we wanted to go, and Gerry said, ‘Let’s go to the Red Dam’ (The ‘Red Dam’ is a swimming place in Wrentham.)

“See You At School”

“Gerry said she wanted to see what it looked like after the hurricane. We talked for about a half-hour and then we drove away.”

“We went to the dam. There wasn’t much change in it. so we left. There was another Walpole boy with us and we drove him home and then went into ’Doug’s in Walpole—that’s a place where all the teenagers go for pizzas and stuff, but we had milkshakes’.

Then, said Cynthia, “we drove to the Sports Center in Norwood, but we didn’t go in. I asked the boys to take me home.’

‘Gerry said she wanted to be dropped off first, so we let her off at the corner of the street. We parked on Washington st., at the corner of Tremont.’

“Gerry said goodbye to all and said, ‘I’ll see you tomorrow at school.”

“She was singing. ‘Teach Me Tonight”

“She liked that song.

“She was swinging her bag That’s the last I saw of Gerry.”

“Everybody I.iked Her”

“We grew up together and went to the same schools—the Balch School, Norwood Junior High School and the Peabody School.

“Gerry was always happy-go-lucky. She had a good personality and everybody liked her. She was very popular. She loved to dance and so do I.

“We used to go to dances every chance we had. We went to the recreation hall in Norwood, and Gerry used to go to the Walpole Town Hall to dance.

“Everybody liked Gerry. î can’t imagine anybody doing this to her.

“Gerry wouldn’t even talk to a stranger unless somebody happened to ask for directions. She was a very, very good girl.

“We went to St. George’s Catholic Church every Sunday together.

Called by Father

“Last night, Gerry’s father called my house at 2 a. m. My mother answered the phone and he said to know where I was.

“My mother told him I was home and had been in bed since 10 pm.

“At 4 a. m, the police called and asked me if I had been with Gerry. I told them I had and I told them what happened last night.

We thought Gerry must have gone to her sister’s house.

This morning, I went to get the bus for school, and I went into the store first to call Gerry’s mother and see if Gerry was home. It Been Awful,

“Then I heard a man come in and ask the storeman if he knew what happened on Tremont st.

“The store man said No, and the other man said he heard a girl had been attacked I asked him if the girl was dead, and he said. ‘Yes.’

“I felt right away it must have been Gerry. I ran home and broke down. I told my aunt upstairs and she called my mother and my mother came home from work.

It’s been just awful.”

By JOAN McPARTLIN – The Boston Globe