Massachusetts spy and Worcester advertiser. [volume] ([Worcester, Mass.]) 1823-1825, 1824-10-13

l
9TH him. His story was substantially The
anne, with only the variations here noted.)
! have heard prisoner relate his story Otter,
| 7lnce he first told it to me. He said that he
| aw deceased and his wife by the light of tie
| moon. | examined the body and the bed t..
| and found that the appearances confirmed the
| prisoners statements. saw prisoner since he
| was in Jail, and asked him when he came TO
the determination to kill his wife and deceased
ii he found them in bed together-he answer
ed ' On Friday night, after had been to the
house with my brother"
Here the evidence on The part C govern
ment closed.
Capt. Reuben French, suorn.-I live in
Concord, and formerly lived in Billerica.
where the prisoner belonged. After he was of
age he worked for me two or three years. He
lived in a house of mine two years after be was
married. lie was man of steady habits till
after his marriage, when he became more uu
steady and irregular, and Showed marks of
insanity. He was unstable in his puruoses.
At one time toward night he said he was going
to lftchburg, but as it looked likely to rain
endeavoured, without effect, to dissuade him
from going. ! afterwards learned that, instead
OF going to Fitchburg, he took circuitous
course, and went TO Bedford, slept in school
house and came back. Tie would often. when
at work, drop his tools, and appear to be
searching for something in the earth-would
go oil and leave his business, under pretence
OF finding minerals. His father was deranscd
near twenty years. His brother has been
crazy, but is now better. His uncle was in
sane several years--he was put TO the Insane
liospltai, and died there. In my opinion the =.
prisoner has been deranged several wears.
Inc indications of it are, at times, great de-
gree OF apparent abstraction and dulness, and
at other times excessive levity-hc carried old
papers and an old almanac about in his hat
when queried of about it, he said the almanac
was to keep his accounts. His father used TO
carry an old almanac about in the same way.
which he would lay on things and call it at
taching them. Late one night, when the
prisoner was at my house, he was going to
carry his small child which was with him off,
but we persuaded him not to go, and the next
day he was very thankful that we detained
him. His appearance and conduct, of late
years, have been very different from what thew
were when young. When irritated he either
becomes very wild and ungovernable, or
leayeshls business and goes off. When going
any where, he is as likely to start off in the
dead OF night, as any time--he frequently
comes TO my house at all times of nght--at
one time he came in, and laid on the carpet
tlll morning, although he had d bed to 60 10.
fiis brother Levi has been deranged.-At one
time he took colt, and rode mile without
birdie, and, when lie came back, rolled off in
10 The ya'd, and said he did not want the colt
The prisoner has appeared wild for several
years, and the general opinion has been that
he is not sane. lie has been married eight or
n'ne years, and has appeared to be insane for
That term or longer. lie has not been intern
perate near SO long. When in my employ
often sent him TO Boston with wood, cider,
potatoes, &c. and he would do his business
faithfully. paid him wages at the same rate
as other men.
Jacob Upton, sacoTn.--l live in Fitchburg.
year ago last March took the paupors OF
the town, among whom were prisoners fami-
| ~. Prisoner often came there by day and by
night When asked what was the matter with
him that he did not keep more steady, lie
would say that Betsy his wife provoked him,
or would change the conversation TO some
other subject without giving any regular reply.
His behaviour is different from that of other
men. He would often stand and poke in the
ground; and when asked what he was doing,
would answer lie did not know, and walk OF,
short time prior to the commission Of the act
for which he is on trial, | sent him into the
woods TO work, and on going to him | found
he had felled a number Of trees, and trimmed
oil the limbs the upper side, and left the
bodies elevated several feet from the ground,
supported by the branches on the lower side.
On asking him what he did so for, lie said so
that they might look as if they were walking
of. At one time my child got prisoners hat,
upon which he suddenly sprang up and seized
1t. noticed an old 'almanac in It, and asked
him what he did with it. He replied that he
sometimes told fortunes. | asked him how he
could tell fortunes. lie said he put the bible
under Betsy's head, and it set her dreaming.
The prisoner either kept his hat by him OF
would seCrete it. His conduct is much like
that Of his father when he was deranged. lie
Will sit and repeat the same story over and C.
yer for hours-Vss at my house on the night
of "Wednesday q: Thursday before he killed
the deceased, sed repeated the same story as
much as three. h urs-- he did not appear to be
Intoxicated, norA pye any reason TO believe
he was Sole gets intoxicated sometimes,
but is often as bad when not in liquor as when
he is, but not so noisy. ! do not think he has
been of clear mind since knew him. did
not know him till took his family.
Levi Farwcll, SpOrn.-I live in Fitchburg.
Prisoners family lived in a house of mine from
| April, 1899, to March, 1928. lie was often
there and at my house. lie often showed in
dications of insanity-he once came in the
morning, appearing very wild, went to the
jamb and pounded it violently with his fist.
When young he was as likely as other boys,
hut Of late has appeared much altered-some-
times he is very talkatve and jovial, at others
exceedingly reserved and melancholy. The
peculiarities of his character have been very
observable-hs countenance and eyes appear
ed wild-and on my questioning him whether
he did not feel disordered in his head, he re-
piled that it sometimes felt strangely. He
would tell the same story over repeated
ly-often spoke of his jealousy of his wife.
was jealous of some of the most respectable in
habitants in the town--such as were above
| sIIsnicnn harn lnnn cnns;dnrnh him a Dc