The Northern star, and farmers' and mechanics' advocate. [volume] (Warren, R.I.) 1830-1834, 1833-01-19
From The Proria<ses Joana!'-

have been kindly ly.permitted by VILLA
r. STABLES, ESQ. counsel for the State,
in the late examination ofthc Rev. Mr..
Avery, to publish from his notes an abb
stract Of the testimony, embracing every
important fact elected. We should have
presented this before, had Eve not been
requested by Mr.. Staples to refrain from
giving it publicity, until other reports-ii
they were published, ms had been intima-
ted they would be-should be placed be-
fore the public. Judge DRuRY's repor.
having appeared, his objections no longer
exist The intense excitement which pre-
walls in relation TO the examination, will
justify the space:which VIC shall devote
to the matter.
John DnJse, of Tivcrton, snys that on
the morning OF Dec. 81, passing through
lot with his team, about GO rods from
his house, he saw the body Of a female
hanging on the inside Of stuck yard
He stopped his team and went to see
whether she was dead or alive, and found
her dead. He turned from the body and
called to two men in sight-.hrcc were
within hearing al.f came. A knife was
handed to him, with which he cut the
line, and laid the body on the ground
lie then went and brought the coroner TO
the body, jury was summoned: and the
body taken to his house. Her name and
place where she boarded was ascertain
cd. He went to her boarding house got
her trunk, handbook, and wearing appar-
el, and carried them TO his own house.
He got them for things to lay her out ia.
He was told the key was in deceased's
pocket and the woman delivered the key
to him. He unlocked the trunk, found
-four letters, three open and one sealed /;
examined these, open and read them
The contents ofthese letters led him to
suspect the prisoner. lie handed the
letters to the jury, who returned them to
him, and he locked them up in the trunk
The inquistioa was adjourned to next
day, when the jury agreed upon a verdict
and he then buried the body. On the
22d, his wife and sister examined the
trunk to ascertain her residence. They
found letter from brother Of the deccas-
ed and strip of paper with her name in
pencil marks. He disclosed contents to
the coroner who issued warrant for a.
jury. This jury with exception of two
were the same us before. They met the
Monday following at his house. The
body was taken up by order of the coro-
ner. Drs. Wilbur and Hooper examin-
ed the body without the presence of the
jury, and after reporting to them. the ju-
ry insisted that the doctors should exam
ine farther, and the.body was reburied.-|
The papers found in the trunk were de-
livered by him to the coroner.
The body was found more than 60 rods
from his dwelling house. String was
hemp twine doubled. The body was
suspended to stake on inside Of the
yar1, which stood perpendicular in the
ground. The cord was fastened to the
stake by slip knot. He did not take cord
from her neck and cannot say what knot
was around her neck. Her toes we're on
tho ground-her knees were bent for
ward near to the ground-her shoes were
on her right side about 9 inches of, stand
ing side by side. One had some mud on
the instep--her pocket handkerchief lay
about the same distance on the other side
right hand on her breast, and left hang
ing down-both under her cloak, which
was hooked together nearly the whole
length he thought. She had calash on
her head; her hair WINS much dishevelled,
so that he had to part it from her face to
ascertain whether she was dead or alive.
The length OF the cord from the knot on
her neck to the knot on the stake was
less then six inches. The three persons
called first by him were Richard Durfee,
Benjamin Meyers, and William Allen
The right cheek and car lay against the
wilhe that connected the two stakes; could
discover no signs other having strangled;
not a scratch on her face or mark on the
hay or grass under feet.
Elisha Hicks is the coroner who called a
Jury. Tie cord round the neck was near
lly even with the neck ono eye quite
closed, the other nearly so che was quite
cold lips were very red, saw no marks
Of struggle grass not broken or hay re-
moved. On seeing body after dug up,
the neck was vesy red where the chord
hnd been. The letters and papers now
presented by him to the court were deliv-