Vermont telegraph. [volume] (Brandon [Vt.]) 1828-1843, 1837-04-19
From the UniyersaIist Watchman.
sNCTARrAN OUTRAGE.

Underline caption Of affairs in Men1on,
VT 1 have laid before the public sketch
of sundry religious movements in that
town, au1 the strong and TeprehsHsibie
conduct Of clerical gentleman. 10 this
article shall state facts in relation to an
outrage that has recently taken place in
Mendon. which goes beyond everything
that has come within the compass Of my
information for many years. Now about
Eve years past there has lived in the fam
iIy OF Col. Edward Mussey in Mendon, a
girl by the name Of Harriet Richar1 son,
daughter OF widow Lucinda Richardson,
Of said town. She Is now nearly four
teen years Of age, and by an agreement
between her mother and Mr.. Mussey, she
was to reside with HIM till she should be-
come eighteen Since have preached
in M, this girl has been in the habit Of
attending my meetings. Her mother is
by profession a Calvinist Baptist, and Of
late has been much opposed To this pro-
cedure Of her daughter; she has threat
cned her with severe chastisements TO
prevent her attending the UniversalIsI
meetings, and tried hard TO convince Mrs
Mussey that she did wrong in allowing
her to hear such doctrine proclaimed.
But finding she could not adopt any
measures to keep her away from the hOr
ri6Ie place, where "the grace Of God thai
bringet& SALVATION to all men, was
preached, while she remained where she
then was, the Widow come 10 the conciu
sion, on the twenty-fifth Of June last, &c
remove her from MIR. Mussey's immedi
ateIy. She accordingly got MIR. Hiram
Straton. one Of her Baptist brethren, to g
with her 10 the residence OF Mr.. Mussey
in the absenccof all the male members 0
the family, and assist her in compe7tins
her daughter to leave; for she was ~,
milling to quit the family. They entered
the house in an EHGeremORiOWS manner
pursued the girl to a back chamber, with
or she had fed Tor safety, seized an
dragged her down stairs, carried her out @
the house in an uncivil way, forced he
into wagon, and drove with the great
est possible speed TO her mothers resi-
denee--about half mile---the girl in tn
mean time Streaming and digging 70
assistance in such a manner, as 10 caus
thewonen and children upon the roudt
break cot in lord lamentations, and I
produce in, all. lint beheld the unhol
transaction, symPathelic ripdescribableser
Saliops. ~, g, .-.'-....... ..-.s,s~ 49,.
Mr.. Musscy came home soon aEcr thi
outrage occurred, and taking with bin
Messrs J. III. Pearson, r. Gibson, J. Sew
ard, and w. Foster, went tothe house Z
the Widow, and brought the girl t
his house again, much TO the joy and sa'
isfacllon Of both the girl and his family
having been absent but about Two hour.
But The mater did not end here. "Thes
are the bSg:nniRg Of Sorrows Severg
suits were forthwith Instituted for an
neaiast the Widow, which made lao b.
siness prrlty lively for a few days.
Asttsr OF Guardianship was immediatel
procured, appointing Siraton, GGardiC
OF Harriet, and the Selectmen or Mendo
about the same time made out'an fRde
tsge. binding her to Massey, I'LL she :
comes &C age to act Tor herself 7'Ihey
course bob claimed her; end Mussey e
4sred complains to the Probate judy
pleading for a repeal Of Stratun,s letler
Guardianship; aud notwithstanding u "
Mainly skossn at theirial, that Stratc
was tchollr Wifi 70 be guardian Tor I
girl, the Judge decided that the let
Should NOT be repealed. - -
But MASSEY still claimed the girl;
Strafon, In order to get her into his p'
session. put a Elabeas Corpus Writ up
Mussey, citing him before one Of the s
pfeme Judges thatthe Judge mightsiss