Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1844-12-06

the chimney, as if eager to retard investiga-
ton, but still vociferously asserting her in
nocence. An officer got behind the Chin
ney and picked up large knife, which. to-
gether with the floor around was newly
clotted with blood but the woman conlin-
ned insolently to deny her guilt, aud accused
the child of lying, in revenge for having
been whipped the night before. This rash
assertion instantly confirmed her guilt, for il
was quite evident a child of FIVE years old
could never invent such story, aud the
burst Of Indignation against the mother for
her unnatural charge told the strong feeling
that was already awakened against her. The
girl was still overcome with terror and kept
in awe by the mothers frowns, so that it re-
quircd long persuasion and promises Of pro-
lection before she would reveal where the
money was hidden. At length she pointed
to the spot, aud the sum of thirty dollars was
dug up, the miserable amount for which a
female demon had launched human being
into eternity.
The investigation was continued; the
woman was placed in custody, and the pond,
about quarter of mile wide, was dragged
with grappling-irons in all directions, yet
| w OoNy was ulSOOfCtCu. Il bC HCAt Ud1 tuC
search went on with like success, aud at
length, when all other efforts seemed useless,
it was suggested that the pond might be
drained dry, and by this process the body
must inevitably come TO light. The plan
after some further search, Tin which the
pole mentioned by the child was found,
stained with blood aud with some remnants
Of apparel attached to t,) was adopted by
the authorities, and sluice was dug to let
the water of down the hillside. The ope-
ration occupied some time, and when at
length vent was opened, the impetuOus
rush Of the water swept nearly the whole
band upon the hillside, letting off the flood
at one bound followed by mass of pitch
black mud, dead logs, fresh water turtles,
cat fish, paddocks, eels, water snakes, and
all the strange tenants of the pond. Still
the body did not appear, and after thor
ough examination Oft the black bottom of the
pond, vague suspicious of some other kind
of roguery began to be entertained by the
crowd. The child was again examined, the
pond was again scraped, the interval over
which the dark sediment and filth Of the
pond now lay a foot deep, was carefully in
spected in all directions, and still the dread
ful mystery was unexplained.
The evidence of the child, the finding of
the knife, the pole, the money, the woman's
strong appearance of guilt, all proved that a
heartless and human butchery had been per-
petrated, and the iruitess search after the
body seemed but to add new terror to the
excitement. Who was the unfortunate
stranger? evidently some traveller from a
distance, for nobody in the neighborhood
was missed Why could the body not be
found? Ten thousand conjectures flew
around, each of which only added TO the
perplexing mystery. A strange uncertainty
forced itself upon the minds of the people
BY all appearances it seemed certain that
f the murdered man had never been thrown
, into the pond at all, yet that the bloody deed
had been perpetrated was, from the eyi.
, dence, conclusively established.
Thus the affair continued enveloped in
darkness, and all hope was abandoned o.
discovering the body. The woman could
, not be convicted upon the evidence of the
child, and that evidence itself could not be
substantiated without the finding of the body
, So, while every person was satisfied of hel
r guilt, 1T was clear nothing but her own comics
, sion would ever bring the murderer within
the power ofthe law. She, with unflinchine
5 obsiinacy, continued TO deny all knowledge
E of the murder, and at length she was actual
ly released from confinement no possibilit,
! appearing of ever being able to secure hel
Y conviction.
A few months passed on, and the inter
: vaP upon which the pond was emptied, ant
j which before had been almost worthless
now grew to rich and iourishing piece o
I land and people would remark that tn,
2 draining of the big pond had at least proved
} good thing for the Yankee tavern keepe
who owned the ground below.
Now for the development of this mystic
a rous tragedy. A quarrel occupied between
4 the heroine of the story and the innkeepe
T of the interval In her evaporation sh,
9 came forward and threw blaze of light OF
d this blood-chiling mystery, which at ono,
T opened all eyes wide with astonishment.-
d Ascheme was laid open, the intricate an,
a cunningIy devised wheels Of which coul,
v have been set in motion but by a genuin
. bred and born aud thoroughly educated sol
r of Yankee land, The tavern keeper wante,
Il his land improved; he wanted the pom,
a turned on it, and soon hit upon plan t.
T have the job done free of expense. He lai'
r awake three nights, matured his plan, con
o tracted with the poor woman for fifty dollar
! to put it in operation and she, with the as
# sistance of a consummately artful child, car
g ried it out. She killed pig, smeared
e knife and pole, taught her child the story Il
o tell, and acted out the game in a name
o worthy Of the best living representative O
!, Lady Macbeth. The tavern keeper ha,
e furnished the thirty dollars of the murdere,