Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1846-08-20
Frightful and AtrOciOus Crime.

horror anu lOCIeuulltJ Ahc hfBNt'ht $3.50.
40 iioh, Nv the late natiests in Norfolk which havh
been ,enorted al length in onr paper from time TO
,;ne The snecia inquiries which the Government
thouohi proper TO set on foot have now left little
room for doubling that system OF wholesale muir
der has been carried for years, and TO an extent
nerhaps now hardly exactly discoverable. A labor
Inc mnn. near fourscore years Of age, poisons one
ofhis children eight at least Of his grandchildren
and his wife he is believed TO have poisoned his
father and mother he perpeiraies these atrocious
crimes without suspicion or disturbance, and APP
paren,Iy without motive; he attends the death-beds
and funerals Of his victims, and conducts himself
with decency and respect; at last he takes poison
HIMSELF requests that relic Of his wifes may be
enclosed in his coffin bids affeciionate farewell
10 those around him. observes that he has made lis
nence with God and expires with appearance of
n;e,v and resignation which leaves deep impress
sion on the minds Of the spectators. II requires
some effort TO comprehend the reality of such
state oflhngs as this. The hypothesis which, in
the present day, is often resoried TO for the
PLANTATION or excuse Of any extraordinary crime
that namely, of the insanity ofthe criminal---woud
appear at first sight to be hero recommended by far
more than usual probability But. apart from that
SAVIOUR of madness which may be said to enter into
the elements of all crime whatever, and which can
not be held to affect the responsibility Of the per
petrator without total sacrifice OF all ideas of jus.
tce, we can discover no traces Of insanity in the
actions ofthis internal miscreant. Not only was
his general course Of life unmarked by any symp.
tons of such disorder. but the circumstances attend
ing those crimes indicate small amount of self
control and sobreiy. Though he reckoned so Sc
curely on the ignorance of his victims to "dust
the white powder in the teapot before the ewes
of the maid who was to partake of the mixture, vet
he look great pains to divert any more intelligent
inquiries, He purchased his poisons with the
greatest circumspection. He was anxious to get
the bodies under GROUND asquckly as possible
He always opposed any application to the coroner
or surgeon, and his own death is supposed to have
been fastened by the resolution Of Que Of the
bereayed mothers 10 repair to some medical adviser
Ii is remarkable that this monster was without
the influence of any Of the motives to which such
deeds as these can usually be traced. He could
reap no gain whatever from his crimes; no muir.
der made him sxpence richer. His little victims
were living at distance from him under the care
OF their own parents, and he seized the opportunity
of friendly visit 10 poison them successfully He
was living on excellent terms with them all no
murder was the result Of anger or malice. Though
receiving parochal relief, he was not under any
pressure OF penury or want. Perhaps his first crime
may have been the result Of some extraordinary
motive, but in his subsequent career we believe he
was actuated solely by the lust for murder. For
fifteen or twenty years he had been exercising this
friphtul power over the lives Of his neighbors in
secret, and with impuniiy and he seems to have
CLEANED hdeous qualification from its indulgence
Since the first disclosures, people in the nrighbor-
hood have now recalled to mind that ordinary la.
borers and strangers with whom this wretch had
no Imaginable connexion, have did suddenly, after
calling at his house or being in his company -
Practices SO monstrous seem beyond the limits OF
reality, and almost beyond those Of Imagination, but
tits certain that such are on record both in ancient
and modern times. No doubt the effects Of an
epdemical coniageon have often been attributed TO
systematic poisonings by ignorant or exasperaied
people, but after making all allowance for such
error, more than oneunquestionable instance could
be produced Of cases where murder has become a
passion, and where crime foul and hideous as to
haunt the guilty death by its mere image has been
adopted deliberate pursuit and daily occupa.
ton, of itself aud for its own sake, without any
other antecedent motive any other Interior aim
Guilt so outrageousy and enormously immature
al defes analysis and exinguishes comment. But
there are one or two points in this case which de-
mand attention most imperativey, and which have
probably dictated the special interference of the
Government. 1t will hardly be credited that all
these deaths occurred without raising any inquiry,
yet such to be the case Twenty bodies OF
people dying successfully under the same sus.
picious circumstances, successfully buried
without investigation or remark, though so obvious
were the traces Of foul usage as 10 be discovered
without difficulty after the lapse of years. Nor
is this all. disclosure was incidentally made at
the inquest indicating still further degree Of
criminal negligence. One Of the daughters Of the
old man died, as il was believed, by the hands OF
her husband. II seems now probable that this ru.
NOR was Incorrect and that she too poisoned
by her father; but, though the whole village was
persuaded that her husband had murdered her
though her sisters did not deny IT, and though the
corpse exhibited what were universally taken for the
marks Of violence, yet no inquiry was made even
-. -