Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1848-05-04
Murder viii Oat,'

Murder viii out
The circumstances we are about to relate, i'll
given without good authority, we are aware
would seem much more like romance than reality
and might be taken by our readers as an idle
tale imposed upon US by Madam Rumor during
the vet early 'des Of AwM We tbere.ae. b
hearing Of the material facts last Saturday, spent
some time in investigating them; and although
their truth may appear even stranger than fiction
yet they are altogether reliable, as we gathered
them from the most responsible sources They
are as follows
About the goth Of February, 1876, young
man named John s Bruce, aged about IS years
IA son of M. Lewis Bruce, respectable farmer
in Westlord, Mlddesex county, starred from his
father residence with a span of horses and a
sIead load of straw, for the purpose ofseing the
! latter in this city, The distance being only 25
miles, he was expected to return the following
day. Days, weeks and months passed how
ever, and no tidjng8 were heard of him by bis
anxious family, though dilgent sealch and in
curry were made-and his friends accordingly
remained in a distressing quandary, whether it
was possible he had left for parts unknown Or
some fatal evil had befaen him. We will here
mention an apparently trilling incident, but one
which resulted in furnishing the frs. clpe to
) information concerning young Bruce. 1t APP
pears that Mr.. Otis kIiIdieth, neghbor-who
subsequently removed from Westford to Salem,
n U.,-arrangod with Bruce 10 take to Boston
a small keg, to be filed with moIasse; for am-
which, Of course, was never retained. Mr.,
IIdreth came to the city on business in the
, succeeding month Of July and happened to call
in at the Office connected with the stable Of
Edward Eastman, in Deacon street, sac lis key
- there, and identified it by several marks, Ga
Inquiry, be was told that il had been left there
during the winter previous, together with span
/ Of horses which after being kept seventeen days
< without being called for were advertised by
5 Eastman and sold at auction, and that there was
balance Of between so and $50, after deduc-
ting expenses, due the owner of the horses when
he should make his appearance. Fron the
: accounts given, Mr.. IIldreth was sal cd that
r the horses vara those driven by young aiuce,
5ar IF thc latter he could gain no Antejgence
,, except l. fai0t reneuberaplc lLa% person Of
/, simiId description bai beea. seeu 4rJTssA me
stable som9time the pfeyious winter
? Upon his return to S.jem, Mr.. Il.ldrt'h wrote
? to Mr Bruce at Westford, stating the atr,,o cir
cumstanccs-wMch very naturally excited in the
mind Of the flther revival of hope that he
. might trace from them some knowledge of his
! absent son He was accordingly prompted soon
to come to Boston for the purpose Of making in
T. quiries, but could learn nothing fnflh@ than
+ that his son was last seen on the sidewalk near
the stable referred to. His name was also re-
corded on the Ilayweghers book, bot another
name was registered at the stable as the person
by whom the horses were left,
Some time after this, Mr.. Bruce WIS induced
$ by the solicitations of frends-lhough himself
d an unbeeyer in Mesmerism--to cone to the
city and employ the claiWoyant powef of Mrs,
Freeman, in Lyman Pace-a practitioner some
j. what celebrated for her success in similar cases
: in future inquiry respecting his son. Ehe clair
> voyant made some startling developments, which
: were repeated at subsequent eXamnafols at
c tended both by Mr. Bruce and Daughter who
t resided in l.owe and from the Investigations
which they were able to make, it has conclu-
: siye to them that there was much truth in the
7 statements, although from the natureof the case
: it was difficult to ascertain certain things thus
> revealed or even to connect the several links Of
+ evidence so as to form toerab{ complete
a chain.
: The principal features Of the dllryoyant' :
r reyeations--drawn out in fragment AT different
: times--comprsed the known facts detailed above
concerning young Braces journey 70 Boston,
with the declarations that shortly after his ar
a rival he was induced by certain persons to take
d something to drink, which threw him into vio-
lent commissions, of which he died that his
body was concealed for some time III Yer ma
b nure heap, but afterwards taken by a coIorec
q plag in The night time. cayt=-1 cat upon the
g water and sunk in the harbor-that hs wa.
u subsequently discovered, and vs. 10 ,f1k4,k
n in certain tomb in Tia Ctty Emiai 81 nd o.
y the Meek! The cIairvoyant also STATED that d,
y drug was administered to Bruce Tor the Purp1s,
d of obtaining money, &c, which he was sup
d posed to possess, and that certain indFdua
+ cognizant of these transactions haa-Sjnce beer
If dangerously i'll, and came near dirugng-xaen
q &c, &c
re These representations so inAamed the curiosi
ty of Mr.. Bruce and others to inspect the Gem
10 etery, that on Tuesday afternoon last, accom-
~ panied by Mr.. Franklin Smith, one of the cit,
II undertakers, they proceeded thither for an ex
y animation, Abiding by the minute instructions
p he had received from the clairoyant, Mr.. Bruce
\ requested that Tomb No Is might be opened
OF and if the remains of his son were not in tn,
", lowest coffin in that tomb, he would be satisfied
IS without further search. Mr. Smith according
ne ly pulled down some dozen or hGeoh collins
o as and prying up the lid of the lower aner mira
y bile dctu I the father recognized The dress Of hi
son within the coffin The having been eniomber
te with his clothes on as is usual when bodies arr
re ! found in decayed condition OF the remains
at nothing was leh save portion of the stomach