The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1850-11-19
Particulars of the Murder Of Lawrence
! and Luther in California.

We lay before our readers the following /
letter from the Secretary Of meeting call |
ed TO investigate the horrible murder of
Lawrence aud Luther, on Nelson Creek, in
California, on the night Of the 9TH Of Sep
temher last.
We can offer no suggestions other than
such ps will naturally present themselves to
the mind OF every reader, on the peFusal OF
the details as given below
So far as appears from the letter, (Which
is evidently intended as an expression OF the
sense Of the meeting), no suspicion whaIev>
er attaches 20 Mr. Ward, OF Weybrldge, the
companion OF the unfortunate victims
Mr.. w. is well known to many OF our cit
liens AMI has always been highly esteemed,
rs an amiab,e. industrious and worthy man.
-Ta.smeS I'ernOnter.
INpErrNDENcE, Sept. 10, 1880.
Mr. Chas. w. Lawrence-Si?
II has become my sad duty to inform You
of the death of your brother Jas. w. Law
renee lie was most ioully murdered while
Steering in his tent on Saturday evening the
9TH inst . as was also j. w. b. Luther OF Ad-
Olson in Vermont. Your brother, Mr. Lu-
Their and William Q. Ward from Wcybridge,
VI. were sleeping together, when the latter
was awakened between nine and ten IN the
evening and saw man with an uphited
| Ratchet in the act of striking one Of his COM
panions. lie sprang up to make his escape,
when he discovered another man little be-
| hind the murderer he (Ward) run out TO
1--WE the alarm and was followed a short dis
lance bv the second man, who did not over
take lin- He ran to the next camp, few
hundred wards distant and rallied force
anil returned as soon as possible, When the
bodies of the murdered men were discover
cd thrown into the creek and horribly man
lied and quite dead. The following nom
ins the bodies were decenty inferred, and .
jury assembled To inquire into the facts.
suhion statement OF the proceedings, un'
der the impression that it will be n sa,isiac
lion for YOU to know the full particulars -
The object of the murlcrers no doubt wa
Tor their money; they had each about SlOC
as was ascertalned
At meeting OF the miners Of lndepend
ence held on Sunday evening, Sept Sth, t.
take mo consideration the outrage whlcl
was perpetraled on Nelson's Creek on Sat
urday night, September 7lh, in the murde
Of Lawrence and Luther, ard to devise pro
, per measures for investigating the same
! the Hon. Alex, w. Mccoy, was called to tn
| cnhlf, anu y. JeldhO was appoiiltu peSiN
: tary. On motion of Doct. Temple, it WA
resolved. that a committee of twelve men b
appointed by the Chairman tor the purpose @
of proceeding as early as possible the to sceu
of The murder, to'make investigations & repoI
the same as early as possible to the meeting
and that the committee be authorized to Fl
: vacancies and call such aid as may appea
to them necessary. The Chairman then ar
: pointed the following gentlemen, member
! of that committee Doct. Temple, Foreman
j. w. Hunt, :. +. Mccoy Mr.. Withinl
ton, j. Prout. MIR. Nichols, Mr.. Hunter, NJ
Long, Mr.. Clemens, j. Fleming, j. W. Nj
Coy, and S. Wright. On motion, the NEE
d ing adjourned till morning.
rs Monday afternoon, Sept 9th. The con
l. mttee having returned and the meeting col
lie yened, the committee made the followiD
report
The committee of investigation begs lea'
rs to offer the following report;
m Early on Monday morning we proceede