Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1852-11-19

Suffice it to say, that the Court was opened
at the usual hour on the next morning, with
something like triumpha ceremony, and ad.
Iourned formally until three o'clock in the af-
ternoon. But that Court never assembled. The
news OF the murder spread like wld-iire and
before the appointed hour the people were rush.
ing to the scene from all directions The prin-
cipal aggressors took the alarm aud fled with
great precipliancy some of them TO foreign
parts, aud about sixteen of their accumpllces
we're seized and sent 10 the Jail at Northampton.
which was then the head quarters Of the dsaf-
eC ted in Western Massachusetts, with whom
II e Cumberland County Wings had a friendly
and familiar intercourse which continued for
several years after,
On the 9Th OF March a sort of inquest was
held on the body of French, and on the same
day 1t was committed TO the ground in the
common burial place at Westmiuster--he
militia from the neighborng towns attending
aud firing volleYs ovsr his grave.
A tombstone was soon brought from DUN
merston, bearing an lnscript OH peculiarly H.
Illustrative Of the times, and placed at the head,
where 1t still remains. Beng of slate, tIken
from the quarry near his residence, and which Is
beneved TO be the first ever opened in Vermont,
1t Is not OF the most enduring character, but
face Of the stone well retains to this day the
",ude bit emphatic inscription" the rains and
SHOWS Of seventy winters, lodging on the top,
have percolated between the layers and parta'
" separated them, SO that If they had not been
retained together by small rivct OF lead, in
serted by no one knows who or when, the whole
must long since have crbmbled and been lost.
| 1t remains only to add, that with the burial of
William French, were buried the hopes of subs
| lugatlng the men who dwell on the hills aud in
the valleys of the Green Mountains The
spirit OF resisting oppression to the last extrcm-
! lty, awakened by his death, was never cXtin-
guished, aud within two years from that time
there was proclaimed from the same building
| in which he was martyrCd the Declaration oi
the Independence Of Vermont.
How tar the conflict in that house. on the
18th OF March l115, led to the heroic dctcrmi
nation Of the Patriots of Massachusetts, which
IN about one month from that time displayed
itself IN the skrmlsheS at Concord and Lex
mgton, and afterwards IN the battle fires o
Bunker l!IIl, can never be known, but you
committee fully and firmly believe That they
have the undenlable warrant of History tina
the blood Of William French was the frs
which flowed for American Independence il
our Revolutionary struggle, and they fall,
agree with the Petitioners that the memoria
OF the deed ought TO be preserved in a name
BETTING It's Importance and COMFORTING wat!
the character and dignity OF the State.
They therefore report the accompanying Bill
and respectfully recommend It's passage.
GEORGE W. GRANDEY,)
GEORGE LYMAN,
} JARVIS f. BURROWS, Committee
f HIRAM FORD,
THOMAS BROWNING.
the Hon. and venerable WILLIAM G.. BRADLEY
one Of the Petitioners, and now the Repre-
sentative Of Westminster in the Legislature
and passed its second reading unanimously
Can such a bill ia | IN our General Assembly
, We trust not,