The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1852-05-12

dudley Sawyer.

No man ever occupied more of the
public conversation in the early settle-
ment of Washington Co. than Dudley
Sawyer, the huLter aud trapper. Tall,
muscular aud commanding in person,
rough fiery and ferocious in manner and
disposition, his appearance alone was
sufficient to inspire fear aud dislike and
this, with the dark tale Of homicide, with
which his name by degrees became as.
socialed, at length combined to make
him an object Of aversion to the men,
aud of mystery and dread TO the women
aud children Of the settlement. His
hunting grounds had been on the North.
ern borders Of Lake Magog, where he
occupied hut, living the year round in
the savage loneliness which seemed best
to accord with his disposition, and pnr-
suing the business Of his calling, ill
compelled to flee, as it afterwards ap-
peared. To escape the vengeance Of the
Indians. He then took up his abode on
Dog River IN the town of Berlin, where
he seemed to shun intercourse with the
settlers, and revealed himself, when seen
by them, as dark, moody, disturbed
man. AT length it was whispered a.
broad that there was a good cause for
his moodness and di,quietude and tie
rumor soon settled into The revolving tale
that he had met an Indian, richly laden
with furs, shot him. robbed him, aud
fastening his steel traps TO his body sunk
it in the lake. This story was strength
ened, in short time, bv the appearance
of a small band Of Indians, found lurking
in his neighborhood, and his sudden
disappearance from home, till they had
goue. This visit aud attempt to cap-
lure Sawyer was repeated, at intervals,
for several years by small parties of ln-
dians, one of which, armed with guns
tomahawks and strong cords TO bind the
victim, we well remember encounter
ing in piece Of woods about two miles
from his usual abode, and of being
nearly frightened out OF our boy wits by
THEN appearance. But though the In
dians did not succeed in catching o. kill
ing their WHY foe, yet their persevering
efforts at length drove him out of the
country to the west. where it is said he
yet resides in extreme old age, having
left behind him, on public mind, the
same strong but underlined impressions
of his guilt, which rumor and the at.
lending circumstances had indicated,
Two OF three years ago, we fell
in with an aged relative of Sawyer and
veniured to broach the sGbjcct, W hen
the former readily admitted the homi-
eide, hut coniended that L" Sawyer
caught the Indian stealing his corn, and
in his vexalion anG thougillessness, up
with his rifle aud sho. him."
We then took occasion 10 consult an.
other old and reliable first settler, who
after some hesitation, said g fear the
old story was mainly the true one. The
Indians rarely make mistakes in the
matters. One of them will reason a
thing out curiously. and with more GER
tainiy ;han a dozen lawyers. This was
sly deed, but the body soon becoming
disengaged from the traps, with which
it was sunk, as | understood the case,
rose, and was found by the Indians, with
the fatal bullet in il. This they kept,
and going TO Sawyer's deserted camp,
they dug out of tree, on which he
was known to practice al mark shooting
another bullet. compared the two, and
brought in their final verdict according
ly. Killing an Indian was not looked
upon then as now but ii hung like a
curse Upon The unhappy Sawyer, and,
illl the day of his death, will probably
continue TO haunt him"
Between this conflicting testimony we
do moi pretend TO judge.-Frceman.