The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1855-07-20
Horrible Attempt st Assassination In Vermont
Almost Another Wackham Tragedy.
OUR tUTLAsp CORRESPONDENCE.

Horrible Attempt At Assassination In Vernon,
-AImost Another Wickham Tragedy.
OUR iUTLAsD CORRESPONDENCE.
RUTLAND, Vt, July Is, 1855.
Dreadful Aaemps at Mvrir-A Hired Man
Choyyng Up HES Employer tcith a Broodare-
Desperate and Successful Resistance Ume-
guilsd Lone assigned as the Cause Flight AID
Armed Pursuit of the Criminal-His Capture
and Coatesston-H,s Psrsonal appearance Con-
dit,cn OF the Wounded Man.
igntful attempt at nufder occurred at Fair
havsr, in this county, last Sunday night. 1t was q
crime of so rare srrocity az to sho k this whole
community a. create the most in'euse excitement
in the vicinity where IL was peree ra.ed. In many
of its ciroumstau css i. reminds OF the horrible
wickhsm tragedy on Long klaud last year.
In this case as ia that, the victim was farmer
Of respectsbility, living in rstred plaza IN this
case as thai the perpetrstor Of the offence was
the employ Of the sufferers aud In this as in that,
the alleged cause of the offence was uurea uised oye,
The result kele msy be ess fatal than Ia the former
instance; but as you viii see by ths circu ms snces
as proceed to relate them, il was not in conss-
queEce OF sDy less sReish strocisy On the part OF
the criminal.
The name or the wounded man is Chauncey E.
Wood. He Ives about two miles south Of the village
OF Faafhsver, and sbous quarter OF q mile from
any other dwelling. de carries on a small farm,
which ne owns ia connection With his mother and
an unmarried sstsr. Wood s stout heavy man,
abou thirty's gears Of aes. He also is unmarried
and he ard ais mother aud sisser are tho only occu
pants OF the house, excsps MED man.
Three monsss sgo yesterday hr. Wood engaged o
man calm himself Thomas Cook to assist aim for
the season In his iarni,g. Cook was q stranger
and was poorly lad az the time. H. i'm ediatey
commenced work, and cQniinued on up 20 last Sln-
Gay, IA attentive, slsns aud Industrious hand. Hs
ate at tie TAB With the family, and treated
che OF thFm. He slept in room on the same floor
with Mr. Wood'soppo.ite to IL, and only separated
frem Il by small entry or passage way. This
waI1n weather the d0oss Of both rooms were left
wide open III ough the night.
Last SuLcsy night, bes Seen tha hours OF eleven
and twelve, when NJ. Wood Gas sound asleep in
his bed, Geek en,eret his room with broadaxe in
his hand, ard struck him heavy blow, with the
edge, over the leit eye. 1t hsppened from the d..
fection OF the blow, or the guinness Of the edge or
some other cifcum -tapoe, taa, the skull was no.
broken, and the AKA glazed do wn sas left cheek,
msking long frght'ul cash. This awskeasd Mr..
his haod~, uader me sudden impulse, to feel VIII 1t
II was. Cook then gave bun bios over the left
arm. Cock cont n1sd to chop away fari Dusty, hit
ting Ar. Woods left leg once, and cutting twice
deeply :zto his nigh. shisn. Mr.. Wood kicked of
AS much as he conli With his feet, sud hit him
a hard blow il t1s brea.. with his feet which
knocks, ain b.ck agal st the side OF the
roon- Ir. Wood tnsn rusa.d fron the room down
"a Ell Ia. nSrr al.
blood Gas gushing from his wounds, aud hs
he hurt ais foot baa!y by striking the tga of
Ssiy. Apprshefdng that Cook might follow him
he pasasd on to the back ki'ohen, aud arm ID him
seH With a loag piece of roman old fashioned
fire siioe' or ker H. cans back to the dioing
rcora, where he found his motaee aud sister. who
had been arr used from thsir bad In an adjoining
room by the noiso Of the scufla, sad in state OF
greet agitataon we're t-ying to I,gh.s candle. As
sooa - they could striks gh., Mr.. Wood seize it
10 bi LETT hand and with the fro ice in his right,
Start up saiIs, sayiag to his mother and sisssr:
al o. gesfg up again, ana you will iud o,e of us
detd." iae blood was streaming from his wounds
AID he presented horrible spectacle. They FOL
lowed ca sitter him, and, on entering Cooks
room, f.aad The broaiaxs lying on his bed
covered With blood, tho wind,w up, sad
Cock gore. This WAS the first that Mr.. Wood
knew what kidd Of q weapon had bssn ussd
sgaiDst him or Who had used IT. Cook says that
wnen hs fret struck WOOD, Wood called him bs
name, ton whsen be supposed .ns: he roc ,gnized
hun. Bat i appears that he vss only shooting to
him for BAN, which, suprosieg that he was sleeping
in the rExt room, be would very naturally do-snd
tist he hsd 10 idea thas lis o yn hired man was
oeslirg hipc fEch death bows
Cock esesIed through the window Of his room,
by ltgtDE fp1ssit Uowa from The stl by his ds,
without rJu-y, Although the f0rm a IN the second
story OF tEe ncuse Mr Nocd by this time bsg inning
t. relapse from the intense excitement which had
temporarily 5nCjef him up, began to grow weak
and tnns ON the LOGS OF blood, aud laid do wn
upon settle.
rs sister started alone ia the dark for the near.
EFT peighbcr, ntout quarter Of q mite distant. Tue
name If hrs IeishDor 10 William AAsrd. Ga
reaching his house, Mss Wood raped on
the door, but eceivily answer she opensd II and
went IN. MIR. AL ard woke up, OUT Miss Wood was
go much exhausted that she c,aid nos speak. She
only proaned lii the most distressed manner, which
greatly alaiMed Mr.. Alsrd. soon, however, she
recovered herself sufficiently to arti usts, "Caaun-
cey Ia nus6etedn' Mr.. Arard called his hiied
nan srd started for NJ. Woods house. He sont
his man e the village for Dr. Wakssld, aud on his
way Ire man aroused one or tao others Of the
hsiehboa
In short time number had gathered at Mr..
Woods house. but no one started In purs1i. of the
imina until morning. About Daylight Intelligence
Of what had occurred was commu al sted to Mr.. j.
f. Willard. fist constable o. the 20, who spread
The rews through the village and thsn repaired to
Mr.. Woods house. and tried to get on the track OF
the culprit. He succeeded IN fl idipg prints OF
stocking feet, but could not follow them ,re thaa
about half q mile.
The bell was rug and csnnoH was fred on the
common. THESE signals rapidly called the In
habitapts Of the town together to learn what
bad happened. The meeting WAS organised BY the
choice Of Barnsbas Ellis, Esq., as chairman. Meso
while the Belec'men bad got together and aver
tissd reward OF fifty dollars for the arrest OF Cook.
that ne had heard II Cook on the road between
Fairhsven and P5ulsney. 1t Was voted to divide
Ito two parties choose leaders, and start in pur-
suit. Col. A. Allen WAS chosen leacer OF one dvi
sion and Mr.. franklin Ward OF the other, and about
orc hdnoieo and fifty men, some with horses and
some on foot, and many OF them armsd with revol.
vers, started IN pursuit. The excitement had bs-
come ps1,ral. The pnrsuers encountered .hou.