Daily national Democrat., 1858-09-05
The Tragedy in CalaIs-Whas SpiriSu-
nIiam had 70 De with iH.

The Tragedy in CalaIs-Whas spiritu
01iam had 10 dc with it.
There IS a disposition manifested by tn
press to fasteD upon spiritualsm all the crime
of the age Thus the "Free Press" of Bur
ngton attributes the above tragedy to spir
itism, and the Boston papers, placing to,
much confidence in the statement, copy it
and thus it goes from one end of the countr,
to the other, that spirits were "the heaC
and front Of this offending"
We know the secular press is not to b,
conhded in, and that its managers are ex
eeedingly fallible, having prejudices to pan
der to, sectarian ideas to promulgate church
es and other cliques to flatter and to please
while thousand other things so influence
them, that Misrepresentation and deception
is too often met with in the press
The following statement of the affair is
copied from paper published at Montpelier,
within six miles of the place where it occur
red. 1t says nothing of spiritualism, neither
does the niversalist paper, published at the
same place:-
HORRIBLE TRAGEDY IN CALAIs.-L1st Fri
day morning, July l6, Rial Martin, Of Calais,
VT. young man, aged II or Is years, Sc
creted himself with a loaded rifle, in or near
Il meadow where Mr.. Jenison Wheelock was
moving, and shot Mr.. Wheel0ck through the
body, of which wound he instantly died -
While the neighbors were trying to do some
thing for Mr.. Wheelock, Martin reloaded his
gun, and passed on some three. quarters of a
mile, where he found Mr.. Lucius Ainsworth
in bayfield,. There. in the presence of Mr.
Goodell, he drew up his rifle, and aimed it
at Ainsworths back. Ainsworth was hard
OF hearing. Goodell. supposing that Martin
was merely in fun, remarked, That's care
less trick, when instantly Martin fired, and
Ainsworth fell, shot through the back
tie expired in about an hour. Wheelock and
AlnswOrth were young married men, proba-
bly "a or 20 years of age. All three were
neighbors, and it is not known that there
had been any difficulty between them, or
any hard feelings on the part of Martin to.
ward either Of his victims, nor has he been
thought to be dangerous. 1t is thought that
Martin must be insane, though he has not
heretofore been regarded as crazy. Some
say he has had crazy turns before. When
asked why he killed these men, he replied,
because they have used me IN .an" When
asked how, or wherein they had misused
him, he replied, they at,OayS used me mean,"
but could not tell of anything in particular.
No assignable motive for this atrocious act
is perez ptible Martin appears cool and un,
excited. He was secured, making no resist
ance.
In order that the truth should be made
known in this matter. We wrote to our
friend, ). B. Nichols, of Burlington, Vt, who
sent us the following letter -
MONTPELIER, July 26, 1858.
s. B. NICHOLS, ESQ: DEAR SIR-Yours of
tie 25th was duly received. In relation to
Martin, the "Calnis murderer" | think he
never pretended to be a spiritullist. | was
at Calais last Saturday, and saw and con
versed with Martins brother lie said some
eight years since Martin WAS very sick, q
think with the measles); that since that time
he has had frequent spells of being insane.
and danger Gus, and has frequently threatened
to take the life of his brother and others
talked with several of his neighbors. no.
ticed that they generally regarded him as in
sane, and all referred back to the tine of his
sickness. Nothing was said about Martin be.
ing a spiritualist. The first time ever heard
it intimated that sprtualism had ANYTHING
to do with the murder, was contained in al
extract of the paper you enclosed me-
think the gentleman who gave the editor in
formation, must have been m mssinformed.
ours truly, AzEL PAULDINo.
l'4'' DP"iNA'S 10 law CT Ill n1OHlpelleT.
We will merely remark, in conclusion, that
both editors of the Burlington Free Press
are leading members of the Calvinistic Con
gregation Church The senior editor was
formerly n professor in the university of
Vermont" The junior, G. G. Benedict had
been quite active in the Business Mems Pray
er Meetings, held in Burlington during the
last three months. Both have manifested a
bitterness against spiritualism and the cause.
which shows very little of the Christianity
of Christ. Although they make abundance
OF proft ssions, it seems to us they have yet
to learn that truth was a trait Of Christ's
character, which no Christian can do with
out They have an opportunity now to cor
rect their error, and thus make amends for
the falsehood which has gone from them all
over the country. Will they do it?-Banner
Of Light, dug. 7.
We publish the above in order that both
sides may be heard