Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1858-01-29
miscellaneous.
THE NORTHERN CIRCUIT.
SINGULAR CONVICTION or MURDER.
Hy A LONDON nAnnIsrGu

er extensive hamlet not many miles distant
| from a northern seaport town. large, sub
stantialy built, but somewhat struggling
building, known as Craig Farm (popularly
/ Crook FARM House. The farm consisted Of
about one hundred acres of tolerable arabic
meadow land and at the time indicated, be-
longed TO a farmer by the name ofArmstrong.
/ lie had purchased it about three years previ-
ously, at a sale held in pursuance Of decree
of the High Court of Chancery, for the pur-
pose Of liquidatng certain costs incurred in
the suit of Craig vs. Craig. which the said
court had nursed so long and successfully. as
to enable the solicitor to the victorious claim
ant to incarcerate his triumphant client for
several years in the Fleet, in satisfaction
of the charges of victory rer'aining due after
/ the proceeds Of the sale Of Craig Farm had
been deducted from the gross total. Farmer
Armstrong was married, but childless; his
dame, like himself. was a native OF Devon
shire. They bore the character of plodding,
taciturn, morose-manncred couple seldom
leaving the farm excepting to attend market.
and rarely seen at church or chapel, they nat
urally enough became objects Of suspicion and
dislike 70 the prying, gossping villagers, to
whom mystery or reserve Of any kind was of
course exceedingly annoying and unpleasant.
Soon after Armstrong was settled in his
new purchase, another stranger arrived, and
took up his abode in the best apartments Of
the house. The new conner, man Of about
fifty years Of age, and evidently, from his
dress and gait a sea-faring man, was as re-
served and unsocial as his landlord. His
name. OF at least that which he chose to be
known by. was Wilson He had one child,
a daughter, about thirteen years of age, whom
he placed in a boarding school in the adjacent
town. He seldom saw her the intercourse
between the father and daughter being prin-
cipally carried on through Mary Strugnel,
widow of about thirty years Of age, and ma
tive Of the place She was engaged as SER
want TO Mr. Wilson. and seldom left Craig
farm except ON Sunday afternoons. when If
the weather was at an favorable she paid a
visit to an aunt living In the town. there she
saw Miss Wilson, and returned home usually
at half past ten o'clock-latcr rather than
earlier. Armstrong was occasionally absent
from his home for several days together on
business. it was rumorcd. for Wilson; and on
the Sunday in the first week of January.
1902. both he and his wife had been away for
upwards Of a week and were not vet returned.
About a quarter pas: ten o'clock on that
evening the carly retiring inhabitants Of the
hamlet were reused from their slumbers by
loud, continuous knocking at the front door
of Armstrong house. louder and louder,
more and more vehement and impatient re-
sounded the blows upon the stiffness Of the
night, till the soundost slecpcrs werc awak-
ened.
Windows were hastily thrown open and
presently numerous fnotsteps approached the
scene of growing huhbub The unwontcd
noise was caused. ii was found. by Farmer
Armstrong. who accompanied by his wife.
was laundering vohcmently upon the door
with heavy black thorn stick. Still no an
swer was obtained Mrs Strugnel. il was
supposed, had not returned from town; but
where was Mr. Wilson. who was almost al
ways at home both day and nighti
Presently a lad called out that a white sheet
or cloth Of some sort was hanging out Of one
of the back windows. This announcement.
confirming the vague apprehensions which
had begun TO gorminate in the wise heads Of
the Villagers. disposed them to adopt a more
eifectual mode of obtaining admission than
knocking seemed likely TO prove.
Johnson the constable Of the parish. a man
of great shrcwdness, az once proposed to
break open the door Armstrong, who as
we'll as his wife. was deadly pale and trcmb-
ling violently, either with cold or agitation,
hesitatingly consented, and crow-bars being
speedily procured, an entrance was forced,
and in rushed a score of excited men
Armstrong; wife, it was afterwards re-
membered, caught hold Of her husbands arm
in hurried, frightened manner, whispered
hastily in his ear. and then both followed in
TO the house.
Now. farmer" cried Johnson, as soon as
he had procured a light, "lcad the way up
stairs"
] Armstrong, who appeared to have some
! what recovered from his panic, darted at once
up the staircase, followed by the whole body
of rustics On reaching the landing-place
he knocked at Mr Wilson's bedroom door
No answer was returned. Armstrong seem
ed to hesitate. but the constable at once lifted
the latch they entered, and then a melancholy
spectacle presented itself.
Wilson, completely dressed, lay extended
on the floor lfecss corpse. He had been
stabbed in two places in the breast with some
sharp pointed instrument. Life was quite cx-
tinct the window was open. On further in
spection, several bundles containing many of
Wilson's valuabes in jowelry and plate to-
gether with clothes shirts and silk handker-
chiefs were found.
Tho wardrobe and sccrctary-bureau had
been forced open. The assassins bad it
seemed, been disturbed, and had hurried off
by the window without their plunder. hat
was also picked up in the room, a shiny,
black hat, much too small for the deceased
The constable snatched it up, and attempted
to clap it on Armstrong; head, but it was
not nearly large enough. This, together with
the bundles, dissipated suspicion which had
{ been growing in Johnson's mind, and he
b roughly exclaimed, ''you need not look so
scared farmer it's not you, that's quite
clear
To this remark neither Armstrong or his
wife answered a syllable, but continued TO
gaze at the corpse the bundles, and the brok-
S en- locks. in bewildered terror and astonish-
It ment. Presently some one asked if ANYBODY
had seen Mrs. Strugnell;
The question reused Armstrong, and he
n said, "she is not come; her door is locked. "
I. GLOW do you know that :" cried the con-
d stable, turning sharply round, and looking
keenly in his face How do you know
: thati'
''Because--because, stammered Armstrong,
"because she always locks it when she goes
OUT
4 (which is her room -
la, -, ia