Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1865-08-31
Murder in WIlIsst0n.
AN OLD LADY THE VICTIM.

A lOFIlOlt HluINSt was NNA"A'NNNN' - |
the town of Williston, adjoining Burl-
ington on Sunday night last. We
take the following particulars from the
Burlington Times OF yesterday;
In a beautiful location overlooking
the finest farms In WillistOn, upon
what is known as the old county road
leading from Essex junction TO Middle
hurry. and about two miles south OF the
Willston turnpike, in a pleasant two
story brick cottage, surrounded by l4o
acres of land under good cultivation,
resides Mr.. Ephraim Grisw old, an old
gentlemen OF 60, with his wife, Mrs.
Sarah Walker Griswold. about the same
age. With this aged couple have dwelt, |
for few months past, one Charles Pot
ter, long resident of Williston, aud his !
VIE who was an adopted daughter and |
niece of the Griswold's, Potter hOwev-
err, has within few years past, lived at |
Cooks Corner, c. E., where he kept |
tavern" On Sunday morning last
Potter, his wife, and two children, ms
brother. Clark Potter, and Mr.. GrlsWolu, |
lett for Canada, leaving the old lazy
with a small boy about ID years Of age,
named Edward Call, alone in the house
Mrs. Griswold slept in a little chamber,
about seven feet by eight, just OIL the
kitchen. while the boy occupied what
was known as the "wOOd shed cham
per. 81
At 10 o'clock, Sunday night, some u
the neighbors, in passing the house no
ticed a light in the window OF Mrs Us
bedroom, About I o'clock Monday
morning. an Irishman named Morris
Sullivan. went to the house to procure
wagon, the loan of which he haa OBTAIN
ed the day previous, when he hearu Ine
| boy call and endeavOring to GET OUT from
the stair case leading from his chamoer'
! the door of which was fastened oy
| wooden cleat. After letting the boy out
he noticed an unusual stiffness about
the house. and also the fact tnaJ Mfs'
| Griswold was not about, contrary 70 her
usual custom. This, he thought very
mysterious. and on finding traces OF
| blood on the doorstep, proceeded 10
alarm the neighbors, Mr.. q. w, BROW
nell and other citizens soon arrived and
proceeded to open the back door, when
they discovered pool OF blood in the
kitchen near the stove, and other marks
of a violent struggle. Mrs. G.s room
was found empty and evident marks OF
blood on the floor.
Dilligent search was then made IN the
out-buildings for the body, when ~ was
soon found in calf pen near the Darn,
and some rods from the house, In nor
riblv mutilated condition, the lower pof-
ton entirely exposed and the upper Gov
cred with blanket and bed-qailt. VI
examining the house it was found thai
/ The tfuur III tho dining rnom had beer
opened with a chisel, also the sitting
room and private room, where Mrs T.
kept her plate and jewelry. The upper
drawers of the bureau containing thest
, valuables were broken open and rltied
Blood stains were also found on the pl
aza and upon the sills Of the windows
in the dining and sittiag rooms. Th'
news of the murder soon spread through
the neighborhood, creating much eX
! citement, and towards noon, Messrs
Edmund Whitney and A. B. Simonds
Selectrnen of WillistOn, proceeded u
make an inquiry into the matter Hon
VIM. h. French, Justice OF the Peace
acting as Coroner.
Drs. C. A. L. Sprague and A. G. Welcl
; proceeded to make an examination
the murdered woman, They foun'
wounds on the left side Of the head
fractrlrIng the skull, which were III
i doubtedly produced by some blunt in
t strument. On the right side Of the hea
: were four or five cOntusions, probabl
-, made by the same instrument. The1
were also several stabs in the neck, on
= about two inches in length from left
e right and severing the right eXterna
u iugu)ar VEN. These wounds were ev
r IDENTITY made by some sharp pointed II
IT. strument. Two cuts were found on th
, back of the left hand, also on the bac
= of the right hand, and one an inch an
l. a half deep on the left sidt Of the Chill
/ passing to the right up to the centre {
e the lip. The knees were badly bruset
l. as was the left side of the chest Thes
, wounds all tended to show that tn
= murdered woman must have had viz
i lent struggle for her life. She was
W woman about five feet high, welgh,ir
T. 1870 pounds and in excellent hes. ,rh 81
was exceedingly active cor her veal
and was what tn neighbors called
smart IAN" She was often Sc
1t T,vrk in the field, moving, hoe1r
&C. She had been to California twi'
and there amassed considerable prop'
OF ty, and was rated in Williston as bei
ne worth from $l0,00Oto $4,000. She W
70, a person. who dearly loved money, a
Of was fond Of Auery which she wore
~ state" occasions. She built the hor
~ in which she lived, which is well Il
H. nished. Report says she had consid
re- able money in the house, but of T.
in, there is no good proof. The whole m
ur- ter still remains mystery. The m
~ l6lerer or murderers, whoever they II
~ be. did their work in the dead Of nis
-he and fed. Up to this hour no ARE
5le- have been made, though the authorit
are taking every means to ferret out
perpetrators Of this horrid crime.
inn gEpitaphs are not always vert
~ Gus, but they are more truthful than
nos labels of the so called foreign perfur
now sold in this market. Don't
duped by these printed fables. They