Lamoille newsdealer. [volume] (Hyde Park, Vt.) 1860-1877, 1865-09-06
MURDER In WILLISTON.

week. The greatest mystery as TO VINO
the perpetratOr was yet surrounds The
affair: o. '4'''
1--WE have to record murder in our
town of Williston, the shock
ing details of which we are not able to-
give in full but the information we have
thus far obtained, show it to have been of
a most horrid character.
In beautiful location, overlooking the
finest farms in .Williston, opon what is
known as the old county road, leading
from Essex Junction t, Middlebury, and
about two miles south of the Williston
turnpike, in pleasant two story brick
cottage, surrounded by 40 acres of land
under good cultivation, resides Mr. Eph-
rain Griswold, an old gentleman of 60,
with his wife. Mrs. Sarah Walker Girls.
void, about the same age. With this
aged couple have dwelt, for few months
past, one Charles Potter, long a resident
of Williston and his wife, who was an
adopted daughter and niece of the Girls
wolds'-Potter, however, has, within a
few years past, lived at Cooks Corner, G.
E., where he kept tavern" On Sunday
morning last Potter, his wife, and two
children. his brother Clark Potter, and
Mr. Grswold left for Canada, leaving the
old lady with u small boy about Is years
of age, named Edward Call, alone in the
house. Mrs Griswold slept in little
chamber, about seven feet by eight, just
off the kitchen, while the boy occupied
what was known as the wood shed cham
ber." At 10 o'clock, Sunday night, some
of the neighbors, in passing the house, no.
ticed light in the window Of Mrs. G. s
bedroom. About 7 o'clock Moniay NOR
ming, an Irishman, named Morris Sulli-
van, went to the house to procure a wagon,
the loan of which be had obtained the day
previous, when he heard the boy call and
endeavoring to get out from the staircase,
leading from his chamber, the door of
which was fastened by wooden cleat.
After letting the boy out he noticed an
unusual stiffness about the house, and al
so the fact that Mrs Griswold was not
about, contrary to her usual custom. This
he thought, very mysterious, and on find
ing traces Of blood on the doorstep, pro-
ceeded to alarm the neighbors. Mr.. G.
W. Brownell and other citizens soon arri-
we'd and proceeded to open the back door,
when they discovered a 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
Diligent search was then made in the
outbulldings for the body, when it was
soon found in a calf pen near the barn,
and some rods from the house. in a horri-
bly, mutilated condition, the lower portion
entirely exposed aud the upper covered
with a blanket and bed quilt. On exam
lining the house it was found that the
door in the dining room had been opened
with a chisel, also the sitting room and
private room, where Mrs &. kept her Jew
elry and plate. The upper drawers of
the bureau, containing the valuabes we're
broken open and rihed. Blood stains we're
also found on the piazza and upon the
stills of the windows in the dining and sit
ting rooms. The news of the murder
soon spread through the neighborbood.
creating much excitement, and towards
noon, Messrs, Edmund Whitney and A.
b. Simonds, selectmen of Williston, pro-
ceeded to make an inquiry into the mat
ter, Hon, VIM. II. French, Justice of the
Peace, acting as Coroner. Drs. G. A. l..
Sprague and A. G. Welch proceeded to
make an examination of the murdered
woman. They found wounds on the left
side of the head, fracturing the skull,
which were undoubtedly produced by
some blunt instrument. On the right side
of the head were four or five coutusions.
probably made by the same instrument.
There were also several Stabs in the neck,
one about two inches in length from left
to right and severing the right external
jugular vein. These wounds were evil
IDENTIFY made by some sharp pointed in
strument. Two cuts were found on the
back Of the left hind, also on the back Of
the right hand, and one an inch and a
half deep on the left side of the chin,
passing to the right up to the centre Of
the lip. The knees were badly bruised
as was the left side of the chest These
wounds all tended to show that the mur.
dered woman must have had violent
struggle for her life. She was woman
about five feet high, weighing $50 lbs
and in excellent health She was exceed.
ingly active for her years and was VIVA,
the neighbors called "smart" woman
She was often seen at work in the fields
moving hoeing. &c She had been to Cal
ifornia twice and had there amassed con
siderable property, and was rated in vii
liston as being worth from $40 900 to $l5,
600. She was person who dearly loved
money and was fond of 6nery, which sh
wore on estate" occasions. She built III,