Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1866-03-30

INFANTicIDE IN FIrzwiLLrAX, n. H.-Ou
the Sth inst, the people of Fitzwilliam, n.
H., were startled st the announcement that
young girl was arraigned before magis-
irate on the charge Of numbering an illegit-
innate infant child. She plead guilty. The
KeeDe Sentinel says
The name Of this girl is Alfaretta Boyce. not
| quite Is years Of age. She has another ilIerit-
innate child, sbout years old, born when she
was 10 years old. The child killed was about
weeks old. She had brothers and .isters, and
/ poor, inhrm mother, who was q widow. II
seems that on Monday, the 9Th, that bleak, cold
day, with the Thermometer at zero, Alfaretta got
out OF the cars AZ Fi,zwilliam depot with her
child in her arms, returning from visit to a
distant town, where the child was born. She
Immediately started on foot for Howville. a vii
lsge about miles distant in . .outherly direc-
ton, where q number Of her relatives live She
proceeded not more than 100 rods before she
came to piece Of woods by the roadside. There
she stopped snd turned directly into the woods s
or 10 rods, and then stripped the child Of slI its
clothing, and put upon it a thin summer frock.
tied her handkerchief firmly around its head so
as to cover the mouth, that its cries might not
be heard BY the passers on the road; and then
laid her baby down on the ground in q thicket,
and left it to die. Heart, harder than the meth.
sr millsterne, possessed by girl hardly Is wears
Of age Who has the heart to plesd for such a /
remorseless mother as this
She paused for moment to gather up the little
articles Of dress taken from the child Ths dsy
was icy cold-the wind blew q gale-the trees
ereaked harsh murnurs over her head But
amidst all this turmoil Of nature, she thought
she heard the sitting means Of her child. She
became frightened, and started with frantic
speed for the highway. There she picked up the
things she had left. quieted her nerves for . mo-
nent and passed on. On her arrival at How
vile, she appeared cold and htigued, but by
her conduct gave no indications Of the awful
deed she had done.
In day or two, it became known at How
vile, that she started from the depot with a
child in her arms. This coming to the knovl-
edge Of her brother. he went to her and demand
ed an explanation Of the matter. After some
little hesitation, she told him the whole story
Immediately he brought her up to the sslectmen |
OF Fitzwillsm village, in order TO know what |
must be done. The first thing was to find the
child. The brother and sister. with two Of the
started for that purpose On ar
irving st the place where che turned into the !
woods she said ''stop-here is the place" On ;
neiplng her out OF the buggy, she became con-
vulsed, rigid and insersible In q short time
she came out Of her ft, but vehemently and re-
peatedly exclaimed that 'she could 90 no fur
iher." On much urging, she at length started =
with seeming desperation, and led the way .
With rapid strides, directly to the spot where
The had left her child. Ii reclined little on one
iide, the limbs were slightly drawn up, and it
exhibited signs Of distress. II was frozen firm
y to the ground, and it took some time to re-
ieve it from its icy bed, and when it was lifted
10. the leaves and moss adhered to its side |
While this was doing, Alf.retta looked on, and
n kind Of musing undsrtone. repeated over
md over again. 81 wish it WAS slive-I wish it /
vas alive.
On coming to the village, complaint WAS
nsde, and she was arraigned before msgis-
rate and plead guilty. But during the srraign-
nent, although her relatives were weeping
around her, she shed net a tear And as she ,
tarted for the Jail she exclaimed, They cannot
l,ng me too quick" In sll the conversations
Nth her, in regard to her motives for killing her
hid, she merely said, she had one child and did
lot want to be troubled with another.