Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1867-03-22
The 4" Strange Letter

The Strange Letter"
THE" MYSTERY FULLY ACCOUNTED FOR.
When we went to press last week, ac-
tive measures were being taken to account
for the strange letter purporting to be from
&C. Buxton" and thought by many TO be
the late Maj. Charles Buxton. On Friday
Gen. Welles received dispatch from Col
Wilcox at Lynchburg, in answer to one
he had sent, that the person calling him
self Z. Buxton had left about ten days
previous saying that he was going to Wor-
cester, Mass. Capt. Taylor was Dispatch
ed early Saturday morning for Worces-
ter, where he found at the dwelling of
Capt. Patrick Diggins, formerly of this
village, one Callihan half brother of
Diggins wife, who had arrived from Lynch
burg about ten days before, and who re-
ported that there was a person calling
himself c. Buxton, at Lynchburg. D;g-
gins wife, had previously, at Callihan's
request, sent a genuine photograph OF
Maj. Buxton to Callihan, who was going
to use it to identify Buxton. Capt. Tay-
lor came home and thus there was appar-
emily two witnesses to the fact that there
was person at Lynchburg, calling him
self G. Buxton, and Col. o. b. Wilcox
had telegraphed that he was person of
weak mind, and on Saturday evening
doubtless, a majority of our village would
have voted that Maj. Charles Buxton was
alive, notwithstanding the constant receipt
of letters from soldiers in adjoining towns
that they positively knew that Maj. Bux-
ton was killed, dead, his remains sent
home, and were living witnesses to the
fact.
1t appears. however, that the letter sent
from Worcester containing Buxton's pho
tograph, and written by Mrs. Diggins, was
addressed TO Capt. c. Buxton and on its
arrival at Lynchburg, Col. Wilcox took it
out and forwarded it to the Adjutant Gems.
office, at Montpelier from where it was
Immediately sent to this place early this
week, and which threw flood of light on
the whole affair and entirely solved the
mystery. Mrs. Diggins letter containing
the photograph gave an account of Maj.
| Buxton, that lie enlisted at Bellows Falls,
WAS supposed to have been killed, his re-
mains sent home, and his child died in a
few weeks after he was killed. &c, all of
which was correct, asd evidently written
in good faith in response TO inquiries made
bv Calihan. Here we will correct an
impression prevailing in our village that
Mrs. Diggins wrote this letter pretending
to personate Mrs. Buxton. and it has even
1 c. Buxton which is not true. After this
development Gen. Bradley went to Wor-
cester to see Callihan, but he had fled to
parts unknown Immediately after Capt.
Taylor left on Saturday. But it appears
that Callihan enlisted into the regular
army at Worcester last August under the
| hdiHS vi ". buAtou. MS eACuSe LOT tHlS
is that being a minor he feared his mother
would not permit him to enlist. His per-
Torrance at Lynchburg, however, he has
not yet accounted for, and that is left to
conjecture. He may have thought he was
getting up scheme by which he could
get discharged from the army, draw back
pay, or get free transportation, doubtless
an attempt at some kind Of fraud.
An incident has also been brought to
light which may indicate that he has been
! in the scheme for some months. Some
time last summer, stranger called upon
Mrs. Buxton saying that c. b. Eddy
wanted her pension papers and wished him
to take them over to his (Eddys) Office.
Mrs. b. very pr perly and CURLY respond
ed that as he was a stranger she would
keep the papers herself and if Mr.. Eddy
wanted them he would doubtless call for
them himself. Mr.. Eddy knew nothing of
this man and that was the last of it.
Thus has ended a cruel piece of fraud
and imposition, which has so wickedly
created anxieties and stirred up the feel
ings of the friends and relatives of Mai.
4 Charles Buxton. Gov. Dillingham; and
Gems. Welles aad Bradley have been
thorough and persevering in the investi-
CATION. 1t was apparently a work of hui
manity when begun, and they are entitled
to as much credit, in avelng and ex-
posing the fraud, as though it had been
attended with a different result.
/ New MUsIC.-We have received from
] G.. NJ. Tremaine, 48l Broadway, New
York, the following pieces of new music
Where have the beautiful Gone,
Duet by James q. Clark, and Juve-
nile Party Galop" by J. DeJasienski.
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