Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1867-02-01
The Terrible Tragedy at Auburn

Of which event has already been given
through our telegraphic columns
We copy the main features of the mar
rative-the murdered women being
Mrs. Susannah Kinsley and Miss
Polly Caswell, the former Ga and the
latter 81 years of age:
Saturday night about dusk Mr..
Isaac Libbey, a shoemaker, living
near Widow Kinsleys, went to her
house for the purpose Of obtaining
some shoes which she and Miss Gas
well had been binding or stitching
He noticed that no track had been
made 10 the door since the storm OF |
Thursday. but thought nothing of this,
nor of the fact that the two doors on
lLe front side of the house were fast
ened, rs the inmates were advanced
ina wears and lived alone. He went
to- the shed door and found that I'M
hasped bat fastened by prop lean
iug against it from the inside. This
led him to notice that there was no
smoke issuing from the chimney, ana
being somewhat startled, he proceed
ed to the nearest neighbours, Mr.. Otis
Keith, few rods distant, and request
ed him to 20 with him to the Widow
Kinslcys.
Mr.. Lihbey and Mr.. Keith went
back to the house, and passed around
the buildings to the rear where they
found the back door open, and snow
blowed into the small entry. The
door leading directly from the entry
into a small cook-room, perhaps eight
feet square, as well as another lead
ing from the cook-room into the sit
ting-room, were shut but not fastened.
Opening both doors and looking round
by the dim light of the moon, they
discovered white object on the floor
so suggestive of some horrible trag-
edy that both gentlemen at once beat
a hasty retreat and proceeded to a
neighbors' to obtain lantern and
assistance. Having procured both,
they returned to the house and there
discovered q scene which made the
blood almost freeze in their veins.
On the floor, lying across the door
stool of an open door leading into a
small entry separating the sitting
room from a sleeping apartment, was
stretched the lifeless body Of Polly
Caswell-her head and shoulders il
the entry and her body and lower
limbs in the sitting room. The body
was partially covered with a night
dress, and on proceeding to take holc
of it, it was found frozen stiff, and Civ
ing evidence of having been in tina
condition for several days. A broker
chair, covered with blood, lay near
affording evidence in itself it had beer
used in aiding in the murder of Mis-
Caswell.
Hardly had this terrible seen,
been realized before another still
more terrible met their gaze. In the
bed in a small bedroom, about tel
feet square, adjoining the sitting-roon
and connecting with it by a door
which was open-was the lifeless anC
CHASTITY body Of Mrs. Kinsley, alsC
frozen stiff, and lying with her nigh
clothes on, in a pool Of CONCEALED
blood. The bed-clOthes were matted
with the blood, the quilt and teathe
tick torn. and feathers were scattered
about and everything indicated tina
a terrible struggle for life had ther,
taken place, Mrs. Kinsley being
large and powerful woman.
The body of Mrs. Kinsley was hor
ribly cut and mangIed. The jugula
vein was severed by deep cash Oh
the side of the throat. There wer,
also cuts on the left jaw bone and OF
the left forehead, and a cash nearl
six inches in length on the left LEG
and severe bruises on the left shoulder
not to mention many minor cuts ant
bruises. The evidence was conclu
sive that a rape had been COMMITTEES
or attempted. The immediate caus
Of her death was the severing of tn
jugular vein. Appearances indicat
that the murderer or murderers ha
attacked widow K. in bed, from whic
she had not arisen.
Miss Caswell had received sever
blows on her head and face (probabl
by the chair, her skull was fractured
her left wrist broken, her arm an
left shoulder bruised. There wa
also bruise over her right eye,
cut on her left arm above the elbow
and cut on the left knuckles. TIL
immediate cause of her death wa
probably the fracture of the skull a
though it is possible that this Nigh
only have produced insensibility an
that freezing did the rest.
Blood was found by the side of tn
stove in the sitting room near tn
mantle piece, indicating that Miss
had been attacked there first, an
pursued toward the door to the entr
opening into the room where she wa
stricken down. The supposition
that Miss c., who slept in room i
another part of the house, was avail
ened by the noise of the struggle i
Mrs. Kinsley's room, and arose an
came out into the sitting-room, an
was reaching to the mantle-piece 70
a lamp and match to light it, whe
she was struck by the villain (wh
probably had completed his work wit
Mrs. X with a chair. Miss C. nc
being rendered senseless by the blow
probably attempted to flee to be
room, the villain following, and bea
ing and emitting her until she fell i
the doorway. Her wrist was III
doubtedly broken in attempting t
ward off the blows of the chair.
There were no Indications tbat tb