Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1868-03-27
Reported for the Bellows Falls Times.
Execution at Windsor.
THE MURDERER MEETS ms DOOM.


THE MURDERER MEETS HIS DOOM.
John Ward alias jerome Lavigne was
hung by the neck until he was dead, in
the VT. State Prison on Friday the Goth
inst, at precisely thirty minutes past one
o'clock P. M.
THE CRIME.
The circumstances Of the murder of
Mrs. Griswold of Williston ON the 9th
of August, 1865, are generally known to
your readers. She was living at the time
with her adopted daughter Mrs. Charles
Potter. Some daysprevious to her death
Potter was visited by suspicious looking
stranger, who came there ostensibly to
buy horse. He was shown all about
the premises both within and without the
house. Mr.. Potter and wife and Mr..
Griswold left the house on the day before
the murder was committed, and went
into the northern part of the State or
Canada, Mrs. G. being left there alone
with small boy. The assassins came
and locked the boy into his room, and in
the most brutal manner took the life of
the defenceless old lady, mangling the
body shockingly and hurled it into calf
pen in the barn. Ward confessed that
his accomplice made terrible awkward
work of it. He had seen him strike a
great many men, but never saw him
make such awful blunders before. On
the morning of the 2Sth the neighbors
were aroused by the cries of the boy who
was locked into his room, and upon in
vestigation brought to light the above
facts.
The question then at once arose, who
is the criminal? Suspicion settled upon
Potter for it was known that the old lady
had threatened to will her property to
another than his wife, her adopted
daughter, in consequence of the fact that
there was not the best of feeling existing
between the parties. He was according
ly arrested, tried and acquitted In the
meantime it was remembered that there
was seen horse trader by the name Of
John Ward, and upon instituting search
sheriff Flanagan finally succeeded in
arresting the said Ward at Winooski
VT, whittier he had come to get the last
installment of his booty for the murder
When arrested there was found upon his
person bottle of chloroform, a patch
for the eye to disguise himself, slung shot
billy, lance, revolver and all sorts Of
weapons. He was held to trial, and al
Burlington about the first of January
1867, was convicted and sentenced to be
hung. He reached the State Prison in
Windsor on the eth of that month, where
irc las Deen IN solitary Confinement I. wait
ing his DOOM;
RETRIEVE
On Wednesday before his execution he
sent petition to the Governor asking
that the time be extended, in order that
he might have more space for repentance,
but it being evident that the only object
was to give his accomplices little more
time to help him out of prison, it was
wisely decided that there should be nc
extension of the time. 1t was thought
by the chaplain that if he could be al.
lowed more time, he could persuade him
to make confessions such as would be Of
advantage in bringing other parties to
justice; but the circumstances would not
warrant such conclusion. The prisoner
came to Windsor with bright hopes Of
escape, and has expected up to the very
last hour of his life that some means Of
rescue would be provided, and he would
be suffered to go unhung. 1t is truly
surprising to note what wonderful bright
hopes animated him during his confine-
ment, and how he chung to them to the
very last. He laid some very shrewd
plans for efecting his purposes, but they
were all thwarted and he was compelled
to die this most unwelcome death. He
tmade confident of one of the former
prisoners who was employed in the cook.
room, and consequently had access to the
wicket of Wards CELL Through him he
sought to communicate with his friends
and with their help hoped to effect his
escape He was allowed to send one Of
those letters to its destination in New
York, but nothing of Importance. came
of it. When this prisoner was discharged
he carried orders to Potter to collect a
large sum of money, and it is confidently
believed that this said prisoner did go tc
Potter and get the money and put it into
his own pocket, and make way with him
self and his money. l have the best Of
authority for saying that he had access
to the requisite wires to draw from Potte,
this money, and there is little doubt that
he was just the man to do that if he could
WARDS APPEARANCE.
Ward is man of 26 years of age
about 5 feet and 8 inches in height, some