Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1868-05-15
The Last Execution in New Hamp-
shire.

New Hampshire will be found on our
outside, but we now mean the last one
previous to that, of which correspond
ent writes to the Boston journal, and
which was that of Rev. Enos G. Dudley,
of Grafton, who was hung for the muir
der of his wife, Mary Dudley. The ex-
ecution took place May %, 1S49, at Ha-
verhill Jail, where Mills was sentenced
to suffer the extreme penalty of the law
The case was one of great public interest.
The circumst ances of the crime were sub
stantially as follows: One evening Mr..
Dudley went out few miles from his
home, to carry on meeting, accompa-
MED by his wife. On returning to his
house, late at night, he appeared consid-
erably grieved and excited, and stated to
his little daughter and school-mistress
who was boarding in the family that the
team had run away, and that Mrs Dud-
ley had been thrown out and very much
injured. In company with severalneigh-
bors he Immediately went back to the
scene of the accident, where his wife was
found insensible and badly bruised. She
| lived but a short time, and died uncon-
scious. The funeral took place and the
woman was buried in Grafton village.
Soon after the burial of his wife circum-
stances in the conduct of Dudley raised
suspicious that he was guilty of foul play
in connection with her death. Among
them was the fact that he had manifested
liking for the school teacher above men,
toned, who stated that he had asked her
if she would marry him in case his wife
should be taken away. Suspicion con-
tinued to grow stronger, and about three
weeks after the death of Mrs, Dudley
her body was disinterred by the anthori-
ties and post norton examination
made. The bruises about her neck was
of such nature as to fully warrant the
belief that she had been pounded and
strangled. The arrest, preliminary ex-
animation and commitment to jail of
Dudley Immediately followed In April,
1913, he was arraigned before the Grand
Jury in the Court of Common Pleas and
indicted for murder. At his first trial in
Haverhill in October, 1913, the Jury dis
agreed Hon. Jonathan Kittredge and
| Hon. Chas. r. Morrison were counsel for
the accused. He was again tried at Ply
mouth in January, 1919. Mr.. Morrison
and Hon. Josiah Quincy were then his
lawyers Hon. John Sullivan, Attorney
General, and Hon. j. E. Sargent, County
Solicitor, acted at both trials in behalf
of the State. Among the witnesses was
the prisoners little daughter, pretty
child about ten years of age, whose tes
timony as to the cruel manner in which
her father had often treated her dead
mother caused considerable sensation in
the court. The evidence was wholly cir
cumstantial but very convincing against
the accused, and the jury brought in
verdict of guilty. A motion for new
trial was overruled, and at the April term
of Court, in 1S49, the prisoner was SEN
fenced to be hung ON the twenty-third of
May following.
The execution of Dudley took place at
Haverhill at the appointed time. Hon.
Jonas D. Sleeper, now of Concord, was
then Clerk of the Court of Grafton coun-
ty, and issued the warrant to Joseph Pow
ers, the Sheriff, who is now living in Ha-
verhill. The day was one of the lovliest
of the spring. Thousands of people
focked to the Jail from far and near.
Only a few were admitted within the
walls, but the gallows was so situated
that all outside could see the prisoner as
he stood on the scaffold. A military
company did guard duty. The prisoner
persisted in his innocence to the last, and
never at any time exhibited any feeling
or emotion whatever. He assembled the
| SCtlIOlu III IL Ill anu HILL
ner, addressed the crowd in short speech
and, it is said, closed with an earnest
prayer. Immediately afterward, the last
act in the tragedy was performed. 1t
was reported at the time, and believed
by many, that Dudley expected a reprieve
from the Governor, and that to the last
moment the unfortunate man looked for
some one in the assembly to waive in his
hand an official communication which
would save his life. The grounds for
such belief, on the part of the prisoner,
in case it existed, were never known to
the public. Since the execution of Dud-
ley we believe that nothing has transpir-
ed to prove that he did not Justly suffer
for his crime.
The recent session of the New York
democratic Legislature was the longest of
any since 1871.
The wife of Gen Kit Carson, the
famous western hunter and scout. died