Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1870-07-14
Murder at Westfield.

died. 1t is supposed he either fell or was
thrown from his horse.
Murder at Westfield.
A SAVAGE CELEBRATION OF THE FOURTH
AN FRESHMAN Drained WITH AN AK
his FATHER-IN-I.Aw ARRESTED AS
THE WOULD BE MURDERER.
A fiendish attempt was made to muir
der David Burke at Westfeld, Mass, on
the night of the Fourth, which was not
discovered until between and o'clock,
Tuesday evening. Mr.. Burke's wife is
absent in Canada, and he was living alone
with Michael Flynn, the father of his first
wife, in house on Cherry street. About
5 o'clock Tuesday evening, Flynn told a
neighbor he had better go and see Burke,
as he was dead. On entering the sitting
room, the evidence plainly showed that a
fearful tragedy had been enacted there,
as the lounge and floor were saturated
with blood. Following up the traces,
Burke was found up stairs in bed, nncon-
scious DIR. James Holland was immedi-
ately summoned, and found that three
blows had killed Burke,-one on the top
of the head, laying the skull open the en-.
tire length of the ak from the nose back
wards, the Others not so severe, but each
penetrating to the brain. Mr. Burke SUBJ
sequently rallied and ON Wednesday was
conscious, but the last he recollected, he
was ly ing down upon the lounge and sub
sequently getting up and going up stairs
to bed at what time he does Eot know
Pieces of the skull and portions of the
brain were found upon the lounge, and
the axe which the assassin had used, COW
cred with evidence of crime, was replaced
in the wood shed whence it was taken.
There are slight hopes of Burke's recov-
cry, though the chances are strongly
against it. Mr.. Burke was man of qui-
ct habits. He had drank somewhat free
abont II o'clock that night Flynn wae
helped home very drunk, by one Downs,
who states that Burke was then in his
chair near the lounge and desired Flynn
to get his supper and go to bed. Hymns
room adioins the sitting room, and be
states he heard nothing during the night,
and saw nothing to excite his suspicious
on passing through the room in the morn
ing at s o'clock. On returning from Wis
iting different places during the day, be
gave the information which led TO the
discovery. Money and other difficulties
have existed between the parties for some
time past, and upon investigation by the
authorities, warrant was issued by JUS
tice Lewis upon the complaint If John
Ely, chairman of the sci. ctmuu, upon
which Flynn has been arrested.
Til OVERLAND MONTHLY hav,
received No. of Vol of the Overlanl
Monthly, published by john II. Carm1ny
& Co, San Francisco. An examination
Of this number conyinces Us that it il one
Of the most readable periodicals of the
day-fresh and racy, and introducing us
to field hitherto unexplored In it are
published the charming sketches and
the unique poems of Bret Harte, which
have become SO popular everywhere.
This magazine is got up very much i'll the
style of the Atlantic Monthly. The
American News Company is exclusive
agent for the Atlantic and interior States.
SAD ACCIDENT "A sad accident oc
Cured on Saturday afternoon on the Rut-
land Railroad, near the chair factory
John Collins, workm III in the factory,
left his work soon after the whietl, BILE "
at 10 o'clock, and started for dinner, on
the railroad track, just then, the Saratog.,
train came rushing along and he stepped
to look at it As it passed. The engine
"Mlddlebury' stood on the track to back
down ON the switch to take n through car
and put it on the B ,stun trair. I'm
medi,tely after the Saratoga IT ,in had
passed, the engine Middlebury WIS start
ed backing down, md Collins probably
not seeing it approaching, lacking in
tentiy at the passing traiu. Wa kuoc T. d
down and the engine passed nearly over
him. the ash pan hitting him ON the back
side of the bead Some persons who saw
him fab. hailaI th4 ~. t"t.t.a,
and the man was drawn out from beneath
the engine. He lived about five minutes
The engineer was not aware of what bad
taken place until he saw the man taken
opt. No blame could be attached to the
engineer as we learn the oircu mstances.
Some parties are prone TO attach blame to
an engineer in such cases, but people
should remember that when an engine is
backing, person standing near cannot
be secr by the man upon the engine, and
another fact shonld be ren4emEered, that
primarily no individual has a right upon
railroad track, and if he walks theron,
he does it at his Qwp risk and at the peril
of his life. We are induced to make
these suggestions because censure is too
oftssl made when uncalled for by the cir
eumstances, snd people are too apt to for
get that walking upon railroad track is
not safe, and that some individual respon-
.Sbiiity attaches 10 the person injured as
vol, az To the engineer ct person in
charoe This case should be warning
to all person. not to walk on railroad
track.
Mr. Collins was a AhOOiCi' heof1AA5 ."
wife and three children. He was a man
in INDECENT circumstances and was buried
Yesterday at the public expense This Is
n sad case indeed, that he who in life and
health had started to meet his family at
the accustomed meal should be borne
homo TO them nanyled corpse.
PERSONAL the graduates at
the New London N. H, Literary Insti-
tute at the recent commencement were
Misses Perses Sherman, Mariette B. Sher-
man, Montgomery, Vt, and Marietta A
Hin, Windham, Vermont.
Among tha graduates of the Mount
Holyoke Female Seminary, we notice the
names of Miss Nina X. Merrill. Peacham
and Miss Frances A Smith.
George r. Dutton of Vermont, passed
satisfactory examination, and was ad
NIT ted to the Naval Academy at Anna