The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1872-11-12

the missing girl. lie emphatically as
serted his innocence, and did not sbov
the least trace Of any anxiety. Mr.
Mead, however was not convinced Of th,
mans innocence, and took the precauticr
to have him secretly guarded until fur
thcr action was taken. During Saturdo
be made no attempt at escape. In thu
meantime a warrant was issued charging
Evans with wiiful murder. which was
given into the hands of Sheriff Henry A
Drew of Strafford, who went to Mr.
Days on Saturday evening. Before serv.
ing the paper he talked with Evans re-
garding tho missing girl, and Evans de.
MED any knowledge of her whereabouts
aud said that he was as innocent as an
angel in heaven. This however, did no,
deter the officer from arresting him
Evans made no resistance, and was taken
to the sheriff's house in Strafford, about
two miles away. Subsequently he was
arraigned before justice, and bound over
to the supreme judicial court. While
being taken the second time to Sheriff
Drew's house, Evans conversed freely
about the absorbing theme. He maintain.
ed that the girl was alive, and asked VIII y
he should injuro her, little innocen,
girl, whom he thought great deal Of
But, although he appeared in fine spirits
he begged the officer quite earnestly for
some strychnine, and before that while al
the hotel he had privately whispered to
Miss Brown, the landlords daughter, and
besought her to put some poison in his
tea.
EVANS DEcEIvEs THE OFFICERS,
On Tuesday afternoon the sheriff told
Evans that if the girl was alive aud he
would tell where she was, no harm should
be done him by tho selectmen or anybody
else. Evans then said that the girl was
alive He stated that he agreed with a
man to help get her away; he had met
the man some days before in Strafford,
and had promised to take her through
the woods to point where the stranger
would be waiting, between the houls ot9
and | | on Frday. The mans name was
Webster of Kingston. Evans said he
took the girl there as he had promised
and had previously given her eleven dol
lars to buy some clothes with. The man
was on hand and had valise with more
clothing, aud the girl went into the woods
and changed her suit and the man drove
away with her. Evans told mis- story Sc
plausibly that the officer thought it was
best to try and prove it, especially as the
citizens had enough confidence in Evens
to suspend for the time their search. Ac.
cordingly, the next morning Mr.. Drew
took Evans and went to Kingston, and
made thorough search for the man Weo-
stcr, but no such character could he found
Then Evens thought possibly the man
might live in Kcnsington. but with no
better success AS the next subterfuge,
Evans concluded that it might have been
Gambia after all, but at this point Mr.
Drew's confidence in this trumped.up
story, which in the first place, had been
quite small completely oozed out, and on
Friday evening he was once more with
his prisoner in Strafford. During the
journey Evans was generally in capital
spirits, and really seemed to enjoy the
trip. Friday night he ate hearty sup
per, and in the evening talked glibly
with Mrs. Drew and some neighbors who
came in.
THE MURDERER AT LAST CoNFEssEs Ms
After the fruitless trip to Kingston aud
Keusiugton, Sheriff Drew was more con.
vinced than ever that Evans knew whcth.
er the glrl was alive or dead. Under this
conviction he determined to confront Ev.
ans, and solemnly put the question to him
concerning her whereabouts, if living,and
the disposition of her body, if dead. Ac-
cordingly, after all the other members ol
the family had retired, Friday night, Mr.
Drew resolved to have his conversation
with the prisoner. He commenced by
asking Evans il he remembered the talk
that he had with him before his arrest
concerning the goodness of the girl and
the evidences that she had been foully
dealt with, py the finding of her apron
and her broken comb containing some Of
her hair. Evans answered that he did
Drew then asked him what effect such
conversation had upon him. He replied
at went like dagger to my heart.
Then the sheriff fastened his eyes upon
the prisoner and said: "In the hearing
of no persons but us two and the Grea,
Being above, | ask you this question Ii
the body of the girl cold in death ?" The
eyes of the two men were fastened OIL
each other. Neither made the slightest
movement aud not sound was heard ex.
cept the measured tick Of the clock. and
perhaps their own partially suppressed
breathing. For some seconds it seemed
doubtful who would relax first. But Ev.
ans, evidently becoming unnerved under
the calm, searching gaze Of The officer
suddenly turned pale, his hands trembled
and from his quivering lips came the
words, ut il, Mr.. Drew. 1 have done
wrong" With the same calmness he had
maintained from the beginning the sher.
if said go with me and show me
where she is " Evans said, IL WILL"
Thus the officer got the mastery over the
prisoner, and wrung the wicked secret
from his heart. Evans now seemed pow
erlcss. He asked if the selectmeu would
show him any protection. The officer
told him they would do anything they
had agreed to. In his confusion Evans
was undoubtedly thinking of the promise
the selectmen had made to protect him
in case he would fnd the girl alive, OF
prove that she had been taken away
alive.
THE RECOVERY OF THE BODY.
Preparations were at once made to go
and find the body. Mr.. Drew went to
his wife's bedroom privately, and told her
that he was to leave with Evnas on a
most solemn duty, and he wished her to
dress herself aud go to Alouzo Tuttle's, a
near neighbor, and say that he desired