St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1873-06-06

patent chmu which WAS her wedding
portion. HnJptr'> H0cdr. N0H 81.
The Early Life of a Murderer
Probably very few people in ihi>
part of the country Who read of the cv-
rcutiou of Charles F. Flynn. alias
Charles Mortimer. at Sacramento. last
week. were aWHnc that his early steps
in crime were taken III this immediate
vicinity. aud that he made various
New England towns the scene 4 his
drprcdatiun> for several Yeats. Learning
his trade. ;l> it were. therein. He WAS
born in Vermont in I~:}i passed his
Youth and grew 10 manh""d in Lynn.
Mass. aud. IN l-5r. went Ia California.
where he hccamc one at the most motu-
riuu> criminals even known. even ia
that state. where gIcat criminals have
>OurcW hat alnuudrd. His life Ua> Il
constant succession ut huIglaIir> itrd
larcrnic-. f"r which he received an "c-
ca>~ioual short term ut confinement.
but lic escaped punishment ton iw" "I
/ three murders of which hr l. now
known to have hccn guilty. In Sep
/ tcuIhcr. however. with Il paran"uI
named Carrie spencer. he killed Marl
I Gibson and couN i,tiun follow rd. and.
in due time. his tNccurion The "details
nt his crime Ind execution Lave beef,
/ previously pui,li>hrd. and il l. only ul
+ Il NUlumInOII>. written confession. left
to his counsel a. the sole remuneration
in m> power. that vcmoW wish tn speak.
. II Is Il very full criminal autobiography .
and furnishes consider. hle interesting
rcadin- to people III TIN vicinity who
may hc familiar with >-mc incidents rt
/ the narrative.
/ Up to the age ot ID. hen hr prrpc-
/ tratcd his maiden burglary. his life was
, like that of any boy in the busy town
of L.Nnn. 1T thai time. he had con
rcIlrd a passion fui a yiIl called \L.s
/ and. lacking funds Ia take her ou 4
/ plc;i>rur-trip rn Portland. he applied.
III his emergency. tn his friend. Dick :
/ That individual suggested that they
+ hrc;> opcu tine stone al Il certain Mr.. Is.
and take tine needed fund, from his ill.
. After SOME dcmuriug. FLYNN a>-cntcd.
/ and lhrl succeeded in getting qUitt. :!
sum. FLYNN taking the lions share. ~
/ lac Was /" >Irn'i his money with the
/ girls. Having plenty "i money. hc
soon hc,im" Il Young rough. and. tnI
participation in saloon fight. l,. was
/ sent "a the reform school M West horn.
/ il,. soon ,~,:ircd. 10y mcaI> of Skeleton
/ keys m;I.tr nt ilIIittimg-nr,rilcs. hdr WIS
/ lccH,tuIrd Lnd madc to >crNc lI> time
I ouI. Mention i made oi tine good
>trlpping" he received at !I,. hands "l
/ superintendent Lincoln t"r his hi"hD.
/ He cr':>idrIrd II hi> misfortune that
I Ia .,t
had il been Wears instead of months
his reformation might nave been ,Iirr-
/ tive. From the reform school hc re-
/ iunc,l home atii went In school untiI
hr "yIaduajc,i with honor" a> h,
PHRASES il. iur the rather qur,ii"uahl,
pleasantly ut stealing the clothes oi
some girls vino WcIc bathing. From
tiII- time he commenced /" ''rrIu " lid
with Dick. In - Salem grrhlIng 81
ln"n lc WIS 81 fortunate. ~ uninrtU-
nate. one night, - IL Win money en-
UuulI to take him To New iiami,Shil,
and Maine fuI the Summer. Returning
to Boston in the fall. he fell IN with
some ui his old '.rhum>" oi the reform
school. and with them he pcrrcIyItpd
4 series uf hrl1larics in that city and
it, suburbs. nht ming in this VIZ
watches. icVrlry. clothing. etc. of con
siderable value. Atirr brief visit /,
New York. to recover from the tlIght
ui a narrow ESCAPE. he visited Fitch
burg. and IT one Of the hotels there Ia,
succeeded. hN a ycry rumnimglN lai,
scheme. III rnhhirg an old New liAmp
shine stock dr"Ncr. Capt. e.. "f u large
amount. He WIS not suspected of this
and we next lind him visiting his rria
tivcS in Kcrnr. y. H.. bellows Fails
VI. and other towns, occasionally Ic
licvimg some farmer ui his wcll-tilc'
pocket book. II u ''traimlng or othr
festive gathering, just 1" keep ii
'hand in. Soon aftcI this he HpprcH
ticed himself To Il tailoring firm in Rn-
ton and hccam" acquainted with Il not
ed hurgIa! namcd George Pond. umdc
whose tuition he soon merged from tn
petty thief into the professional hur
glar. One of his lessons was an cNtrn
>ive robbery in Worcester. the rcndcz
v"us of the party Being at Barre. Low
ell was his next field OF operations, and
after tiliing it pretty Thoroughly. h
started out as ii knight crraut of rob
hery. carrying Il prddlcr's pack and n>
tenslblN making his living hN >riliH
} mcknack>. He carried Il set of hul
glars tools. however. and Wan ever &"
the lookout for u chance To use then
/ Happening to stray into the Shaker vii
t lagc at Enfield, n H., he thought
= would he il good idea to Join them. /
= the hop of getting Il chamce III the
: treasure. \ fortnight of Shaker Inf
f diSgusted him. however. and he neN
:. visited Hanover. \. H.. where he "di