Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1873-01-17
5fiscellany.
An Old Story Retold.

other scene of intense excitement as was
caused by the tolling of the bell on the
evening of Friday, the 18th of Februa'
ry, 1914. Every one within the hearing
meaning. 1t proclaimed that the mys-
terry which had ensbrouded the absence
of Joseph Green, a prominent merchant
of Rutland, had been dispelled and an
nounced that his dead body had been
found. There are yet remaining with
US few old men, now lingering upon
the confines of eternity, who can per-
haps recall from among the dim mem
cries of their childhood or early man
hood the murder of Joseph Green, but
to the great majority of our citizens, it
is an untold tale. We propose briefly
to recount the particulars of this, the
earliest capital crime in the county, and
except the Black Snake" affair, in the
State.
About nine o'clock in the evening of
Tuesday, the 10Th of February, 1914,
Joseph Green left the store of DIR.
Thomas Hooker, on the way to his
house, opened the door of his own store,
looked in, and Immediately passed on
and was not seen afterwards alive all
of these buildings being near the Court
House on Main Street. Some anxiety
was felt on account of his absence, and
diversity of opinion existed as to its
cause, but the general opinion was that
he had taken the stage on Wednesday
morning for Boston. Little search was,
therefore, made for him, until the return
of the stages the next evening from Bos-
ton, when it was aseertained from the
drivers that he had not gone in that d.
rection. Suspicion, in the meanwhile,
| had been somewhat excited from the ap-
pearance of bruises and marks ON the
face of James Anthony, halter, whose
shop was, also, near by, and from the i'm
probable and different accounts that he
gave Of them that an afray had taken
place between him and Green. When
it was ascertained that he had not gone
away on the stage, the alarm and suspi-
cion of the inhabitants was naturally
greatly increased, and search was made
that evening, but without effect. On
Friday morning a more determined
search was entered upon.> Anthony's
shop was examined and Anthony ques-
toned. His answers were evasive and
contradictory, and blood was found up
on his shirt. Before this time blood was
found behind the door and on the floor
of the finishing room, for which he ac-
counted for by saying that he fell down
stairs that be went after pitcher and
returning fell over hat block and pitch
ed with his face against the door and his
l.nose against the latch and that he fell
down stairs and broke the pitcher. He
stated that he had not been in the shop
on Tuesday night, but it was developed
that light was seen therein until near,
ly twelve o'clock, and noise, apparent
ly like things moving about, at different
times in the night, and that about ten
o'clock noise, which witness describ.
: ed as like an animal in distress, was heard
from the direction of the shop.
Notwithstanding these developments,
the people we're unwilling to believe that
} the horrid crime of murder had been
committed in their very midst, and ae.
} counting for Green's disappearance on
! supposition that there had been slight
! affray between him and Anthony, and
, that Green on that account had with.
drawn from public observation, and con
t sequently no arrest was made.
The search in the shop, however, wa;
e continued. Green's hat and another hat
both bloody, were found in the furnace
I. his pocket book under the CRATES, hid in
r the ashes, and his neck handkerchief un
t der another furnace. When one of th,
e persons conducting the search, in thrust
ing his cane under the furnace, felt some
hats, which afterwards were found to bt
] bloody, as before mentioned, inquired O
Anthony why he kept hats in such {
, place, be carelessly replied that it was {
+ good place to dry them, and immediate
1 ly placed an unfinished hat in the moutl
; of the furnace, nearly filling the apera
> ture, and, for time, stopping the searcl
r in that direction. A pile of wood wa
noticed under the stairway, leading t,
: the room above, and when the prophet,
e of its removal was several times suggest
: ed, Anthony each time stating that i
D had been moved, and named the person
/. who he said, had movedit Finally, FL
d der William McCuller of Ira, who wa
= assisting in the search, run his cane il
y the wood and being convinced that b,
!. felt the body, insisted upon its removal
+ The wood was removed and the bod,
IS found. Elder McCuller says hethen turn