Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1873-04-25
Almost a Murder at Gambia, N, ii.
SUPPOSED BY A soNrNAMBULIsT.

A very strange and unheard of at
tempt at murder was perpetrated al
Gambia, N. H., on Monday night OF las'
week, April IA, in which one boy, sup
posed to have been asleep nearly muir
dered another. We give the particu
lars below as we find them in the Con
cord, N. H., Statesman;
THE SCENE OF THE TRADGEDY
was in two-story dwelling.house of Mr.
Charles Rowe, farmer living on what
is known as the North Road, in the town
of Gambia. Mr.. Rowe was drawn on
the Jury at Exter, and left for that duty
Monday night, leaving his wife and two
little children and his mother, Mrs. Sa-
rah Rowe, aged rs years, at home. be-
fore leaving home he secured the services
of an orphan boy, named John ;. En-
erson, IA years of age, to do the chores
and take care of the cattle during his
absence. Emerson's father was native
of Gambia, who went to Richmond, Va,
before the war, and John came from
Richmond several years ago to Gambia,
and latterly had resided with MIR. Jesse
r. Fits, a farmer living on the North
Road, about three miles from Gambia
depot, and two miles from Gambia vii
lage, and three-quarters of mile from
Charles Rowe's house. He has sister
living at Great Falls, and another at
Haverhill, Mass, and several brothers.
John attended to HE chores, and at the
usual hour Monday evening, the in
mates of the house retired to bed, John
sleeping in room up stairs, In the rear
part of the house, Mrs. Sarah Rowe in
an adjoining room, and Mrs. Charles
Rowe and the children down stairs.
WHAT OCCURRED.
About II o'clock at night Mrs. Sarah
Rowe heard a noise in Emerson's room,
and called out Johnny, JOHNNY" re.
ceiving no answer she got up, went to
his room in the dark, and felt in the bed /,
and was horror-struck by feeling his
body and the hot blood pouring there
from into the bed Mrs. Charles Rowe
was awakened by the noise, and on 60
ing to his room they supposed that John
had been murdered with an axe.
Mrs. Rowe run for the neighbors, thu
| first of whom to arrive was Mr.. Jesse
Fits, when to his establishment he dis
covered on the floor where the boy had
been mutilated his own axe covered
with blood. The Emerson boy was also
covered with blood, his face horribly
cut, and the bed clothing, wall and floor
despatched.
DIR. f. S. Berry, one of the physicians
| of the town, was sent for at once, but
living two miles distant considerable de-
lay was occasioned, and when he came
he found John very much exhausted
from the loss Of blood, but having his
senses. He found terrible cash extend.
ing from the right corner Of the mouth
INTO it and back to the neck, under the
ear another cash extending from just
below the nose on the left side, about
two inches long, penetrating into the
mouth and separating the jaw and cut
ting out piece thereof, and pushing ou
several teeth, and also frightful gast
across the bridge of the nose from eye tc
eye. On the right hand the thumb was
cut entirely off, and two fingers SO nearly
off, that they were amputated Tuesday
There was also large cash across the
back of the left hand. and one on the
wrist. he lost good deal of blood
and it was feared he could not live, but
on Tuesday afternoon DR.. Berry enter
tained-strong hopes of his recovery, the
lad being conscious and bearing his pair
with much fortitude.
WHO COMMITTED TIE DEED
Was the next question. Upon this poin
Emerson could give no light, being at
tackled while asleep. An examination
of the premises showed that whoeve
committed the crime took an old chat
from the barn, placed it to the parlol
window and got in there, passed through
into the hall, up stairs and through al
intricate hallway to the rear of tn
house, where Emerson was asleep, ant
went out of the house in the same way
On the window-sll was some blood.
The finding of Mr.. Fitts's axe in tn
room aroused suspicion that nephew
. of his, Wilfred Fits, Is years of age
. and son of Mr.. Newton Fits, car
penter in Lowell, Mass, but a native o
Gambia, who had been visiting at hi
uncles since the day of the last Marcl
election, might have had an unconciou
S hand in it, he being afflicted with som
: nambulism, or sleep-walking. 1t wa
known that one night last week he aros
in his sleep, left his uncle's house, an
. went to the house of Mr.. Augustus Rol
! bins set up ladder to a chamber viii
/, dow, entered through it, and went to tn
attic where he was found by Mr.. Rot
: bins and Mr.. Robert Clark, standing 0
the lathing of chamber, with broa
r axe in his hand, and asleep. He Wa
}, taken home to his uncle's. Since the
|. the window and door of his sleepin
,, room had been fastened nightly, afte
he retired. On Monday night the doc
Il of his room was fastened upon the GU
/ side by means of nail placed over th
- latch. After Mr.. Fits was summone
8 to Mr.. Rowe's, Monday night, Mrs. Fit
went to Wilfred S. room and found IL
!, nail removed from the outside of tt
D door, but the windows fastened and Il
e boy in bed, and asleep, and his boots an
/. clothes apparently where they were lie
when he retired for the night, and |
trace of any blood upon his garments
his person. 1t is also said that some a
u ticles placed against the door at the fo