Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1874-02-12

back and found his father lying by the
roadside, with his hat partly covering
his face. On raising the hat, he dis
coved that his head and face were
bloody. He lifted the body to the
sled and supported it as well as he
could till he reached home, not dream
ing of his death. His wound, in con
nection with appearance, startled the
family, and Dr.. Stevens of Browns
vile was called who pronounced hin
dead.
THE Suspicious.
The singularity ofthe circumstances
in which the remains were found anC
OF the nature OF his wound, in con,
nection with certain other circum
stances, combined to awaken suspi
cions of foul play, in such degree that
it was thought best for the town
authorities to take the matter in hand
Accordingly OH Thursday morning,
Hon. Hiram Harlow, chairman of the
Board Of Selectmen, Grand Juror r.
B. Vim and one or two other men
visited the locality of the scene and
the remains of the unfortunate man at
his late home. The result of their
examination was that
A LEGAL INVESTIGATION
was resolved upon; and on Friday
morning an autopsy was taken Of the
body in the presence of Grand Juror
VIM, and others, by DR.. E. E Phelps,
of Windsor, Professor in Dartmouth
College Medical School.
AT u o'clock Justice Winn, Sheriff
Amsden, States Attorney VIM. f.
johnson of Woodstock, with Messrs.
j. B. Farnsworth and Batchelder as
assistants, and a number of witnesses,
assembled in the Town House, for the
investigation of the case. The Hall
was crowded with eager and excited
attendants and the examination pro
ceeded with stiffness that evinced
a sense of the gravity of the business
in hand. Around the table sat JUS
ticc VIM, Coroner, States Attorney
Johnson, and his aids.
On the table was placed an anatom-
ical preparation designed to illus
trate the locality of the fracture, and
its relations to other parts. A piece
of the skull, taken from the head by
the surgeon, was also shown. The
presence of these objects excited a
visible shuddering in all but profess
ional minds.
THE INQUEST.
Coroners' inquest before Thales B.
Vim, Esq, Justice of Peace, acting
as Coroner, at Windsor, Windsor
County, VT, on the 9th day of Feb,
ruary, 1874, to ascertain the cause and
manner ofdeath of VIM. A. Donoghue.
of said Windsor, found dead in the
road about three miles from Windsor.
Six witnesses were exa mined. The
first was James B. Vim, the accused
murderer. He proceeded to state
that they had met in the street and
spoke, agreed to 60 home together.
Donoghue overlook him top of hill,
followed behind to Wheeler's, &c. &c.
Mr. administer, tor witness, objected
to witness testifying further at this
stage Of the proceedings.
The next witness was DR.. Phelps,
of Windsor. Said he had made an
examination of the body of the deceas-
ed /; found skull Observation-Disclosures
to produce death-in a short time at
best found all the organs Of the
body in state of health thought
such a fracture could only have been
produced by a very severe blow,
quickly struck by something which
had considerable momentum and
weight-could not be done by a fall,
except from a great height on a hard
substance.
The testimony of Samuel Stone did
not amount to much-only that be
saw Donoghue Wednesday.
Cyrus Wheeler, examined-Saw
them coming towards his house, VIM
ahead, stopped in front OF house, to
leave paper, had some talk with his
hired man was deaf and could not
hear what was said very well. At
the suggestion of VIM, Donoghue