Lamoille newsdealer. [volume] (Hyde Park, Vt.) 1860-1877, 1874-08-05
The Fiendish Tragedy.

sion Of such deep Interest hereabouts, we
reproduce the Messengers account Ofit:-
About half mile east Of St. Adams
rises high wooded hill, which is trav-
ersed BY two roads, one, commonly called
the Fairfield road, leading up from the
south end of the park, and the other, lead
ing up from Congress Street past the res
idence of Gov. Smith. On the EASTERN
side Of the hill is farming neighborhoOd,
rather sparsaly settled, and road, but
little travelled, runs north and south con-
Meeting the two main roads above described.
On this road, about one.third way from
tie north end, stands the small. brown,
weatber-beaten school.house, where for
nine weeks the victim Of this tragedy had
been affording excellent satisfaction as
teacher. She usually spent her Sundays
with the family of Mr.. Foster A. Page, at
tho south end of this road, where it inter-
sects with the Fairfield road, and to reach
there had to pass over an uneven surface
and through quite stretch of broken
woods. 1t was in that unfrequont place,
something like one-third Of mile south of
the house of Mr.. Johu Collins and fully
half mile north of Mr.. Pages, that the
double crime was committed. A more
dcsolate place and one better adapted to
the repatriation and ccncealment Of such
an offence could hardly be found on any
of the public roads In this State, and yet
it was within but few rods of open fields,
in peaceabie neighborhocd and within
two miles of this populous village.
As no human eye saw and no mortal ear
heard the brutal murderer about his work,
save those which are now sealed in death,
the manner iu which the deed was CON-
mitted can be only inferred from appear
ances. We will take the events in the iu-
verse order of time, therefore, and speak
from the standpoint of those who made the
discovery.
During the day, Saturday, Mrs. Page
grew uneasy because the teacher had not
arrived the night before, as was expected,
and toward night she went over to Mr.
Collins to see If they knew anything about
it. They were astonished to hear of her
non-arrival for little before the hour Of
four tho preceding afternoon she had
passed their house, going that way. and
the children distinctly recollected her toss
ing to them passing goodbye. The pos
sibility Of her awful fate then flashed upon .
the mind Of Mrs. Page, for she recollected
that when, on the previous Monday morn D
ing, she had carried Miss Ball to school, I
the weather being stormy, their attention
was attracted to man in the field max {
ing for the road ahead of them, whom c
they then expected to soon meet but for G
some reason did not, and how one of them,
in looking around, saw him peerlDg at +,
them through the bushes. In recalling
this that Saturday night Mrs. Page was so
much impressed that danger urked or had
lurked 10 those woods that she dared not :,
return home alone, and accordingly sent - -
Tor her husband to meet her, which he did.
Help was rallied and tho search COM =
menced. The first clue obtained was the /
discovery ofan ambush on the upper side !,
IF the road, about thirty PAGES north of ;,
The dry channel of small brook, which i
was crossed by plank bridge without top -
ogs, or riders" The 6end had evident. =
y concealed himself behind small clump
'f thick bushes, for branch had been cut :, !,
rom one and another branch had been r.
visited OF anu stood up before him to -
make his concealment more complete. /
That he had spent some little time there
vas evident from the trodden appear. G,
'nce Of the ground, from shreds of his /,
mask found there and from rail of the !;
ence just behind. which he had leisurely q
Whitfield while waiting. After having 81
thoroughly examined this place, the small o.
arty' with four lanterns began to search u
through the woods on the lower side of the E,
Dad, the timber Oh the upper side having ~
cen mostly cut away. From 10 until ] f.
clock they pursued their dismal cropping, ne
hen shout from one Of the number ..
rank Harris, young colored man who on
orks for Mr.. Page and owns a small 4,
ouse and patch Of land near his, an. 70
ounced that he had found her and hasti. sv
brought the party together. no
The appearance of the body, as it lay tr.
the ground on the east side of large Fin
lrch stump, just fifteen rods east of the br
bad, was less shocking than might at first dis
supposed. for the william, with some of
INT spark of decency or civilization left
him, had lain her out with some DELHI. mel
'at'on, carefully composed her limbs and &C,
'vered them with her clothing, and had SIN
raped her oyerskirt about her head to bai