Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1874-05-08

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Sheriff Drew arrested the murderer, who
acknowledged the act, and at once took him
to jail. The brothers occupied apartments
in the tenement house, where the fatal deed
was committed, William occupying the
lower story and George the upper, and it IS
said that neither of the two or their wives
agreed well together. Both had had chill
dren. but they died in infancy. The par
tieulars of the horrid affair and the causes
which led to it may be found in the full
! report of the testimony at the corOners in
quest, which we give below This is the
| first murder which has occurred in Burling
ton since that OF Freeman by Carlo. in the
summer of 1871, and being a very unusual
circumstance. and fratricide too, naturally
eauses great excitement among our citizens
Buchanan undoubtedly committed the fatal
act while in a fit of ungovernable rage
THE INQUEST.
Upon learning of the murder, Mayor
Blodgett ordered an inquest to be held over
the body of Buchanan. 1t took place in
the rsoms occupied by the deceased, before
Justice H. o. Wheeler, States Attorney
Burnap conducting the examination of the
witnesses. The following was the teSti-
mony on the inquest
HIlllam Grogdn-LiveS on corner of
| Champlain and Peru streets; was at VIM
/ Buchanan's after gift concert at CITY Hall
Saturday night; George and William
/ Buchanan, their wives, Daniel Wall and
| his boy were there George wanted to sell
/ Wall concert check William told George
/ not to be selling such tickets, as they were
1 good for nothing, when George snapped
/ him up with n short answer, telling him to
mind his own business; both were perfectly
! sober; went to Wm. Buchanan's again
/ Sunday forenoon; William was sober
George was not there Dan Wall and his
boy were present; heard Walls boy say that
Georges wife said that William was
81 of b--h; William said
he hated to have anything to do with
GeOrge he was so treacherous nothing
was said about any trouble between George
and William; George was not in the room
during the forenoon | had been out of
doors, and as | was coming in heard
Georges wife say that William was a
whte-headed bastard; am slightly ac-
quainted with her; a girl named Maggie
Ganey was present at the time after a
while George wife went up stairs when
| came into the room Bill says What is
the natter Somebody, said, has been
calling you pretty rough names
out there. Who's that" he inquired.
| said, Il suppose it Is Ellen: he again
asked me what she said, and | told him.
when he said They want to get a chance to
put me into jail, (referring TO George and
ms wlte); | said, let him be, if YOU don't
touch them they won't put you in jail.
BIZ then said, Il don I care what they DO,
won't stand all these names | have heard
Of, 80 he opened the door and went out
side, he went to the foot of the stairs and
hallooed Tor Ellen; then he ran up stairs.
his vile then said to me, go up there and
tell him to come down; went up and saw
William and George standing on the inside
OF Georges bedroom think George told
him to 90 out Of his house or he would
knife him; George appeared to be holding
up Jaek-knlie; they were about four feet
apart, but Georges hand which held the
knife was pretty close to William William
stood next the door Mrs VIM. Buchanan
again called to have her husband come
down, and took hold Of his sleeve and said.
Bill, come out and keep still; 10 said
let me be- George then says to me,
you leave my house too; | said ives, sir.
I'll leave your house right away and
stepped outside the door; met Dan Sullivan
coming up the stairs and told him he had
better stop those fellows. or they would get
fighting I've been ordered out of the
house when in the room heard " lillian
say, to George q" You are calling me
out Of my name (bastard); there
was no swearing on either side.
heard no threatening language used
1 by William don't suppose | was in the
room the first time more than Il minute
/ Dan says, "let US 20 up and We'll see about
/ 1t then turned and went up, and found
| William on the floor and George on top Of
/ him saw Georges wife holding George
+ she seemed to be taking jack-knile out OF
his hand; think it was his right hand
think Williams head lay away from the
door Dan SAID, q" keep still. George
then went back and stood 50 | would look
into the door. Then went down stairs, and
when in the alley heard Bits wife say that
Bill was stabbed and for me TO run for the
sheriff; Wall ran for him heard nothing
said by either William or George when
George was on top Of William; there was
no struggle ; Georges wife said to him
''let GO
Daniel SulHr1R-Liyes in basement Of
building, where the Buchanans live | own
I the building; between 10 and Ii o clock to-
day. had q talk with George Buchanan, out
side the south part Of the building about
dispute be and William had Saturday night;
| asked him what it was he said "Millie
ordered me out of his house and told me to
20 home. | said at didn't amount to
much, did it ~ NO" George said, "but
sitting with us at the time; about half
Aa-n hos nd
loud talking between the two brothers and
Dan Wall; the talk was in William :
rooms there was evidently a dispute, which
lasted half an hour; heard Mrs. VIM.
Buchanan ask them to leave the house a;
after | had talked with George, Sunday
forenoon, the next heard was William :
wife saying that he had gone up stairs to
, Georges room, and that George had big
knife in his hand went out on Battery
street and said to John Ganey "let US 90 up
and see, perhaps George will stab Willie
p with knife | went up stairs and met
George; went into the room and saw
Willie down and George on top of him;
took George off Willie; before | lifted
George off Willie, Georges wife had hold o
r Willie's hair; | said to her. what dc
p you want TO get hold Of his hair for
and he down - when | took Georg,
> eli he had hold of Willie's collar
, Willie got up and says, Dan, he's aitel
= stabbing me - | asked, "where are yOr
stabbed, WILLIE" and he showed me saw
/, blood on his shirt ; said to George. "di(
you stab your brother ," Yes" he says
" | then said, you ought to be tarred an,
: ieathered :" George then sat down an,
clapped his hand to the side of his head
Willie put his hand to his breast and wake,
k around the room two or three times
1t sent then for n doctor; in about twent.
% minutes saw him lying between the stow
and wall, but yet breathing; did not Lea
William say anything else except that b
lie was stabbed both were sober.
10 Daniel Wal-Was at VIM Buchanan
il Saturday night with my boy, about quar-
ter of seven went from there TO the con
y cert with Grogan and my boy; William
y Buchanan also went afterwards; saw GeOrg
L. before the concert in the hall. heard no word
= between William and George early in til
evening; both then seemed peaceable an
re quiet came back to Williams rooms
in George and his wife and Grogan were there
f George tried to sell me a concert ticket 70
Is cents William says" You re fool ifyO
spend your money in that way; don't thin
ID George made any reply; | said | guessed
&c wouldn't buy the ticket; there did no
4 seem 10 be any angry talk or any quarr'
- between the brothers; do not remembe
ID William wife telling Us to go home cam
is to Williams room Sunday forenoon abou
half-past nine; had talk with him and h
wife and Grogan my boy, who lives wit
Id William, came in and said he ha
As heard George Buchanan's vile sa
rs that William was a white-headed s
., of b-h and a bastard; William spok
out, seemingly quite mad, and snapped h
rs fingers and said, There blood here som'
where to-day; he said, "hed ind out
can't remember what else he said ; rename
ch at VIM. Buchanan's until nearly on
il o'clock, but was not there at the time {
- fight: heard no talk between William an
= George or their wives while | was there
II went to Robarge's grocery, and when