Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1875-10-13
The Pembroke Tragedy.


of last week. of which we gave a brief no.
iice in our last issue, proves to have been
the most horrible crime committed for
many years in New England.
The particulars. briefly stated, are
these. She was attending Pembroke AGA
denny, a mile and half from her home.
She started for school. as usual. over IN
nnfrequented road and was only missed
when her brother. who had gone on before
her in the morning, returned and asked
why she had not been at school. Feeling
, premonition Of danger. her father at
nee started with neiThbor in search of
her. spreading the alarm us lie went. till
in a short time fully POO men were engaS-
el in securing the country in all direc-
lions. About O'Clock in the evening Mr..
Copp. one Of the party with the father of
he missing girl. came upon her body: ~
NC on the back upon the ground, the head
nirelv severed from the trunk and miss
NO and the body herwi>e INITIATED in
manner too hor, BILE to describe. The
enc when the fl her saw the multi tied
,uly of his dau rhtrr. W IS heaft-rrndln..,
and the whole purity knrlt around him in
sympathetic sorrow, rs he gave way to
his grief The body was then removed to
Mr.. Lnngmaids house and the party re
urned to the woods to continue their
-eirch. hut only the victims hat could be
.,,uni. and, owing To the latcne>s of the
bour. further invr>ti CATION was postp ned
II Tuesday morning. At IN allv hnnr
5 -ver;,l hundred persons We're i'll the wood (.
md soon t,,uni the head of the murd red
1irl wrapped in her waterproof. about 100
obs from where the body was Discovers Il.
BY the road->idn also We're found her
r"oA>. IN ape. :tn | a round from Il hay
T,rk. broken Ili b ood-sIain' d.wih which
hr deed had plainly been committed. a
he head bore .arks evidently made 10y
some such in>t 1imcnt. About half WY
between the body ami the head We're ovl-
icri,', oi Il severe struggle, the ground
| i.,. 1! . tori up and the leave, much dis
tIrbei. The town authorities ut once Of
red +: lAlgr reward for lhc arrest of the
MUIR rer. and the officers soon arr's'ei Il
ti~>ulute fellow. named William Drew. ,:
Gears old VIII lived near the scene of the
murder. and WIS seen coming from that
vicinity about two hours afer the decd
was committed. The people of the town
we're much excited as he WAS taken to sun
'ook jail. and were only prevented from
taking immediate vengeance upon h IN, by
free display OF pistols 10y the officers
Al houLh there AZ doubts of his guilt. cir
c m~tantirl evidence is >lon@ against him.
one of thu points b ing tilit the drctpi,t
ION WIS most shllfllly performed rs if
bv IL pei 50 usel to such mttcr>. AMI
rev has often ass >tel his ftt'er. who j.
p, butrher in his work, and WAS known as
Il >killtul olkmnn.
There was also on the flce of the GIRL
he mark of Il small boot heel, corr, sponI-
n. to what Drew boot Che Wore h;>
wife - would make. Another black thing
rgainst him is the statement of Miss Belle
Like. of Chichester. who on be Nc told Of
h. mur.er said. Il know who did it. Bil!
Drew did it." She then told that Josie
Lan@maid last summer, toll her Drew htd
n>ultrd her and she struck him " Ii her
~m>lade. Drew thereupon toll her he
would be even with her and would cut h. /
head off; also that he wolll cut her I'M"
inch pieces if she told any one. This 'ap
p,nei on the same road where She WI
murdered. The locality of the murder We
! lind e-crihcd Il follows:
| Pembroke is a town on the east side OF
the Merrimac. just oppo>it" Conc I'd.
The extreme distance from the Academy
to the house of Mr. L,ngnE,id. who j. Il
| farmer is about Il mile and Il half. On her
wy to school on the fatal morning. Josie
passed along main street in Il SOuthrrlv d-
rection She called at the house of Mr..
| ioyt and was seen by some Of MIR. Mrr-
ril family wlcn passing there. At the
| fork of the roads she took he right hand
one which was the most direct approach
0 the Academy. and which led her through
a patch of woods, the roadway beng lined
on each side by a dense growth, mostly "i
alderS and small willie birch trees. ami the
ground being Of a swampy character This
right hand road is known us the - new
road > and the forest growth extends on
both sides. about two-thirds of the WAY.
he ground being more open towards each
end OF the road a. ii app caches the inter
sections Over a space extending nearly
&, qlarttr of Il mile nor hcrly OF III Aca-
denny There are cleared fields. The muir
dr. WIS committed al point about Il third
of mile from lie A. aiemy, the Girl then
being nearly out 10 the WOODY tract.
The latest reports received from tie
scrne of this tragedy are contradictory III
heir character, the reliability of Miss
Lakes statement being affirmed in one &c
count and denied in smother. 1t certainly
contains several discrepancies, which may
however. be merely the results Of impcr-
feet recollcction The town has taken nc
ton looking to the Offering of Il suitabl,
reward for the apprehension # The muir
dcrer. 1t was Sun lay reported that Mrs
Ably Marlcn. Of Salem. Mass. I relative
of the Lan"maid family, will appear be-
fore the cor"n'rs inquest. tending to show
thtt the murdered girl stood in fear 81
Drew. and thaI on the occasion Of u visit
made to the Lan1m;,i,ls within year
Josie left The h":!Sc and went to her grand
mothers when Drew came in. Various
rtnnurS h.;ve been ttlOat one to the effect
hist u pair of bloody overals had been
found, bat they are ithout any foundation
whatever. During the search, Saturday
a Bible was found in Il field adiacnnt to the
wuo;ls. 1t was without cover and some
Whit worn In the sermons preached
Sunday. in Pembroke the murder WAS :;
theme of comment. Over 5000 persons
visited the scene of the murder Sunday.