Bradford opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1874-1881, 1875-06-12
Shocking TTaOedy at st. ilbaI,s

ST.. AlBASs, VT June 6. A shocking trag
cdy occurred here last night and to-day, in
volving arson, an attempt to murder and sub
segment suicide. About midnight last night
Henry e. Green, Esq,.a respected farmer and
magistrate, living at Parsonsvillc,in the south
ern limits of st. Alhans. was aroused by the
discovery that his barn, just in the rear of tn,
| house, was on fire.
Hastily dressing. Inc stepped out to rescue
his horse and COW. but had advanced only u
step or Two when some one fired upon him
from behind the corner of the wOodshed ten
or twelve feet toward the barn. Two shots
! were fired in quick s,,cccssoa the first pass
ing through the fleshy part OF his |, It arm
just below the shoulder, striking his side and
! .lanceing off. and the second striking thu in
side of his righJ thigh, but not entering the
| flesh.
He did not see his assailant, but immediate
" turned back into tho house and told his
wife he was shot, and then ran to the front
door and gave the alarm.
The nei.hhors soon began to arrive and be-
fore long the fire department was on hand but
not in season to save any of the buildings
The horse and COW some hay and all his farm
ing tools were destroyed in tho barn, but most
OF the household goods were saved except the
provisions in the cellar, ami considerable
bedding and furniture stored in chamber
nearest to the barn. The loss Is estimated at
5000, which is partially insured in the Yer
serious,
Immediately OH arriving at the scene of the
crime the authorities took steps to intercept
the escape of the would be murderer Men
were sent out for miles on the roads leading
from St. Adams, and as soon as daylight
dawned large parties began to search the
fields and woods. Suspicion rested ON no one.
Mr.. Greene did not know of an enemy in the
world unless possibly some offender whom he
had sentenced as magistrate night have
taken that way for revenge,
tiually his son, Mardus ID. Greene. bag
gage master in the Central Vermont Station
here, inquired if any one had seen Clifton s.
Weeks. Il near ghbor. No me had, and on
going to his home they learned from his moth
or and sister that he arose and weut out ju st
before the fire broke out, they thinking moth
ing of it, rs he not very WELL and they
supposed he bad occasion to 90 out They
were in the deepest anxiety and distress when
they learned that he was missing, fearing that
he had attempted to enter the burning barn
to rescue the horse and had there lost his life.
The fire department qucnched and Overhauled
the embels, but no vcstige could be found
knowledge was then communicated to the
authorities that lie had tor some weeks past
b"eu moody and depressed, and had told one
or two persons that he was in trouble because
u young lady named Sarah Williams, IL seams
trcss, sujou,ning here, who came from CRANKY
T. G., had blighted his affections, and he had
two weeks ago accused young Greene some
member of his family of having nterlered to
turn her against him but Greene assured
him that his suspicion was wholly untrue, that
he did not even know the girl and then Weeks
expressed hinselfas satisfied and shook hands
upon it, When he began the interview he
used threatening language, saying among 9TH
er things, ID you, I'll kill you" or word,
to that effect, and when it was ended he still
declared some member Of tho Greene family
had made him the trouble.
These facts becoming known he WAS ron
~ suspected as the assaiant of Mr.. Greene
and while the search was going on near and
far, about twenty minutes past noon to-day
the report of Il pistol was heard just in rear Of
the barns of n. l.. Skinner, across the street
from Weeks house, and some thirty rods from
the scene Of the fire, and rush was made for
the spot.
There. at the end of an open shed. lying on
the ground just in the last gasp Of death,
Weeks was found with his throat cut on the
the right side, but not fatally, and with bull
ct wounds in both temples. One small revol-
yer lay near him, and another was graspel in
his hand. lie had fired both at once and the
two bullets had entered the BRAIN one of them
proving almost Immediately fatal.
This act i'll the tragedy solved all the mys
terry. There was no longer amy doubt that he
had set the fire and assaulted Mr.. Greene
Weeks was in his thirteth year the eldest
son of the late Phio Weeks, was unmarried
and had always lived at home. having carried
On the farm for ten years and been the only
male member of the family living ut home
since the ucath of his father last winter. He
has .been troubled with sat rleuni, and his
family ply sIcian thinks that the disease had
affected his brain, had tended to make him
retiring and moody, and loss able to bear
trouble of any kind, which when it came with
the death of his father and the Disappointment
in his love affair. was too much for hun and
drove him mad