St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1875-11-12
From the Bennington News
The First Pembroke Murder

former resident of the vicinity of Penn
broke. y. H., regarding the late horri-
BILE murder there. she related Il very in
trrcSting reminiScrncc of her earlier
days, which we think will prove inter
cStIng ut ihiS time to our many readers.
The recent horrible murder of th;.
girl Josie Langmaid. ut Pembroke. is
known 10 oHr readers in all its Sicken-
ing details, Yet it is but Il repetition of
one quite iis horrible, which Was pei
pctratcd on almost the same spot about
forty-thIce Years ago. the victim then
being Il Young married lady 10y the
name of ChoclIranr. and the perpetr;i-
tor of the crime Il Young man who was
employed in Cochrauc's family. by the
name of Prescott. The affair at the
time created if anything. more excite
mcnt than the Langmaid horror. The
parties lived in Il farm house some
ways from the village of SuLcook. 1t
WAS the summer of the wear. and the
Young man. Prescott. (about ~ Years
of age. )whu was ont III the field NOV
ing. came back to the house the huS-
band being away in town and told
the woman, Il blooming Young female
of about tWcniN-tiVc. that he had come
acIoSs some very fine berries. and if she
womid bring ont Il pail they could "'pick
Il mess. She went out with him. and
while engaged in picking the berries :;
iicudiSh desire seized him. and hc ap-
preached her with improper proposals.
She struck ut him with her pail. and
told him that she should tell her hu>-
band OF his designs on his return, and
he would have him arrested. The
youn" man. not over bright. sat down
upon Il stone and. us he afterwards con
fc>Scd. cried. SAY ing. 'Wril. | suppose
| will Ice put in Jail f"r it. and don't
know hut Id aS soon hc hung .tS To 90
to Jail - He then goI up and >riZing :;
huge club. he beat the woman upon the
head till she was dead. and then. altcI
raviShimg her person. he dragged her
liicleSS form into the bushes and tird.
! The corps" of the Woman WAS found
after II long search. and in due course
of time the Young man was arrested
and confessed the crime. Mr.. Arm
strong uncle was then the Sheriff ot
| Hnpklnt"m. and kept the llopkintou
| Jail. residing III Il pant ot the huildin"
with his wife and only daughter. :;
| Young woman. the wife OF Il sea- cap
| tain 10y the name of Robert Chase. TIA,
Young wife being the mother of TIVE
children. one IL girl about II yc:Ir and Il
| half old. and Il little sou of only TIVE
days. The populacc was 50 excited
over the murder. ii wa> resolved t,
! lyuch Young Prescott. there being m'
longer amy doubt aS to his guilt. rs h,
r''''t '''"" - u u - -
that the lNnchiug was to bc carried out
the sheriff and his wife were away ON
of town. and the ynuug mother wa,
left alone with the keys in that larg,
Jail. The attack WAS made hy The in
turiatcd p"pulacc. hut the trail iailn
had everything hailicadcd. and thcl
could not gain their object. Bul il
consequence of the fright and excite
mcnt At lNnchiug. thr Noun" mothr
WAS thrown int" commissions aud die,
that night in the most intcu>r agony
The baby lived and grew up To hc
man. The little gill died IN about Il,
weeks after her mother. and the grlN
WAS then opened and the child Laid 10
its mothers side.
STRANGE FATALITY.
In course of time the law took it
course. and Young Prescott wa> cNrcI
ted hV the sheriff. aud the Pembroke
part of the tragedy WAS terminated
The husband of the ShrIiti'> daughter
who WIS away ut sea during the tria
and imprisonment of the culpIlt. AM
its attending fatalities. had now landed
and hurried home to meet his wife an
expected children. He stopped on tn
way. and in looking over Il paper III
hotel. >;lw for the first time am accom-
!. OF the Pembroke murder. the ;ittrml
at lvnching. the birth of his child, an
the sad death of his wife and N"un
:, daughter. He remained Il widnwer fo
-four OF five Years and then marie
again. resolving that his second vii
, should not Ice left alone while he W;
away 81 much. so on his next VoNag
he took her with him in his ship. an
the ship WAS run down 10y Il larger We,
/ sci and all on board were drowned
y, The boy that was horu in the Jail W;
! named Robert Green Chase. and gre
= up. being educated foI the Ep>cop;
clergy. and settled in Philadelphia. II
;, married and has one daughter AhnI
- ten Years ago Mr. Chase and his wifi
" accompanied 10y their little daughtc
; while ut IL Watering place. went ont {,
Il days boating. against the wishes
the little girl. who begged of them NJ
i to 90, Il storm arose. the boat cap>izr'
y and the little 9irl alone was rr>cuc
: She is NOW living in Philadelphia. lie
is material for Il story, and an Illu>tii
ton of the ada%r that truth is sIraug
:, than fiction"