Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1875-08-25
Statement Of Mrs. Dodge.

statement is substantially the same NJ that we
published last week, and contains n large amount
Of verbiage for which we have no room in the
WArcHMAS She, however gives many grounds
| of provocaton against Joel. which wo condense
| So far as she finds fault with the wArcnMAS's
history Of her previous life We have simply to say
that our account was derived from the most re-
liable and responsible sources Wa did not CT
poet It would exactly meet her views Our pur-
pose was simply 10 give our readers tho facts At
the earliest possible moment, and with the greatest
possible accuracy
In July, 1861, we sold our place at wrghts
Mills to Jerome Wright, taking mortgage note
Of sli2, payable one year from date, and the rest
in cash. Richard then looked around to purchase
another place, but not finding one to suit, called
on his brother Joel, and got leave to move into
bis house in Niddlesc1, which WAS without AN oc-
cupsnL We moved there the ith Of September,
1867, Joel carrying me there himself and the next
day as he coming up to do some work on the
| place, he brought mp our fowls and my house
plants Tor us week from the next Friday, Joel
aud Wallace Dodge came there together, and
| Richard being at home, joel said Rich, you
ought to buy this place" Richard asked what
his price was, and joel replied ~ 700 They then
and there closed the trade calling on Wallace
as a witness 10 the trade and payment Of money
Joel was TO give deed Of the place the first Of the
week Richard went down to Joel's the Monday
morning after, to get the deed, but when he Ar
rived there Joel had some business OF vast I'M
portance which he was actually Obliged to at
tend to-"
This same course Joel pursued for over year,
obtaining, meanwhile, an unendorsed note which
| Mr.. Dodge held against Jerome Wright which he
pretended was 10 20 toward the purchase money,
and resortng to various alleged wrongful practices
to annoy his brother and wife Athst Mrs Dodge
determined to bring matters to crisis She eui-
ployed a man to bring her to Montpelier aud, on
the way, stopped at Joel's to make last request
for justice She continues:
81 came to Montpelier and saw Mr Heath, and
left the case in his hands. Afterwards there was
an attachment put upon Joels property and he
was 80 angry about it that the iirt time he saw
Richard he ordered him to leave the house within
one week, or he would throw our goods outdoors
We not leaving, his next move was 10 sue ms out
Of the house, aud when It came to trial the court
decided In our favor. Since that time Joel has
said and done everything he could to injure both
Of us, and me especially, by reporting false stories
about me.
." What he wanted was to get us ont Of the
house without paying our money back, or for our
labor, and Richard would not leave until We had
a settlement Alessrs. Heaton and Heath will
both tell you that we have tried our best to get
settlement, but without avail aud they both ad-
yised us " stay there until there was settlement
Joel told quite number he wanted TO get us ont
Of the house, but could not lie never was man
enough to ray to Richard or me either that he
wanted to leave the house, or that he would like
to have us leave it, until after tried to secure my
self the note and since that he has tried various
methods to do So one being to enter a complaint
to Grand Juror Putnam to have me arrested for
threatening to burn the buildings in which We were
living, he having got them insured for more than
their full value, while our goods were not insured
As he did not make things work in that way, his
next move was to strip the house Of doors and
windows, and afterwards to come and pillow the
garden when he knew Richard was gone, pur-
pose to have quarrel with me. did not even
speak to him, however, and his next move was to
come or send some one at midnight to smash in
all the windows there were in the house except
small six-ghied window in the pantry Next he
came aud seeded down our potato ground, when
went out to the piece and forbid his doing any
thing whatever on the ground, when he called me
everything he could think Of that was vile, using
the most abusive language ] ever heard from
mans lips, besides threatening my life, repeat
eddy, and raising three different times to
strike me. After left the field he told the little
boy that was riding his horse, he wished to God
WAS a man and he would kill me. Not being sat
| isied with that, he went to Mr.. Putnam again
and entered another complaint. this time for
throwing a stone at his head, which II it had hit
| him would have killed him, he said Mr.. Put
| nam came and saw me, and | told him my story,
! and there was nothing done about it Then he
came and cut the grass piece OF land but
few days previous to this he came up and set
Could, his hired man, to NOV the grass in the
door-yard he coming close up to the doorstep
moving swath, and turning 1t right into the
path where we went for water, all the way to the
water lie went away at night, and left it there,
when Richard raked it up and gave ii TO I.syeand,
so that was disposed Of
"'The next scene In the programme was last
| Friday morning, when Joel came with help, pre-
tending to work. when in reality think he came
on purpose as he said he did, for some fun, he
telling me, with an oath, to get your old pistol
| or gun, whatever II is, and come out here, aud
wen have a little fun; | come up on purpose to
have some fun, and I'm going to have some before
go home never told them to leave the garden,
only telling them not to dig the potatoes neither
did Cd d-m them, or threaten them but did
tell Joel when he was talking about binding me
with rope not To attempt to touch me, II he did,
he did it at his peril After the pistol was fired,
did not speak, but went to the house as quickly as
| / could and shut the door fastening it until they
left and after joel was carried by, put on my hat
and went to MIR. Loyelands :, aud asked Mrs. Love
land to takeher team and 90 and tell my husband
what had happened They had sent for some on,
to arrest me, and wanted Richard to come HON,
| before was taken away. Mr.. Vail, however, ar
rived before Richard, he having Mr.. Frank Celley
| with him, who was more ofeious than the officer
The latter took the business entirely out OF Mr.
Walls hands | told Vail that / had sent for my
husband, aud when he came, would get read,
and go with him quietly and peaceably, but the Of
ficious Mr.. Celley said, pack her into the Wagon
just as she is, and II she wants . shawl get It fol
her lie pounced upon me like hungry hyena
calling for Mr. Vail to get his handouts
which he did. Frank Cellsy, Frank Buck anC
Eb Stone then held me, while Mr. Vail fastened
them upon my WTsts. toiu Mr van, MI I'M
time if he would make them desist would no
leave the room, and as soon as Richard came
would 60 with him quietly. Celley was in a grea
hurry to have me start, aud told them II the!
were 10 such haste to take some OF their team
aud 20 after Richard, there being some nix 0
eight standing around the yard at the time, bu
there was no one went, seemed inclined to go
As for my resisting the officers, did not
- For the first five years we lived on joel
place did everything that could TO help him
} and II he had been an own brother could No
have done more for him, having been out an
I raked after the cart and once helping him 10 ski
dead COW, When he got ready 10 go home, h
said he would pay me when he came up again, o
he would get me something out OF the store.
told him he might get me some calico for a
apron lie said he would, but | haven't seen tn
color Of It yet | cooked his meat when the
were the g haying, he bringing his bread, pie
and cakes from homo, | always pioparing thei
food, finding dishes, and lodging his hslp, 70
which never received even thank you, In m
life Also whenever, he came there in these iiv
years for n load OF hay, II Richard Was not Their
to assist him, and he did not bring any one wit
him. which he seldom did, used to 60 out an
pitch 1t ON for him, he thinking could not load
as well as he. am getting all the pay eve
| received from Joel Dodge"
Mrs Dodge then enters into lengthy explanl
, ton of the relations existing between her iamil