Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1875-01-27
Dreadful Murder At Piermont, y. II.

7
tieulars we take from the Boston Journal Tn,
place Is about two miles from Pormont village
aud nearly the came distance from Bradford, Yer
mont The building IS nm od-fashoncd two story
house, which with rs outbuidings and the smooth
acres stretching away, give good idea Of a com.
Portable farmers homestead John T. Emerson,
Che husband Of the murdered woman, moved on
to the farm some eight weeks ago taking with
him him his wife whom he had married only a
month before. lie h. twenty-five years old, a
most worthy Industrious and upright man, and
his family connections are most respectable lie
worked some years In Lowell Mass, where his
marriage took place
rnF VICTIM
Was before marriage Miss Alma Merrill, and be-
longed 10 one Of the best families in the town Of
Fremont, where she had good educational adyan-
tagcs She Is described by nh who knew heras q
woman OF preposscssing appearance and of many
good qualities Of mind and character She was a
little below medium height with light eyes and
clear complexion In figure she was slender and
very graceful. Since her late return to Iiermont
as bride She has taken on active pat In the social
gatherings of the ucighborhood, and had won
MANY friends She was in the twenty fifth year
Of hcragc The family consisted VI Mr. Emerson
aud wife aud Moses b sawyer
The history Of the latter is yer, important as
be- is now under arrest charged with the crime
lie is q native OF Newburypou Mass and is fifty
nine years old. Tie is unmarried. lie is black
smith bl trade and worked many years on car
riages in Amcsbury Of late years he has travelled
q good deal IN Massachusetts,, selling vehicles at
times Daring the past four years he has been in
Lowell While ia that city he became intimately
acquainted with MI Emerson and with the muir
dcrcd woman. lie came to New Hampshire To
visit thcm and 10 find employment for the winter
lie is Of medium hight, stout built, with aord
complexion. and gray hair and beard Hedresses
with neatncss appears quite intelligent aud has
not criminal appearance.
rnr MURDER
Occurred Friday forenoon The weather was
stormy and neither Emerson or SAWYER went far
away nom home After breakfast Emerson made
% pleasant r.mnrh 20 his wife and kissed her and
then went ont TO look after bis cattle It s not
supposed tlatho cycrnw herali,cagain. sawyer
al Che same time went into The door-yard To cut
wood. In the meantime Ms Emerson performed
hor ordinary household duties Of the morning.
and then at down by the fire, in her cosy kitchen.
to do some sewing AZ a little past ten terrible
explosion took place in the house Mr. Emerson
heard it at his barn distinctly and started ut once
tur his dwelling The nearest neighbor. John
Flanders, about forty rods northward also heard
70 plainly. Mr. Emerson went through his door
,ard-wherc be saw Mr. Sawyer at work-to the
house lie opened the door leading to the kitchen,
and Torment stood noa
.f,sf o. ,.,tsr ..r r,,r .,..,..
Then he raised his arms and gave a shriel, Of
anguish and rushed to the street crying, MY
wife - my wife g. and appearing almost like |
maniac sawyer exclaimed, is she dead?'' and
went quickly into the house. The scene presented |
was enough to siclcn and appa the stoutcsth heart
Words cannot adequately describe it, In a chair |
by the stove was the headless body Of Mrs Emer. |
'on About three feet from her and lying ON the |
loor, was heavy doublc-barreod shot gun. the /
nu1zlc pointing towards the chair Almost the |
nitro head and neck were blown from the body: |
Nj that remained was a small portion Of the lower /
aw which hungupon her breast and small rem
lant Of the neck near the backbone, not over an
nch in width From this headess body blood was
purting IN cupious streams and gathering in pools
IA the floor The head was almost wholly blown
o atoms and scattered on the ceiling and west
md south walls Of the room. The largest portion
q the head found was piece Of the skull about
hree inches in length by two in width which had
assed through window breaking place Of its
Nact size in the glass and lodging in the door
and some ten feet from the house, and about
hat distance Of where sawyer was at work.
ON The stove, ceiling, walls and floor were scat
cred blood, flesh and hair forming a scene
and
he body rested in the chair as natural AS il in
fe. The feet were on the fender Of the stove,
ne hand held piece Of cloth, while the other
msped needle aud thread as II to take another
itch in the work The position Of the body
lowed unmistalaby that not a movement occur
ii after the weapon was fired
Sawyer appeared wonderfully calm and col |
cicd- lie said that Emerson went into the a
luse little while before the explosion WAS ,
iard, and that he was the last TO enter the house
fore the murder occurred SAWYER talked /
eely about the matter, but showed great indf. t
renee. In the afternoon Deputy sheriff Newell >
ent to Fremont and arrested sawyer lie man L
sted no surprise and said he expected it,
I'd WAS willing "a 90, When the officer put the
ludcuifs upon him, the prisoner said there WAS q
D need Of it for lac should not run away. The
ime was no sooner discovered than suspicion fas- a
ned upon Sawyer The excited thrung at the \
'use freely expressed the opinion that lac was a
atty
Just before the officer left with Sawyer. some i
cn from Bradior proposed that he be lynched,
nd at one time it was feared that an attempt
onld be made to take the prisoner from the sher-
{, hut wiser counsel prevailed and he was taken I.
jail
Emerson. who was almost insane, was taken to {
. fathers. His reason is almost dethroned, and
can giNenn Intelligent account of the affair +,
the LATEST. e
The funeral Of the murdered woman wa at
nded at raverlin on Monday, attracting very I
rye audience
Later dispatches says it Is now known that Mrs.
menon had q very strong aversion for Sawyer.
BON after lac arrived in Pcrmont aud while he =,
as stopping with her father-in-law, she remarked G
her mother that she disliSed sawyer. and
ishcd he would return homo. After sawyer
me u her home she, forthe first time, mentioned 4,
her husband her dislike for the visitor said she i
ished he would go away, aud that no good
oud come from his stay ing there Mr. Emerson t
piled that he would not stay long, and that he
d not feel like sending him away Sawyers I
nduct since the murder has been such as n de- |
i've him Of all sympathy. It cannot be learned 9
at he has at any time manifested the least feel
= OF sorrow over the calamity lie discusses 1t
ith entire Indifference, and is reported To have
i'd to MIR. Emerson, Immediately upon the dis
Very of the murder, that he ought not to take ,,
IA