Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1875-08-18
elimination Of n Family Feud.

and joel Dodge, which has disturbed the neigh
borhoods Of Bear Swamp and wrights Mills 70
some years, and occupied the attention Of th'
courts 70 a considerable extent, eliminated las
Friday by Richards wife shooting Joel in thu
head, with heavy charge Of duck shot from
horse pistol This deed will probably remove th'
chief actors from the scene Of battle for sonetim'
to come, and 1t is TO be hoped that the commu
nifty has seen the last Of family feud In whicl
the participants seem to have regarded the law a
little as though they lived in Texas or Utah
HISTORY or rnr QUARREL.
Eight years ago this summer, Richard and biz
wife contracted to purchase from Joel tract o.
land containing some fifteen acres, situated II
that part Of Middlcsex known rs Bear swamp, ant
forming portion Of the old Roberts farm They
paid him note Richard wife held against Rome,
Wright, Of Wrlghts Mills, for one hundred and
forty-two dollars aud were 10 give him their own
mortgage notes Tor the rest Of the purchase money
whenever he should give them deed. At about
the same time joel, who owned a farm Of some
seventy-hye acres adjoining, allowed them TO oc
cupy a house aud garden on his land, Joel has
never given them deed and, they claim, has
refused 10 do so repeatedly This led 10 ~
temper, and Joel has tried 10 have them leave tho
house, which they have refused to do, and both
parties from time 10 time have used good deal
OF hard and rough language, in the use Of which
they seem 90 bc adopts. The first actual hostlt
ties took place about three years ago. one day
joel came into Mis- richards kitchen, and saluting
her by the interesting name Of Piuley,' asked
her how she did She made no verbal answer,
but In order to show that she was feeling well,
caught him by the wliiskers and pitched him oyci
a table
Stephen Nelson. who was at work Tor Joel. inter
fcrcd aud saved joel from a worse thrashng, foJ
Mrs Richard lisa very strong and resolute woman
and in her dag has whipped more than one fuil
grown man. About year ago Richard and wifi,
brought a suit Ia the county court 10 recover the
face and interest Of the note which they had paid
in full, based upon his refusal 10 give deed. Joel
defends on the ground that the rents OF the house
and garden, which they were not paid amount
10 more than the value Of the rent " Shack" as
Richard is called alleges that these rents had been
paid by work done for joel, By boarding his help
during haying etc This suit is still in court, UNI
decided This suit was probably instigated By a
writ Of sicctment which Joel served upon them a
year ago last .luly, to Dust them from the house
and garden. The snit was tried before Justice
Robinson, in this town, and was decided in favor
Of " Shack, ON the ground that having become
yearly tenants, they were entitled TO six months
notice under thestatute. This victory for Shack ."
did not increase Joel's good humor, and he soon
took active measures to make their residence in
the house decidedly uncomfortable, to say the
least On the fourth of last March, " Shack and
his wife came to Montpelier and drew his pension
money for wounds received in the war Of the re-
bellion Gu returning home, after dark they
found all the outer doors taken from the house,
and an the windows but one in the garrett The
snow had drifted into the rooms, and fixing up as
well A. they could, they passed the night with the
house in this condition. This feat has always
been attributed 70 Joel by the neighborhood
Shack. fitted up new doors Of rough boards, put
in a window or two on to the sitting room and
boarded up the rest Similar attacks have been
mnde four or five times since twice. after shacl, "
and his wife had gone to bed, stones were thrown
into the house, aud the last time Shack grabbed
his horse pistol and thrusting it out Of one Of the
windows had the satisfaction Of seeing the mis-
cIeants disappear through the grass in hot haste
This pistol, by the way * an old fashioned dra-
COON pistol such n troopers used to carry in the
times Of the war Of 1872, and has Hint lock. 1t
is about fifteen inches long, with barrel Of about
a. large a calibre a. shot gun. Shack " says
he got it Of an Irishman who worked for him a
little while, some five years ago This last spring
after these night raids began, he thought it might
be Of some service, perhaps he oiled it up, got a
flint from Demeritts, in this village, and has prac-
tced at a mark with it for some time past. on
leaving home he has always carefully loaded it,
and charged his wife to use it II necessary. To
use his own language, " told her il she was
forced u it, to take care Of herself and to tile
pistol; never to kill man, but to fire for their
legs, II she had to do it"
THE SHOOTING.
Theaccounts Of the circumstances Of the shooting
differ so widely that it is hard to get at the exact
truth, and probably each side tells the best story
possible for itself We will tell Joes story
first a. given by Dennis Gibbons and William
Could Last Friday morning Joel, Gibbons and
Could all went in buggy to the vicinity Of
" ShacSs house to do some haying on joel $
farm They lefl their team at Charles Pierce 4,
near By " Shacks" and moved little while till
it began 20 rain They then went to the barn at
tached TO " Shacks house, and moved away a
load Of hay After that was done, Gibbons re-
marked that he would 90 fishing, Gould said he
wouldn't. joel told Gibbons TO 90 To Pierces, aud
get basket and couple Of hoes. There was a
small patch Of potatoes in the garden attached to
" shaclSs " house about which there had been
trouble between Joel and Shack all the sea-
son, both claiming to own them. Joel planted
potatoes there originally, against shacks will,
ard Shack claims that he dug them up and
While Dennis was gone, Joel proposed to gather a
few apples there were in a couple of trees near
"Shacks" house. From one tree they gathered
about iour quarts The other tree stands in front
OF the house The limbs were too high to be
reached, and Joel told Gould to find ralse-handle
to knock the apples of wiki. At this point Mrs
Dodge made her first appearance. Coming TO the
door, she said, Mr. Gould, don't you touch a
thing under this she'd" Gould desisted and he
and Joel took poplar pole lying beside the road.
With this they broke some limbs OF the tree and
got number OF apples, which they put in a
bag By this time Dennis had come back with
the basket and hoes, and Gould and Joel went
into the garden, which was situated short dis
lance from the house, ON the same side of the
road Dennis leaned against the fence on the
roadside As they began to dig, Joel said to
Gould, I" If she says anything don't mind any
thing about her; my breath is too good to talk
with her She came to the door OF the house
then, aud forbade Gould's digging, Gould replied,
"Mr Dodge said he would be responsible. ]
don't want to have any trouble with you any way.
/ am TO work for Mr. Dodge by the month, aud I
suppose | must do as he tells me-" She replied
"Got ont Of the garden Joel remarked, 81
guess you von'tscare anybody" She started from
the house, and shouting, you will leave, Cd
d-n you" came into the garden. Gould says he
did not see her have any pistol then, but Dennis
says that he saw the end of 1t sticking ont from
under her apron, and he said, "She is coming
with a pistol fN
The garden Is, perhaps, six rods long shec
down within about two and half rods of where
they were digging, and stood still Joel and she
had a good deal Of profane and vulgar talk 70 and
fro. Presently she picked up a small stone and
threw at them. It went over their heads and
struck a little apple tree. Gibbons holloaed
look out boys" said Joel, " Did you see her
throw that stone?" Gibbons replied, Yes
" Yes, +" said she, "and | will throw another"
Said Dodge, " II you don't behave yourself will
take rope and tie you" She replied, I'D
d--n you, You amt big enough STOPPING
down, she picked another stone, threw it, and 1t