Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1876-06-02
Mystery at Norwich.

AN ON MAN MISSING FOR SIX YEARS
A dispatch was sent out last week
that murder had been discovered com
mitted in Norwich some six years ago.
This seems to cover little more than
any facts will warrant that haveyet come
to light, the foundation for which APP
pears to be as follows:
On the 9th of May 1870, John Bartlett an old
man 20 years of age, left his home at North Nor
wich, near Pompanoosuc station, and has never
since been seen alive He was amply possessed OF
this worlds goods, owning two large FARMS and was
supposed 70 have about his premises some $4,000 IN
hard money He was bachelor and in his habits
singular and misanthropic. Some months before
his disappearance he invited one Rufus Murdoch TO
live in an unoccuped house on his place. Muir
dock was worthless, dissoute fellow and bore
bad reputation
After the disappearance of Bartlett he renamed
In the house until September About the time he
left suspicion began TO be directed against MIN, and
il was plainly limited by the neghbors that he knew
| something Of the unexplained absence OF the Old
man. After he left a thorough search OF the premi-
SEES was made but II revealed nothing, The gosslps
| of the neighborhood said he had been seen with
Bartlett's clothes on and had passed silver money
which he said he found under the doorstep.
Time passed on and the old man did not return.
| Muriock moved from the neighborhood, and the
property, which had gone into the hands Of an adj
ininistrator was sold This administrator, Mr.. John
Lowell used every effort to discover the whereabouts
| of the missing man, but without success. A year
| later the badly decayed body of an old man was
| found in the Connecticut river, 30 miles below
which Mr.. Lowell thinks might have been the body
| of the missing man, though he cannot account iol
his being in that vicinity.
He feels certain that Bartlett had at least 5000
about the house in hard money He knew where
he obtained portion of it, and his penurious anc
misery ways were such that he felt he had coli
boarded. The strictest search had never discovered
it. Murdock's habits and the circumstances OF hi
association with Bartlett have caused the people
the vicinity to look upon him with suspicion.
During all these years the old house in the mids
of fertile Vermont farm is silent and deserted, an
few days ago some wag Interested neighbor
who wanted to revive the partly forgotten mystery
set up single at the old place with this inscrp
ton: Dig for Johns body here" Well, the cred
ulous people did dig and they found nothing. III
man Murdoch is now living in CoriEth, Vt, wher
he has been for several months, and there is n
probability of his being called to account for Bar
fett's disappearance. Time has effaced much Of tn
evidence tending to impicate him and his arres
would amount to but little.
, Suffice it to say that old John Bartlett was las
seen in the vicinity of his home the 9th Of MAJ
1870. He was in the habit of going of in an ecceu
trio way for short visits and it is given out this
l when last seen he was such journey. He ha
naught to leave home for, as he was possessed
means which constituted an ample fortune Tor h
simple wants. Speculation fails to account for h
. mysterious disappearance from among the haunts
men, and the few facts given above afford all Il
, suggestions that can be offered.