The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1876-05-30
THE KEENE TRAGEDY.
A Probable Case Of Suicide.

The mystery that surrounded the death
Of Alvin G. Foster seems to be clearing up
by developments that are daily being made
public, add the community are settling
down to the belief that the deceased came
to his death BY his own hand, though prob
ably the suicide was not intended.
As has been previously stated in the
GoLBH reports, large number of people
at the outset found 1t difficult to believe
that go powerful u man as Foster could
have been oyerpowered, gagged and chloro-
formed on so frequented q street at such an
early hour Of the night without having
made some cutlery, especially as there were
no indications that he had been knocked
down or stunned before being supplied
with chloroform. The similarity in color
and general appearance of the sponge used
in eagging and the one formerly used by
Foster in his barn, and the fact that both
contained hair and lint of similar color,
strengthened many in this belief. The alb
seDce, however, OF any motive which
The fact of suspicious persons having been
seen lurking about the fatal spot on the
evening OF the tragedy seemed to have
made this theory improbable.
WOMAN IL THE CASE.
1t is now said that Foster had in his pos
session Tuesday last about $500, the prop.
erty OF his employers, and had that
amodnt for nearly a week, which should
have been RENTED to Chase s. Co. 1t has
also trenspired that Foster has had for
some months strange intimacy, amount
ing almost TO iniataation, with g yO,R9saa 81
Keere, Uu. who moved 10 Bellows Falls,
Vt, April !. That lie had considerable
correspondence with heIe and several IN
tcrviews within the pact three weeks, one
Of them the Saturday before his death,
seems TO be clearly established, and from
her conversations and from letters it is evil
| dent she expected 10 leave Bellows Falls
and 60 away with somebody soon.
| Sho went to keene on the morning train
Thursday, going Immediately to the post
Office there and calling for letter written
| by herself and addressed to fictitious
name, but supposed to be intended for Fon-
ter, which letter she destroyed. She seem.
ed to feel Fosters death severely, and said,
Knowing his plans, no one could make
her believe he committed suicide A drug
clerk Of c. c. Davis at Walpoe sold Cd
Thursday, Msy Is, two ounces OF chloro-
| form, putting il into a bottle similar to the
one found near the body. but on being
shown q Photograph of Foster said that
he Yves not the man he sold 1t to.
ANOTHER ACCOUNT.
The latest developments in the Foster
murder Gaze have been carefully followed
up by detective Sargent, assisted by c. +.
| Rowell Of heene. The suicide theory is
| discftdltcl and the affair is as great mys-
terry as ever. The clerk at Walpole who
| sold the chlorotorm was confident the
| bottle found was the one which he filed,
| and traces Of druggists label on the DO l.
| tie correspond in size with those used at
that place. He was carefully examined
and hls description Of the customer was
not Ike Foster and being shown Fosters
picture was positive he had never seen
| him. The woman Cram, who is or affects
to have been greatly infatuated with Eos
| ter, appears to have been intimate with
him but comparatively short time, and
her mode Of living does not indicate that
much money has been squandered by her.
She claims that her intimacy with Foster
was not disreputable, but purely q case of
true love.
HEWLETT STILL HELD.
Mr.. Hewitt was not released Saturday
morning, although he is undoubtedly inno-
cent Of any connection with the Foster
murder. On searching his trunks Sat
urday, however, letters and clothes were
found from which it was thought best to
hold him until it appeared that he may not
be wanted in Boston on another charge.
Ii seems TO be well established that Foster
must have had in his possession about $500
OF his employers money on the night of
the murder, why he failed to forward this
money to Boston, as he was expected TO, is
not explained The sentiment of the com
munity seems TO be semewh8t divided be-
tween theories of murder and suicide, al
though the latter theory has been consider
ably strengthened by developments not yet
made public, but which are being carefully
sitted. Mr.. Sargent ia exceedingly reticsnI,
but expresses himself as making Roadway
as rapidly as could be expected in such a
complex and mysterious case.