The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1877-04-07


saw her in the afternoon of June a. when,
in company with her, | rode to Castleton
in carriage. On the evening of June @
accompanied her to Barnum's circus, which
exhibited in Rutland on that evening, and
afterward went home with her. This was
the last time ever saw the woman, either
In her lite or death.
MRS. FREEZES AUTOBIOGRAPHY.
On the occasion of our journey 10 Cas-
Teton she voluntarily gave me history of
her past life, and cheerfully talked about
her future hopes and expectations. She
said that she was respectfully connected and
had once been the lawful wife of a man
bearing her name, who was stone.cutter
by trade, and had been dead about six
years. That shortly after her husbands
death she had formed the acquaintance of
one E. l.. Stearns, who was at one time a
tax-collector in Rutland, and then resi-
dent of some western city. That this man
promised to, and did, support her in good
style until he was obliged to leave Rutland
hastily for some act of dishonesty or other.
That her house was built and paid for by
him, and that he had wife and family
living in Rutland at the time of their con-
nection. She continued by saying that af-
ter his having left the place he had failed
to further fulfil his agreement with her, and
consequently she at once organized what
she called Young ladies' social club. She
engaged two girls under disguise of board
ers and retained them until compelled to
discharge them through fear of violence
from her relatives who had strongly op-
posed her course. That since then she had
lived mostly alone, receiving patronage
from no small numher of business men of
Rutland. In speaking of these men she
seemed pleased in Boosting of her power
over them, aad the trouble she could
make between them and their un-
of their intimacy with her. That
the wives of these men had often Pos sed
her on the street with a look of perfect
contempt, little suspecting the fact that
many time their husbands had been close
ly housed with her when they supposed
them TO have been miles away from home
on business Some of these men felt very
bitter towards me when they found that
had also been in the woman's company.
But they should have remembered that the
woman and myself were both single per-
sons, and that however morally wrong our
associations may have been, they were net
criminal aud theirs were. Mrs. Free re
spoke of a severe sickness she had ex-
perienced during the winter that had Just
past, and of the debts che had accumulated
in consequence. That che was being close
ly pressed for the payment of several small
bills and hadn't the money to meet them.
She mentioned q coal bill in particular
which she had promised to settle on the fol-
lowing day, and did not see how she was to
do it without borrowing the money. l then
lent her the money to pay it, with the IN
Outstanding that she was to return it as
soon as convenient, but as her death &C.
CURED in one week from that day | lost il
all. On arriving home from Castlcton, in
the evening, Mrs. Freeze was hailed from q
neighboring house and told that box had
been left in their care for her until her re-
turn. This box proved to be O case of
choice liquors that had been sent her by q
| wealthy citizen of Rutland whose dealings
with the woman are above suspicion. On
opening her front door she discovered q
written document lying upon the floor, that
| had evidently been showed under the door
while she was away. This she hastily
snatched up and requested me to read its
| contents to her. | did so, and was more
| than amazed at her confessing her inability
to either read or write single word. AT
| ter taking leave of the woman on this oc-
casion, saw her but once more in her life,
and that was on the evening of June 9Th,
when we attended the circus together.
This evening | called at her house, about Z
o'clock, 10 fulti!ment of promise she had
extorted from me q week earlier. On en-
tering the house l found her in company
with three strange men, who she introduced
to me as her friends from Bellows Falls
After returning from the circus we had
been in the house bat very few minutes
when three more men called and were adj
mitted. These being disposed of, theiI
places were soon filled by the admission OF
two more men making in all a number OF
nine men who had called on her inside o.
five hours, three of which were passed II
the circus at that When the last two
men entered the house l called for my hat
babe the woman good night aud left her
house fully satisfied that it was much FIRE
quented resort During my short acquaint.
ance with the woman there was never one
unpleasant word exchanged between us
and when was accused of her death som,
of her neighbors testified to her having al
ways spoken of me to them as her friend
Mrs. Freeze was a small, spare woman, be
tween thirty and forty years of age, ant
would not have exceeded 100 pounds IL
weight. She was of pleasing address, very
laxative, and would sometimes use oath!
that would make ones hair stand on 1T
end. She drank frequently, and was I'M
questionably woman of very easy virtue
But notwithstanding all her faults, be
lieve her to have been kind and generous
hearted woman, and n person wholly in
capable of provoking any sane being to thu
enormous crime of taking her life.
A CLAIM THAT lie WAS NOT IN RUTLAND A,
THE TIME TIE CRIME WAS COMMITTED.
My unfortunate trip east occurred on tn
same day the woman is supposed to hav
been murdered. Her house was discovered
TO be on fire between $50 and 7 o'clock Of
that morning, and | proved on my trial tina
left Rutland on the 30 morning trail
for Providence, r. |, Now, according t
the Rutland and Burlington railroad time
table, and the regular running of the train
on that road, was in Bellows Falls at tn
time her house was on fire, and could no
possibly have had anything to do with thu
crime. Preached Boston about 2 Is p. IN.
and Immediately on the arrival of the train
and in company with Mr.. and Mrs Georg
Stewart of Rutland, took hack an
crossed that part of the city which lead
direct from the Fitchburg depot to the 30:
ton and Providence depot. At the latte
depot l took the first train going to Provi
cence, which left Boston at 3 o'clock p
m, and arrived in the former place abou
G o'clock p. M, my business to Providenc
being If possible to secure employment
with the American screw company or tn
Corliss engine works, both Of which ar
well-known firms of that place. Afte
consulting few workmen who we're in tn
employ OF both these firms, as to my prof.
able chance of getting a suitable job, wa
discouraged by being told that these CON
panles were then discharging some of the
best and Oldest experienced workmen
These men being members of the working
, mems union,of which was also a member
knew if couldn't get work through the
aid it would be useless for me to apply {
the companys office. l remained in Prov
| idanoa nvar niuht an1 havino M mora tha