The Lamoille news. (Hyde Park, Vt.) 1877-1881, 1877-06-06
VOL. 1.-NO..S.
TRAGIC END OF A MONSTER.


The recent fires in the towns of
NewHamptonand Holderness, NH, to
gather with the tragic suicide Of Henry
Plaisted, constitutes avery remarkable
and intensely thrilling chapter of crime.
The suicide was born in this town and
was about 80 years old. His home
stead included a comfortable house
and some excellent land, and was ina
good farming section. Plaisted drank
liquor at times, but was not called an
Incorporate man. He was over six
feet in height, strongly built, and a
very muscular man. A little more
than year ago he was married. to
Mrs. Hoyt, widow, and daughter of
John d. Huckins, one of the most
substantial farmers of Holderness.
Mrs. Hoyt had two little boys, chill
dren by her first marriage, and she
was said to have been faithful wife
and mother. Soon after the marriage.
Plaisted began to abuse his wife and
children in a most shameful manner
When his ungovernable temper got
the better Of him he would beat his
wife in a most inhuman manner; he
also abused the little boys, on one
occasion throwing one of them violent
ly into a pile of wood, and on two oc-
casions throwing one of them into q
stream of water, with the apparent in
tention of drowning him.
| In nj orcb loct ac coon ho xuoo
able after the birth Of o child, Mrs.
Plaisted stole away from his home,.
unknown to her husband, and a kind
neighbor carried her and her infant to
Plymouth. Soon afterwards she OBJ
tained divorce from her husband,
the Court giving her an interest in the
homestead in this town. and also the
custody Of the child. From the time,
Of the divorce Plaistead exhibited q.
more malignant hatred of his wife,.
and desire for what he termed re-
venge for her leaving him. He pub
licly threatened her life, and also said
that he would be revenged upon, any
persons who harbored her or her chill
dren. The two boys had been taken
home by Mr.. Huckins their grand
father.
Plaisted was especially exasperated,
because the court had given Mrs.
Plaisted an interest in the homestead,
and he remarked that he would see
how much she would get out of that.
-Four weeks ago in the dead of night
Plaisted's buildings were burned to
Gnv gIuIIu1, aiHI tile puDHc were quick
to believe that he had destroyed them
out of spite to Mrs. Plaisted. Last
Thursday night the valuable farm
: buildings of Mr.. Huckins, the father
in-law of Plaisted, were burned. The
fire broke out in the barn, and nearly
all of Mr.. Huckins' live stock was lost.
The flames communicated so quickly
to the house that the family barely
escaped with their lives. The circum-,
stances of the fire were such that
there seemed no doubt but that it was
the work Of an incendiary, and the
community were unanimous in the
opinion that Plaisted had applied the
torch. This second fire aroused the,
inhabitants Of the whole neighborhood
to fuller realization of the danger
which any of them were liable to at
the hands of Plaisted.
At midnight on Saturday Plaisted
was seen stealthily prowling along one
of the streets in Ashland village, but
upon being seen quickly made his
escape. Hunger and exhaustion,
however, began at length to tell on.
a him. Three hours afterwards a farmer
: in town thought he had a glimpse,
I I Of the criminal going towards his old
1 home.
For forty-eight hours he has fed
; from forest to swamp under cover Of
darkeness, and not daring to ask a,
Il single person for food. Finally,
S drived to desperation, he wanders,
5 back to his old farm, and in the, early,
light of a pleasant Sabbath morning,
: closed by his own green meadows and
I amid the blackened desolation of q
: home which nothing but his own.
wickedness had prevented from being
an abode of happiness, he shot him
d self though the heart and death car
:, ried him beyond human pursuit.