The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1877-05-17
A Remarkable Murder Case.


has eqaaled in deliberate savagery the
killing of Miss Susan j. Hanson, of
Brookfield, N. H., in November, 1874,
as its revolving details are now devel-
oped by the confession of Charles w.
Cook, of Pennington. He did the kill
ing on the promise of $500 reward from
Joseph B. Buzzell, farmer of means
and reputed responsibility, a former
sutton of Miss Hanson's and defendant
at the time in breach-of-promise suit
brought by her.
Susan j. Hanson was native and
lifelong resident of Brookfield, 81 years
old, attractive, amiabIe and cultured
above most country girls She had
known Farmer Buzzell intimately al
ways; they had grown up near neigh
bors, were engaged before the girl had
reached her 20th year, and several times
he had appointed and postponed the
wedding-day. A few months before the
tragedy the lover, to every body's sur
prise, married another woman. The
friends of Miss Hanson were naturally
indignant and outraged, and at their
earnest solicitations the deserted girl
consented to bring a breach-of-
promise suit against Buzzell. The
legal papers had been served, but the
night before the first hearing of the
case the plaintiff was killed. She was
sitting in the early evening with hel
mother, brother and little nephew, in
their coy New England kitchen, wher
binding explosion occurred, the lamp
went out, and Miss Hanson fell dead
A hole in the window and II shot and
slugs in the woman's body disclosed the
horrible work of an assassin.
Buzzell was naturally arrested ant
tried. The imprint of a gun-stock neal
the window through which the shot hat
been fired correspondent to a gun he hao
formerly owned, but which could not be
found; awagon-track from which man
was followed through piece of ploweC
land near the Hansons' correspondent t.
his; the wadding of the gun had beer
from a newspaper he was known to TAKE
but after weeks trial the evidence
against Farmer BuzzeH was held to bt
not convicting The Hanson house was
soon after deserted by its occupants be
cause of its terrible associations, and the
local public gave over expecting that the
murderer of Susan Hanson would b'
brought to justice in this world.
Public excitement because of the muir
der was somewhat revived, however, il
the spring of 1876 by the burning of thu
fine farm buildings of one of the wit
nesses against Buzzell in the murde1
trial, and again in the fall and last win
ter by the incendiary firing of building
belonging to two more men who haC
given evidence unfavorable to the de
PENDANT. Reward of a thousand dollar
was offered for the arrest of the incen
diary, and Boston detectives began t.
shadow " Charles w. Cook, who haC
been Buzzell's hired man for years. Th'
officers became workmen in the shoe
factory at Pennington, whittier Cool
had removed, and, few days ago, ar
rested him as Buzzell's accomplish il
the murder and incendiarisms. Over
come at finding agents of the law in hi
new friends, the young man has made ;
voluntary confession of the means EN-
ployed by Buzzell to revenge himself OF
Miss Hanson and his neighbors.
The gun used to kill Miss Hanson
was big "Queen's arm," the same tina
could not be found at the trial of Buz
zell, and it was loaded with shot anC
slugs which the man and the boy-fol
Cook was then but II years old-carrie(
in their pockets and put into the barre
almost in sight of the Hanson house
Cook says of the shooting:
We went mp across the hills and pastures
leading to the Hanson house to little knoll
where the barn used to sit, about three rod
from the house. think BuZzell then asked
me if would kill her, and l told him no
that rather be killed myself. He said h,
would give me $500, and that he had wit
nesses who would swear we were not on tn,
road We went TO the front side of thu
house and looked into the window and saw
Susan, her brother and mother and littl,
boy. BuZzell wanted me to shoot, and saiC
l had got to do il or he would blow my hea(
| off. was afraid he would. He leveled thu
gun and told me to fire it. took it and free
at Susan Hanson and went back of Sol
tridge's barn. Buzzell went directly for hi
house.
The wretehed lad was made to testify
to an alibi in Buzzell's favor at the sub
sequent trial, and was then sent out o
town by the farmer, who subsequent,
recalled him to burn the property o
those who had sought to justly faster
upon him the killing of Miss Hanson.
] The confession of Cook naturally
causes great excitement in the quie
town of Brookfield, and Attorney-Gen
eral Tappan is on the ground investi
eating. While it will be somewhat diff
cult to deal legally with man who ha.
been once tried for connection with thu
murder, there is no reason to doubt tina
way will speedily be found to deal witt
Susan Hanson's murderers after thei
deserts, though justice would have beer
fullest served, no doubt, had Buzzel
been hung on the circumstantial evi
dence of his first trial Thewhole stor,
newly and remarkably illustrates thu
large stupidity which always attends thu
british cunning of such crime
Springfield (NGsS.) Republican.
clos Game.
A short time ago couple of Piute In