The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1877-10-12


because the rumors circulating in this
community with regard TO the affair are
so wild and absurd that this report,
sensational as IL may be, is stale as COM
pared with them. 1t would seem that
no further damage could be done by
giving publicity TO the affair. II is
unfortunate for all concerned. If the
suspicious are unioundcd il is a serious
trouble for The parties, and if well found
ed, of course much worse. The state
mcnt is as follows:
Six weeks ago last Sunday the wife
of Deacon Ezra Smith, one of the pillars
of the Baptist church here, died after
an illness of only one week at the time
OF her death Although the circumstal-
ccs excited remark, no one suspected
foul play, for the family was cminently
respectable. Mr.. and Mrs. Smith were
born. and their parents before them. in
Addison county. The families of both
were "wcll on" and many representa-
tivcs of both have held responsible posi-
lions in the state. A brother of Dea-
con Smith is state legislator, and
another is Il prominent merchant in
Burlington. Deacon Smith himself. be-
sides owning valuable stock farm in
Addison. was until recently a member
of the largest stove and lin ware estab-
lishment in the county. Up 10 the time
of his wilc's death he had borne an
excellent reputation for integity: in
fact he was unusually Jealous in works
of charity and philanthropy. His witc's
malady batllcd The efforts of the physi-
elan. who treated her for cholera NOR
bus Every dose seemed to add To her
agony. The day before her death DR..
Arthur, her physician. demanded
council of doctors, and Drs. Hopkins
and Kidder were called in. The OK
IRENE proslratiOn of the hitherto robust
woman was commented upon, but,
though each of the physicians had some
misgivings, the surroundings and social
position of the family were such that
nothing was said about them at the
time. and only the simple rcstorativcs
usually given in such cases were
prescribed. On Sunday Mrs. Smith
died, and her remains were inter
red in the cemetery two DAYS later.
Here the matter would have ended had
il not been for singular combination
of circumstances. Deacon Smith has
enemies, and among them there is one
man. well known here, who has cspc-
cial reasons for wishing him harm-rca-
sons growing out of scandalous affair
in which Mr.. Smith is said to have
taken prominent part in exposing and
Furnishing an oflcnse against good
morals committed by this individual,
who. il is stated, sworc vengeance on
'"' "c".oi,' in's ci,''"! maui hih'se,i
acquainted WIN Mr. p.hl'h weak
'oii's' nhu c"i'S'i''''" I'l''.sc'i IL PRE-
Na'e ue'ec'Ne III "r"er l" wipe out on
scores
Ezra Smith owned and lived in Il
pretty white cottage on II corner of two
streets in one of the most picturesque
portions of Ncrgennes. n garden plat,
with numbers OF lrllt trees and grape
vines, is located at the rear and side of
the house. From the back door a path
leads diagonally across this plat TO a
brick house on a parallel street. In this
house lived the Champin family. con-
slsting OF f. j. Champlin, the husband,
Mary. his wife, four beautiful and in
lereslihg children, and brother of the
husband. young man some twenty
]
lived i'll Ncrgcnncs some two years.
ihc husband, mechanic, for the last
SIX months has been working at the
door and blind factory of Lyon ~ Pal
incr. Essex. New York. Previous To
this time, since he had resided in Yer
gennes, he had been out fcmploymcnt
most of the time, and consequently the
family had been very poor and would
/ f..t. laD
absolute ncccssarics of life if ii bad not
been for the Kindness of the ncighbors.
and especially of Deacon Smith. Wood,
coal and mix were sent to the Cham
pins, ana many liitlc dcllcacy from
he well filled inllcr of the Smiths
found rs way To the Ciiampiin table.
since Mr.. Chalnplin has been at work
IN Essex. n: =, he has only visited his
family IN Nergennes once month.
ABOUT year ago the lIrst acquaintance
pe."ev'i o,h,'i, anu Nrs. ,1'ihpllh ne
S"", "'', "''nonSn II. hiS' ,''c'' l','i,iia-
:. Nns ,'o' h,'''Ncu' II ''pcheo' anu o',r-
ny '''' ,lS' IN nion,nS 1t mas peeh op-
ScnN.u ~ luz nuis'pols 'lH'l nc was
Iurcl! ap''I'' lroii' inc nouse oi MIS-.
= la'liP, ~. "uil''s ,hS rNen,a'ss. ~ por-
uoh vi ''ic summer Mr. o.'''hpiin was
| eIipioYeu III nirS' warmer h,iiilhery
c:'ap'is'''ic"' III 'oWn, anu every
llsl'' sa!s 'hc proprietor, Mr' Shnl'h
; waN nl ,,a''o un,ii's .',e , evening, COM
~ no,., ",'oie '''o ''inr ior MIS-.
N ,, .Wi"'.lu'', an" escorlilS
MIS-. c c,,'nl n .,mn whcn ner uu'ies
MeIo ni'.sno'i. o',rn u'iI''iS inc ~,
'ernoon, sh.s MRS. arher' nc wou'd
w., u, nrS. snppoSeu I" see III!
,,'"S",.', ~ Will, n's 81" we ',i''i
rlc"' o"' o soo,, iounu me u,rae,loii
c m"s vi Il uiiicre,'' l'".uru' H.ill ,hcse
'atls "iilo''ii,eu 10 nolliihs III 'hein-
seiNes, pu', "',er 'ne uea.. "i ,'s wile'
''r se1'',cu ~ iose Ics''"in'' 'o' II u us
se'.uu, olcn'l ,isi''l 'vr' escorted hcr
10 ine .,t a,'snueu .ne 'amP-hsci-
i,iS WIN iicr Il, New raven, anu Whlie