Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1878-04-19
Jericho.
MYSTERIOUS DIsAPrEARANCE-SUs OF
Eox-, D..

MYSTERIOUS DIsAPrEARANcE-SU sPIcIoss OF
Foul PLAY.
Mr.. and Mrs. Hiram Davis are greatly dis.
tressed at the mysterious disappearance of
their daughter Bertha, last Thursday night;
and the circumstances are such as to lead to
the belief that she and her child have been
foully dealt with. She has a suit in court
against one Fred NJ. Hutchins. of Essex.
charging him with being the father of her
child and seeking to make him, by order of
court. contributs to the child ) support. Rs
Gently Miss Davis has been at work to
support herself and child at Joseph Plants,
IN the neighborhoOd Of her fathers resi-
| dence. She was expected to be called to
testify IN the case mentioned at the present
term CT the Chittenden County Court. On
thursday evening. man, stranger to
Miss Davis and to Mrs. Plant, called at Mr..
Plants on the pretence of wanting to hire
girl to work, and told Miss Davis that the
fOtel-keeper at Westford Center wanted to
hire her. and would pay her 81 .25 per week
and give her child u home while she was at
work. lie induced her, on these represen-
tations. to go with him that night to West
ford, she saying to Mrs. Plant that
case the town could send word to her at
| Westford. The stranger remarked that the
man tor whom she was goiag to work would
| carry her to Burlington, to court. when
| she was needed. Since then she has E0t been
seen or heard from. Neither Miss Davis nor
Mrs. Plant mistrusted that it was con-
| spiracy to deprive the town Of Miss Davis
| evidence. On Saturday, when her friends
learned that Bertha had been induced to go
with stranger at nine o'clock at night, to
Westford Hotel. they sent to Westforj,
where the stranger declared he was going
to carry her to work, and learned from
the ho;elkeeper, Mr.. Rogers, that Miss
Davis was not there and had not
been there. and that he knew nothing
Of Miss Davis or her child. The friends of
Miss Davis have searched for the girl and
her child, but no knowledge or trace of her
can be found. II any one has knowledge of
the whereabouts of the girl and her child,
they will confer a great favor il they will
inform Hiram Davis, OF Jericb, OF that fact.
The cause of her disappearance, without
doubt, is because her testimony would be
troublesome in said case, and her friends
believe she and her child have been killed.
or, through deception, taken and kept in
some place against her will, TO prevent her
attending court
FURTHER DEVELOPMENTS
1t has been ascertaned that the man that
came to Mr. Plants on pretence Of hiring
Miss Davis to go at work at the hotel at
Westford Centre said he wanted to see John
Swan, and asked Mr.. Plant to show him
where John Swan lived. Mr. Swan lived n
the village of Jericho and Mr.. Plant went
part way with him an d pointed out to the
man where Mr.. Swan lived, and the man
went towards the house and had an inter
view with Swan. Tho friends of Miss
DAVIS, learning that Swan was out all of
Thursday night, away from home. on Tues
day su mmoned him before R. NJ. Galusha,
Justice of the peace. put him under an ex-
am nation and took his affidavit. Mr..
Swan while under examination admitted
that he was out all Tuesday night, but
claimed that he was called away by Mr.
Davis. OF Essex, to doctor sick COW, and
was at Dayis's till three CLOCK Friday
morning. He testified particularly as to
where Mr.. Davis lived, who owned the COW.
Since the giving Of the t. stimony by Swan
the friends Of Miss Davis have learned
that there was no such Davis as be
described. and no one had sick
COW in that vicinity; and have no
doubt but that his story about q sick COW
was a fabrication. They have also learned
that Swan was seen Friday morning at
Essex Centre, where the defendant Hutch
ms lives that he was with a team that had
the appearance of having been driven hard,
with the buffalo and harness very wet and
muddy. These and other circumstances con-
firm the suspicious OF the friends of Miss
Davis, that she and her child have been
either murderously dealt with or taken
against her will and prevented from giving
evidence in her case in Court.
The statements Of your correspondent
under the name of "Fair Play" are untrue
in point OF fact. Miss Davis had not lived
at the railroad boarding house within three
months OF the time when her child must &C.
cording to the common course ofnature have
been begOtten, but was at work for one j.
Ii. Hutchinson, where the man charged of
being the father Of the chill lived. The
statement that Miss Davis was induced to
commence the suit on tho assurance made
to her by friends or cOuns,l that she would
realize a large sum Of money from it and
would not be called into court to testify, is
also untrue. The suit is prosecuted by the
town of Jericho, and Miss Davis has assured
those who had the charge of the prepare
tion OF the case for trial. that she would tes-
tiiy to the facts in the case. 1t is untrue
that the mother has received a letter OF any
c5mmunica ton whatever from her daughter
since her disappearance. K.