Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1879-03-07
MORN IN q.
The Gralelin Murder Case,

of facts in regard to the connection OF
that company. and of its late Treasurer,
Samuel Wells, with the Gravelin murder
case. Mr.. Poland recites the facts that on
the 10th day OF October. 1876. a valuable
set of farm buildings. in Weathersfeld, Vt
owned by Horace Weston, of Windsor, Vt.
and worth $4,000, were consumed by an in
ccndiary fire. The property was insured in
the Farmers Mutual, OF Montpelier, for
twenty seven hundred dollars. There had
been feud between Mr. Weston and his
neighber Henry Gravelin,a wealthy French
man, and suspicion at once fastened upon
the latter as the incendiary lie was arrest
ed, and bound up for trial. 1t then. began
to be suspected that Grayelin had some
agency in the mysterious absence of ono
Herbert o. White, a neigh bor of his, against
whom be held grudge for having testified
against him in previous suit with this Mr.
Weston. Search being made, the dead and
mangled body Of White was found in an old
well on Gravelin's premises. Gravelin was
then held for murder, OF which crime he
was duly convicted at the succeeding term
of the County Court, and sentenced to be
hung two years thereafter. The evidence
formed a perfect chain of circumstances
pointing Enthusiastically to Gravelin as the
murderer, and reliable parties testified to
Gravelin's admission OF his guilt.
Sometime after Gravelin's sentence. he
| appointed Mr.. Albert Preston, thrifty
To- npl hua lirtnn
neighborhood, as his agent and attorney for
the custody and disposition of his property,
ESTIMATED at from SIS, 900 to sos .0O0). Nj.
Preston had also for some years acted, to a
limited extent, as agent for the Farmers
Mutual, and in that capacity insured the
property of Mr.. Weston which had been
destroyed. Mr.. Preston. as Gravelin's agent
and attorney, submitted the testimony in
the arson case to Hon. John +. Deanc. of
Cavendish, Grayein's senior counsel, upon
whose judgment and recommendation Mr..
Preston decided to make no defence IN the
arson case, and judgment was accordingly
taken against GraYelin for six thousand
dollars. and his property SCI off on txecu-
ton.
At the late session OF the Legislature, az
plication was made for a communication of
Gravelin's sentence This action was not
Hons. John F. Deane and C. N. Davenport
who, Mr.. Poland says, refused to have
any agency in the attempt to obtain COM
mutation. But one j. W. Deane, young
lawyer, alternating between Cavendish, VT,
and Claremont, N. H., seems to have IN
dertaken the task of managing the case be-
fore the Legislature, and L. Morton
Smith, somewhat noted correspondent
of the Boston Journal, assumed the con-
genial service Of doing the sensational work
in the papers " After carefully hearing
and sitting the testimony in the case, the
judiciary committee of the two Houses. sit
ting jointly, unanimously decided that there
was no cause for interposing in the exseu-
ton of Gravelin's sentence.
The evidence chiefly relied on in asking
for a Communication of Gravelin's sentence
consisted of most remarkable affidavit of
Mr.. Albert Preston, Grayelin's agent and
attorney, in which Mr.. Preston said:
The treasurer OF the said FarmersI Mutual Insur
ancO Company, Samuel Wells, informed me at the
time OF the trial of said Grayelin for the murder
OF Herbert o. White that the said Hanlin VINO
testified to Gravelin's confessions Of guilt was in
the employ Of the said company, and was their
trusted agent and further, that he, the said Han
lin, obey ed implicitly the orders and directions re-
ceived from him, the said Wells, AMI that Hanlin
would not dare to prove in any way false TO the
interests of the company, as he was completely in
said company's power, for there were no less than
six indictments out against the said Hanln, any
one of which could be precpitated upon him at any
moment. That they had certain service for him
to perform. and he would be shielded in its per.or
nance unless he committed some new robbery or
depreciation. That said Hanlin had been employed
by the said company number Of years in other
transactions OF the same nature.
When the substance of this affidavit came
to the knowledge of the directors of the
Farmers Mutual. they appeared before the
committee, as did Mr.. Weston. Sheriff Ans
den and States Attorney Paul, who were
officially connected with the prosecution of
GravelIn for murder, and testified to tho
utter falsIty of the charges therein con-
tanned against the insurance company and
its late treasurer, Mr.. Wells. Upon ap-
plying to Mr.. Preston for an explanation of
his remarkable statements, he replied in
substance that he had been entirely either
Inexperienced or misrepresented In said
affidavit. Surprising the matter was ended
with the adverse action of the legislature.
and realizing the di fculty OF making so full
and complete a Tindcation of our late
treasurer-he having meanwhile deceased
as We well knew justice demanded, the
matter was suffered to rest.
But as tho day for Graveln's execution
draws nigh (the Nth of March,, it seems
that these same champions of his cause have
resolved upon last desperate effort to OBJ
tain the interference of the Supreme Court;
and to give plauslbility to this application
it is said our Governor Is to be asked to send
q requisition to Kansas for one John ia
cobs, " who is alleged to have resided there
last Summer. and who, before leaving Tor
parts unknown, made some confessions
which seemed to imply guilty knowledge
of the manner of Whites murder. We
oh jistr
theory, perhaps. did we not have positive
knowledge that the principal mover in the
project first gave Orleans county, w., as the
locality where the guilty John Jacobs"
had made his confessions; but when it was
finally submitted to the public, the scene
was laid in rural district OF Kansas. This
final appeal for the doomed man is based, as
was that of last fall. mainly upon the fore
going affidavit of Mr.. Preston, and all the |
changes possible are rung upon the false
and calumnious statements contained there |
in, with a view to impress the minds of the |
court and general public with the belief |
that the insurance company sDd its late |
treasurer have been guilty of the high crime |
Of subornation of perjury in order to take |
the life of an innocent man
Mr.. Poland then submits several state
ments and letters. In one Mr.. Preston says
Mr.. PREsToS's STATEMENT.
In respect to the case OF Henry 6ravelin. con-
ycted oi the crime of murder, and with which |
my name has been prominently connected, de-
sire to say that the Farmers Mutual Insurance
Company of MONTPELIER neither by its late treas
urer, samuel Wells, nor in any other manner,
was ever, 10 my knowledge, directly or indirect
y concerned in procuring the conviction for muir
Ter Of the said Grayein; nor :, have l ever so
with Celeste Gravelin, brother of Henry, came to
ny residence in Westhersted to ascertain what
know about the connection Of the said insurance
company with the case OF Grayelin. stated what
knew in briei. and Dcane went into my house
Ind made n writing for me to sign. On reading
he same to me, | objected to certain Statements
duplicating the said insurance company as being
concerned in the murder trial telling Mr.. Deane
,istinctly that they were NOT true. lie then took
.iI pen and struck out, as he affirmed, the pOr-
lions objected to, when signed and made oath to
he affidavit, without reading It. The affidavit. Is
cad before the committee o. the late Legislature,
md published In the Boston Jolrnli and other
papers, contains. for as can remember, iht rerg
statements Uhirh objected 10 as not being trEt,
md which Deane proiessed to have striken out.
| further state, in the most positive terms, that
WAS never informed by Mr.. Wells, any other |
person. that one Tim Ilanlin was employed by
he said insurance company to aid in procuring
iravelin's conviction for murder, nor have ever
.iven such Information to Dir. Dcaue or any one
Use, have | any reason to believe that he was
o employed, or thst said company, rther directly
II indirectly, appeared in that trial. | did in
prm Mr. Deane that time that understood
he said Tim Hamln to have been employed to as
ertain Gravelin's agency in the burning Of Hor-
ce Westons buildings, and might have spoken
t the said insurance company as being connected
With Weston in so employing lianlin-as knew I
ir. Weston and the company had a loint interest
q the prosecution Of Graven for arsOn-they hay
ng agreed 10 unite their interests, to save the
Xpense Of Il second suit.
Letters from States Attorney Norman
'aul who conducted the prosecution of
iravelin, and from Sheriff Amsden, corrob-
ratory OF the above are given. Inc latter
ays.
In reply to your inquiry-it had any knowledge
the Insurance Company or its IrtdsHreI, Mr..
, ellis, having any knowledge OF what was being |
one in the murder of Henry tInyclin. or as
sting or procuring any one " assist in any way
, convict him,-you did not, so lar a. know. |
lust have known 1t If you had. In regard to Tim
ann the facts are these: Grayelin made a trade
it'll Hanlln to break him out OF jail. Hanlin in
rmpd ]. +. Bailey, the Superintendent OF ths State
rison, what Gravtlin wanted him to dc. Bailey
ruught iIanln to me and told me the story My
If and Bailey thought the chance a good one to
et at some OF the facts in tho murder case and re-
uested Ianlin to 20 on with the job SO far as pre-
,ntions and appearances to GrayelIn were concern
a LII hon co. IN Z