Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1880-04-28
Murder by Poison.

MurueT ny IOlSOn.
In Duxbury man named II. G. Meaker
lives on Joseph Somervile's farm about a
mile and a half from Waterbury. His
wife Emeline is about forty years of age,
her daughter Nellie about twenty and
their son Lewis Almon Meaker nineteen.
year or two ago the Meakers took a
half sister and brother of Mr.. Meaker tc
bring up, the town of Charlotte paying them
to support them till of age.
The girl Alice Meaker was eleven years
old and her brother couple of years
younger. Last Saturday neighbors noticed
that Alice was missing and on inquiry of
The family were told that she went Off in
the night time to 60 to her mothers in
Charlotte. But on Monday Jacob Foss
md Eber Huntley thought the matter
should be inquired into and went to
Deputy Sheriff Frank II. Atherton who
began investigating it. He found that
Almon on Friday hired livery team
of H. F. Bates in Waterbury; and going
10 the village found Almon and his sister,
Nellie, there. He took Almon to the
tfice of E. F. Palmer, Esq, and question
ed him.
Almon at first denied knowledge of the
girl whereabouts. He said he went to
Moscow with the livery team, stopping by
the way to take in his cousin who rode
hom, with him and staid over night and
took breakfast at his fathers. Mr.. Ather-
ton then saw Almon's father and found
that the story about the cousin was false
as the father said she did not stop there.
Atherton then saw Almon again who told
new story, saying that he and his mother
mother took the girl to Richmond station,
station, gave her 500 to go to Montreal
! with and left her with the station agent
He could not tell about the road to Rich
mond however.
Mr.. Alherlon finally went with Almon
and his mother, Mrs Emeline Mcaker, tc
Mr.. Meaker's where he questioned 1.-THE
two together and separately. Mrs. Meakel
who is quite deaf, was very reticent and he
could get no information from her. He
| then persuaded Almon to 60 to Mr.. Hunt
ley'S and took him into the kitchen ant
told him he thought he murdered the
girl. Almon denied anything of the kind
but after Il time said he did it. This con
leSsion ut Huntley's WAS made abont mid
night Monday.
Almon told Mr.. Anterior that Friday
he took the team from Waterbury, wen
up the hill in DuXbury where he met his
mother and the girl and took them into
the buggy. They then went down through
Waterbury village about a mile below the
village, near Mrs. Ilenry's, where he pu
some strychnine, which lie had bought at ;
drug store, into II bottle of swcetenec
water which he had and gave it to tn
girl who drank some of it.
They then drove on down the rive
road. When they were on the Walerbur,
River Road and had driven about fou
miles from where he gave Alice tn,
strychnine she died. They drove up Littl,
River lit was now evening" and he buried
Alice in II muck hole about five rods from
the road. Almon said the place was above
Deacon Whites and near the meetin,
house bridge in Waterbury on the Water
bury or " Little " River road, revcn mile
from Waterbury.
Atherton took Almon with him an
drove to the place. They reached it abou
, 2 o'clock Tuesday morning and Alberto
/ hitched the horse and Almon said this
| the place" Anterior made him lead tn
way; the ground was swampy and tn
water ankle deep. Almon went few rod
from the road, turned and said, 'there sh
S is" There was II pile of old fencing stu
: and stumps which Atherton threw bac
: and reaching in felt the body about foe
t under water. He told Almon to help hir
Q and they took the corpse to the road. whe
l finding his buggy too small to carry
, otherwise Mr.. Anterior had Almon get
and take the body, wrapped in the hors
blanket, in his arms. He then got in an
drove to Duxbury. Alice when foun
was fully dressed and cloak was wral
ped around her head.
Drs. James, Fales, Kingsbury an
Washburn made post nsortem examin;
ton yesterday and found all the organ
congested but none sufficiently so to alor
cause death. They removed the stomac
for chemical analysis The girl will /
> buried at Waterbury to-day.
There was Of course great excitement
, Waterbury over the atrocious taking c
of this orphan by those who should ha,
cared for her. Almon, who is dull feloy