Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1880-11-24
The Meaker Murder.

The Meaker Murder.
A Dramatic Scene in Court-AImon Mealrer
Pleads Guilty-Important Testimony In he
half Of the Prosecution-A Sons Love for
His Mother.
The trial OF Emeline Lucy Meaker, for the
murder OF Alice Meaker, is now proceeding in the
county court. The history OF this terrible crime
was fully related In the columns Of this paper
soon after Its occurrence and need not be repeated
here, as II will be again developed-and more
fully than ever-by the testimony on the stand.
1t reached Its dramatic elimination on Monday
afternoon when the boy, Lewis Almon, pleaded
guilty to murder in the first degree, in order, II
possible, to save his beloved mother from the
galows Probably no such scene was ever wit
nessed'in court before. In the Greek legend,
when Alcestis was sick unto death, zeus an
nounced that death would be content with a vi
carious victim, and that the king might live II
any one would consent TO die in his place. Father
and mother, wife and children shrank from the
sacrifice, and Heracles, IA a last resort, had to
meet death at the entrance to the palace and
forced him by sheer strength to relinquish his
sway. Here this supplemented boy, without
sigh apparently, dooms himself to the most dis
graceful Of all deaths, in order that his mother
may have chance for life; and made his plea Of
guilty as calmly as ever Christian martyr went
10 the stake. His counsel, Mr.. L. f. Palmer and
Messrs. Heath & Carleton, say that this is no
sudden determination on the part OF the boy that
his mind has been made up for three months,
and that he Is actuated by simple spirit of de-
votion to his mother; that having been informed
that II he pleaded guilty his confessions could not
be used against his mother he at once resolved to
do so, " separate trials were not granted And his
action Of Monday afternoon was merely the out
come OF that conclusion deliberately called out,
with full knowledge that he was placing rope
around his own neck. His crime was one OF the
most a'-ocons and brutal ever known: his pioa 81
guilty IL heroic. Some idea ofA,he sacrifice the
boy is making may be formed from the fact that
II he had stood trial and been convicted still he
would not have been sentenced until after the SEES
sion OF the supreme court next August and then
he could not have been executed until January
1888, at the worst. Now he may be sentenced to
be hanged next month, II the court should see fit
though undoubtedly no such action will be taken
OPENING OF THE TRIAL.
The county court re-assembed at eleven clock
Monday morning, Judge Redfeld presiding, and
Assistant Judges Riford and Coburn sitting on
the bench with him The case OF the state u.s.
Lucy Emeine Meaker and Louis Almon Meaker
was at once called. Mr. l.. + Palmer and Messrs
Heath and Carleton appeared for the respond
ents, and Mr.. Frank Plumley and the Hon.
William 7. Dillingham; for the prosecution. The
accused were brought into court and were seated
In chairs inside the bar, back Of their counsel
Mrs Meeker is fatter and not so haggard as she
appeared at the time OF her arrest. She was
neatly dressed, wore gloves, and surveyed the
courtroom with interest. Almon wore new
suit, his hair was nicely brushed, and his comey
but weak face seemed pleased with the scene.
lie and his mother sat- just as they did during
the court OF inquiry at Waterbury, hand in hand,
and now and then she seemed to lean her head on
his shoulder for consolation, which he admins
tered in few whispered words. Mr.. Smile read
the indictment She is so deaf that she cannot
hear word unless shouted near her, and so was
unable to answer until she had read it. Both
then pleaded not guilty" in firm voices. Mr..
Palmer asked for separate trials, and made an
elaborate and learned argument in behalf of his
request. Mr.. Dillingham; replied and cited sew
eral analogous cases in which the court had
refused to 30 grant. The court took until after
noon to consider the matter. At the beginning
Of the afternoon session, Judge Redfeld an
nounced that he should require the respond
ents to be tried together, to which ruling their
counsel took exceptions The empaneling of jury
was then begun, and after two hours the follow
ing gentlemen were accepted and sworn in II. c.
Hayward Of Berlin, Henry l.. Kenyon OF North
field, Benjamin Wheeler OF Calais, Z. I. Burnap
of Cabot, A. II. Holt of Woodbury., Daniel Ho-
comb OF Marshfield, Charles Currer Of Barre
Josiah Holden of Waitsfeld Ira Stone OF Plain
field, +. II. Moore Of Warren, John Patterson OF
Fay.ton and Hiram Templeton Of East Mont
peier.
ALMoS PLEADS GUILTY.
The indictment having been read to the jury
and the respondents pleas stated by Mr.. Smile,
there was pause, and 1t was seen that Messrs.
Palmer and Heath were engaged in earnest con-
versation with the boy. In few moments they
asked permission to retire with him for consulta-
ton. 1t was granted They soon returned, and
Mr. Palmer said "Your Honors, the young man
wishes to withdraw his plea of not guilty and to
plead guilty" Judge Redfold: mir. Clerk, you
will call upon the respondent and ask him if he
wishes to retract his plea and replead." The
clerk Z" Louis Almon Meaker, stand up. To this
indictment, which was read to you this forenoon,
you pleaded not guilty, do you wish to retract
that plea, and plead guilty." The respondent
Yes" DO you wish to have the indictment
read over to you, or do you remember it?" The
| respondent: 81 remember 1t all" The clerk
"To this indictment do you now plead guilty, OF
not guty?" The respondent: Guilty, sir" Mr.
Palmer; "Ii the court has any doubt OF the mat
ter, we would like to have the court question
him. We have explained to him as clearly as
we could the nature OF the crime and the serious.
ness OF the penalty" Judge Redfeld said that
| before sentence they would fully consider the
| matter. That such an unprecedented step wa.
contemplated by Almon was known to very few
1t fell like thunder clap on both the bar and the
spectators. The boy himself seemed to be the
least concerned of all. His beardless face, which
hardly shows his nineteen years, exhibited littl,
| emotion while he stood up, and he pleaded
guilty" with as firm voice when he as
serted his innocence in the morning. Not till he
sat down and clasped the hand Of his mother did
he break down, and both chung to each other and
cried together for some time. Their affection l.
certainly marvellous. All the woman's heart
seems to be bestowed ON her boy, and he has re-
paid 1t by an act OF devotion rarely seen. Her
husband Horace, a deaf old man, bearing the
marks OF hard service in the army and hard work
on the farm sits beside her disconsolate but she
! hardly notices him. Her daughter, Nellie, a
pretty appearing girl, bowed down with grief, en-
deavors to console her, but she sits unresponsve
Her son seems to be all she cares for. and him
she allows TO be sacrificed for her own life Yes
terday he was not permitted to leave the JAIL and
her bitter sense of his absence was apparent to
all close observers
THE TESTIMONY.
The opening statement for the prosecution was
mony briefly, and sketehed the states case So
that the jury might see the bearing OF each piece
of evidence, as it was put in. Mr.. Heath fol-
lowed for the defence lie gave brief history OF
| the Meaker family and the reception into their
home OF little Alice and her brother; denied the
charges Of their cruel treatment which had been
made by Mr.. Plumley, and said that the girl had
simply been required like the rest OF the family,
To work hard. His most important statement was
that on the alleged night of the murder, Alice
went away with Almon ostensiby to go to Mos
COW TO a party; that next morning, Almon re-
turned without her and said that she had stopped
| at an acquaiutances; that Mrs Meaker did not
| leave her home that night, either with Alice and
Almon, or without them; that she knew nothing
| about the murder whatever, and was as innocent
| OF the crime as any one in the court room. The
testimony for the prosecution was then begun