Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1880-05-07
TIE WATERBNRr HORROR.
DETAILS OF THE SHOCKING MURDER OF THE IN
NoCENT AND UNoFFENp1NG LITTLE MEAKEl

The recent murder Of little Alice Meaker
in Duxbury, near Waterbury, was crime so
unparalleled in this section in its deliberate
and cold blooded malignity that we reproduce
entire the Montpelier Watchman's concise
and plainly-told story of the terrible affair:
The village of Waterbury and vicinity was
thrown into a state of intense excitement
Tuesday morning april 27) by the discovery
during the previous night of a most revolving
murder The circumstances, as nearly as we
are able to ascertain them, are as follows.
About mile and a half from Waterbury viii
lnge, in the town of Duxbury, on the main
road to Moretown, has lived for the past few
weeks family by the name of Meaker, con-
sisting of the father, H. @. Meaker and Wife
a son Almon, a daughter Nellie. and also a
half brother about ten years old, and q half
sister of Mr.. Meaker, the latter named Alice
a girl about twelve years of age, the victim
of the hellish malignity of Mrs Meaker and
her son Almon. Within the past year these
young children were sent by the town au-
thorites of Charlotte to live with their half
brother their father being dead, and their
mother, though living, unable to support
them. Mr.. Meaker was then living short
distance below the village of Waterbury, on
the DuXbury side, and many stories are told
by their former neighbors of the brutal treat
ment meted out to these young children by
their unnatural guardians, people living
across the river on the Waterbury side say
ing that they have heard their cries at that
distance A few weeks since the family
moved on to the farm owned by Joseph Som
ervile, situated as described above, where
the maltreatment of the children was OBJ
served by their new neighbors. Mr.. Somer-
willie on a visit to his farm the latter part of
last week noticed the absence of little Alice,
and, receiving eyasive answers. called the at
tcutou of the neighbors to the matter, among
whom were Jacob FoSs, town grand Juror,
and Eber Huntley, town clerk. In answer to
their inquiries on Saturday, Mrs. Mcaker said
the child had got up in the night and run
away to Canada. The fact that no effort was
made to find her, that Mrs. Meaker seemed
rather glad than otherwise to be rid Of the
child, and the further facts meantime devel.
oped that Almon Meaker had purchased a
quantity of strychnine of one of the drug
gists in Waterbury on Friday, and had hired
a livery team of H. G.. Bates on the evening
of that day, excited such strong suspicion
Of foul play that on Monday evening Mr.
Foss and Mr.. Huntley came over to Water
bury village and took counsel upon the mat
ter. Deputy Sheriff Atherton was called to
their assistance; who, ascertaining that AL
mon and his sister Nellie were then in one of
the stores of the village doing some trading,
interviewed Almon as to the disappearance of
the child and his use of the livery team Fri
day night On the former point he answered
eyasively but explained that he had used
the team to take cousin-a young lady who
lives in Barre-to Moscow. locality near
Stowe. that on returning he left the team
Mt the livery stable in Waterbury, and walked
over to Duxbury with his cousin, who had
taken the cars the next morning Saturday
after breakfast and returned home Mr.
Atherton Immediately drove in company with
+. f. Palmer, ESD, to Mr.. Meaker',, and in
teryiowed the father before the return Of the
son. The sons story was then shown to be
a sheer fabrication. Athcrton and Palmer
then withdrew to the house of Mr. Huntlev.
nearly opposite Makers, to awnit the return
of Almou. When confronted with the evil
dence of the untruthfulness of his story as to
the use of the team, he admitted that it was
false, but claimed that the child had been
taken to Richmond, some money given her,
and a ticket to Charlotte purchased for her.
A cross examination showed that this story,
too was Htterly false. Obtaining "A separate
interview with Mrs. Meaker, no satisfactory
information could be drawn from her, but as
she displayed great agitation aud exclaimed
that she could not tell what she knew. it was
evident that the fate of the child was no Sc.
cret to her. Under the pretense of an arrest
the son was induced to accompany Mr.. Ath- |
erton to Mr. Huntley's, where he was closely |
questioned. and at first with no better results |
than before. BY skillful use OF the suspi. !
cious circumstances already developed Mr.
Atherton, in private interview with Amon,
succeeded toward midnight in forcing from
him the following confession He purchased
the strychnine of w. +. Carpenter, under the !
rratang. IF wanting IL In Hill HAHN,
hired team at Bates livery stable, he drove |
with it to a point near his fathers house in !
Duxbury, where he took in his mother and |
the little girl. Returning through the village
of Waterbury, they proceeded down the rv-
err and when at the top of the hill this side |
of Mrs. Sylvester Henry's, mixed the strych-
nine with some swcetcned water in bottle.
and, pouring it into cup, administered it to
the child. Continuing down the river they |
threw away the cup and bottle at the bridge
across Waterbury river and turned into the |
road Leading up the valley of this river After
travelling about four miles in this direc- |
ton life was found to be extinct, but they
continued on till arriving at the road near
Little river meeting house when they |
drove in the direction of Stowe as far as the |
farm of Deacon John White There at a |
place about three rods from the road side, in
apt from which muck had been dug, and in |
Which the water was about two feet deep,
they cast the lifeless body of the girl, aud
covered it with boards and poles, which were |
strewed about.
The truth of this story Mr.. Atherton pro-
posed to verify at once, and, taking young
Meaker into his buggy, drove to the point in
dicated, about eight miles away. Arriving
there and removing the coverings in which
Meaker assisted. Mr.. Atherton explored the
pool with his hand and grasped the arm of
the murdered girl Raising her from the wa
ter, Meaker assisted to carry the corpse to
the roadside where the team had been left.
Ascertaining that the body could not be laid
out in the carriage, it was placed between the
riders upon the seat, aud Meaker's punish
ment on earth began by being compelled to
support in his arms the body of his victim
during the eight miles ride back to Duxbury,
where they arrived about two o'clock Tues |
day morning 1t was a CHASTITY nights work
for Sheriff Atherton, but he performed it |
with consummate nerve and adroitness.
States Attorney Plumley being i'll, w. P. Dill
ingham, ESD, appeared for the state. The
mother and son being duly arraigned before
Justice George II. Lease, E. f. Palmer, ESD,
appeared for their defense and, under their
attorneys instructions, pleaded not guilty.
Their formal examination was postponed to
the 10th of May in order to await a chemical
ANALYSIS of the stomach of the murdered
child pending which they We're confined in
Jail at Montpelier Tuesday night. An autop-
sy of the remains of the girl, made by Drs.
James, Fales Washburn and Kingsbury, dis
closed no evidence of personal violence of
any kind that could be assigned either as the
cause of her death or motive for commit
ting the murder. The story the contents of
the stomach will tell awaits the report of the
chemist. As to the personnel of the parties
under arrest charged with the commission
of this crime the son who is nineteen years
of age has borne good report among those
who knew him, and had been an occasional
attendant of the Congregational Sabbath
school at Waterbury. He appears to be a
person of sluggish intellect and dull percep-
lions and when asked why he committed