Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1882-02-09
A SICKENING STORY
Terrible Recital Of a Massachusetts,
Murder-The Body OF Man
Found in a
Hermit's Shanty-Jhe Remains Pre-.
pared for Salting-The Slayer
Cannibal.
Great Darlington Cdass.) Dispatch TO the Globe


! Great Darlington CNass.) Dispatch TO the Globe
| Democrat
! Some five weeks ago the telegraph an
nounced briefly the finding of the remains of
| an old man named Nandercook. near the
| town of Afford, in Berkshire county, under
| such circumstances az to arouse suspicion
that the mountaineer had met his death by
violence. On account of the isolation of the
region from any populous locality, some of
the later particulars and theories of what
turns out TO have been one of the most
revolving tragedies in the history OF civiliza-
ton have Just come to light. Incidents asso-
ciated with the revelations which have fol-
lowed an investigation seem TO be almost too
sayagely brutal TO be credited. On lonely
country road but little Travelled, Just across
the Massachusetts line and in a New York
town, known as Austerlitz, stands the home
OF Harrison 5. Calkins. The whole locality
is strangely wild and desolate. The only
other evidences OF living humanity are those
afforded by rude shanties occupied by few
wood-cutters. One of these had been occu-
pied some time by an old man named Ozear
+. Beckwith. 1t was
SMALL, ROUGH AFFAIR,
with door so low that men of ordinary
night mad TO stoop on entering, and there
were but two cramped-up rooms. Here old
man Beckwith lived alone. Near the place
is reported gold mine, the discovery OF
which, some years ago, caused considerable
excitement. a company was formed to work
this mine, and some valuable ore has been
taken ont, but as usual in Berkshire county
mines the quantity was just sufficient to pay
Tor not working, and of late years little or
nothing has been done with it. Beckwith, in
consideration of his ownership of the prop
erty, was allowed certain share of the pro-
r. Tt fhn ,y,l IL.
vicinity was partly at least to look after his
rights. At the house of Mr. Calkins had
boarded for several years Simeon A. Wander
dercook, powerfully built man, of fine per-
sonal appearance, between fifty-fve ana
sixty years of age, and weighing something
over two hundred pounds. One evening
Nandercook did not come home usual,
and Calkins felt so uneasy that he went up
to Beckwith't shanty to inquire for him.
Beckwith said that stranger from
Chatham, New York, had called there that
day, and that Vandercook had gone off with
him. He further said that Vandercook
WOULD NOT RETURN
before March. Calkins noticed that the stove
in the shanty was red hot and he also de-
tected the smell of burning meat. Upon in
quiring the cause of this smell Beckwith told
him that he had just been burning some ham
rinds. Calkins then returned home, but after
thinking the matter over he with others, re-
turned to the place. This time he found the
building fastened, and supposing that Beck
with had gone 10 sleep, made no effort to en-
ter. Next morning party of men, headed
by constable, broke into the house, and
upon proceeding1o make an investigation of
the premises their attention was directed to
the stove, one OF the ordinary box pattern
On opening this was revealed the head, feet
and one hand of the human body, charred
and blackPnPI nv fire SiCkpue1 nv he Siobf
but resolutely bent on probing the matter to
tue bottom, the party pursued its investisa-
tions. In an adjoining room lying alongside
a miserable cot they found the rest Of hui
man body. The trunk was split through the
backbone, with several ribs split of and the
entrails taken out and lying in basket near
by. The naked body, weltering in pool of
lockers on shrank back appalled,. Great
slices of flesh had been cut from the arms
and legs, and evidence of
CHASTITY AND FIENDIsH PURPOSE
was complete. The clothing of the dead
man lay beside him, and thus the body was
fully identified as that OF Vandercook. The
head, right arm, left hand and both feet were
severed from the body. The chest was cut
midway through the sternum, while the en-
tire backbone had been taken out and burned,
together with the liver left hand and both feet.
The left nip was missing, and the rest of the
body cut into lengths of about one foot
The bowels aud entrails had been taken out
and placed in hslf-bushel basket. The skull
was so burned that it crumbled 20 pieces at
the touch. wound from some sharp in
strument was found on the body near the
shoulder. The remains were deposited at
Green river in hog pen, and all who wished
were apparently at liberty to paw over the
mutilated fragments to their hearts content |
The LAT est a Ion in tha
horrible OF all. The theory is-and it is
said to be well-fouuded one-that Beck
with is a cannibal. 1t is thought that he |
intended TO eat portions of Nandercook's |
body it being rumored that the liver of the |
victim was found in
BEcKwITH's FRYING-PAN,
cooked and portion of it gone. 1t is also |
claimed that the murderer had washed his /
victims remains and otherwise prepared |
them for sailing down in barrel to serve
as a supply of food during the winter. That
Beckwith's stomach was not too fastidious
for this sort OF diet would seem to be i'm
piled by remark of the stage-driver, "that
Beckwith ate one OF his own horses that died
from disease early this winter" 1t is called
TO mind thai an old lady named Mrs. Wells
ley Peck went ont berrying on the mountain
in the vicinity OF Beckwith's cabin several
years ago and has never since been seen.
Now Beckwlth's recent crime gives color to
a suspicion that he also murdered this wo-
man and perhaps ate portions OF her flesh.
When Beckwith was last seen in the village
Of Great Darlington few weeks ago, he in
CURED of one of the butchers whether he
wished to purchase some pork. When his
cabin was searched soon after the murder
40 pork or other provisions of any account
could be found, and the startling query is
now raised among those possessed of vivid
maginations whether he intended to sell hui
nan flesh as pork. There is evidence that
Beckwith tried TO conceal
TRACES OF HIS CRIME
n a cool and calculating manner. One of
Vandercook's feet, which was considerably
was cut off and burned, and the
lesh about Z bullet wound in one of his hips
vas also cut out and destroyed. Beckwith's
;abin has been burned, and it is reported
hat there has been found beneath the
ubbish a subterranean passage in which
{ is thought that the remains of some
# his victims have been burned. The
authorities were SO tardy in stirring in the
natter after the terrible crime had been dis
overed, that the murderer managed to get
way. 1t is said Beckwith was once coun-
erfeiter. He is thought to be native of
Afford, is some seventy-two years of age, and
0 far as can be learned, widower Some
ears ago he went to California overland.
nd stayed there some time Beckwith was
gold hunter in California and is familiar
nth the mining business. Though an old
lan, he was quite strong and fitted to stand
ardships. 1t is not believed he will ever
e arrested.
ALABAMA ATOMS.