Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1882-10-20
Ihe 9ree press.
ConfessiOn OF Louis AlmOn Meaker-
He, AT Last, duplicates sis Mother
"A short History of the Crime:

THE DUxBsRy MURDER.
conie,sion Of Louis Almon ,Isnksr.
He, at Lust, duplicates His Mother
"A Short History OF the Crime:
Louis Almon Meaker, the tool of his
iiendish old mother in the terrible Duxbury
murder has a, last confessed, and if he has
not told the whole truth, at least all that he
has told is probably truth. We give his en-
tire confession below: but, in order to fully
understand its full significance a short his
tory Of the crime is necessary.
The crime and the Trials.
In the Spring of 1878, the overscer
Of the poor of Charlotte, Joseph Bar
ton, found two paupcr children upon
the town. lie made contract with
an old man, named H. c. Meeker, Their
half brother, a resident of Dnxbury, in con-
sideration of a small payment of money, to
take them lnto his family and relieve the
town of their support The girl, Alice, the
victim Of the subsequent tragedy, was about
ten; her brother a little younger The
Meeker family consisted of ii. c.. his wife
being Emmelne Mecker, the murderess, her
son, Louis Almon, about nineteen years old,
the tool and accomplice, and her daughter
Nellie. The old woman soon took IA dislike
to little Alice, an understood and shrinking
child and abused her shamcfully. In the
spring Of 1880, they moved further
up the river in Duxbury, on TO the road
leading from Waterbury to Moretown,
into a house owned by Joseph Somcrville.
Here she continued her abuse of the child,
and on the night of Friday, the 23d of April,
1880, the child disappeared The neishbors,
becoming suspicious, applied 10 the officers
of the law, and on Monday, the 2Gth, Sheriff
Frank Anterior, of Duxbury, visited the
Mecker house After IA searching cross-ex-
animation, AmOn made partial confession,
and Anterior and he proceeding in team
at midnight TO secluded spot on Little
River, towards the Stowe line extracted the
body of little Alice from swamp; where, af.
Ter Mrs Mceker and Almon had poisoned her
with strychninc, they had buried her. AT the
ensuing Septcmt or term of the Washington
county court they were both indicted for the
murder. Soon after their arrest Almon, who
is not very strong minded, and was evidently
greatly under the influence of his mother,
rccanted his confession TO Mr.. Anterior Gin
which he had laid the crime to the instigation
Of his mother and alleged that he alone was
the guilty one that his mother knew moth
ing of the crime until after it was commit
ted. True to his remarkable devotion to
his mother, and, seemingly willing
to sacrifice his lite for her salvation,
when the trial began he pleaded
guilty BY doing this he prevented the gov
eminent from using his confession for unless
he was upon trial. it was inadmissihle as evil
dcncc. Mrs Mcakcr stood trial and was de-
Tended 10y able cjunScl-Mc;srs Heath and
Carleton of Montpelier, and Mr. f. +. Pal
mer Of Waterbury. The prosecution was
conducted by Mr. Frank Plumley Of North
att al
county, and by the Hon. William p. Dill
bingham of Waterbury. She was convicted
after n thorough trial and, having taken
the law questions in the case to the Supreme
Court, was, on the 10Th of November, 1881,
sentenced by Judge Royce to be hanged on
the last Friday of March, 1888.
In accordance with the statute, Il, the same
term when his mother was tried, the county
court, Judge RCdficld presiding, heard testi-
mony to determine the degree of murder
Of which he was guilty. Before the hearing
Almon was distinctly told that his efforts to
save his mother would he unavalipg, and
that IL true account of the crime might be
greatlyto her advantage. He still persisted
in declaring that his mother had nothing TO
do with the crime. The court had no alter
native, and therefore Judge Rcdfield SEN
fenced him TO he hanged on the second Fri.
day Of February, 1888. lie and his deaf
on Wolhcr VINO hiu displayed al most saw
age and rcvcngeful temper ever since her ar
resi-, having tried to set fire TO the
Jail among other things were taken
to the State Prison, where they have ever
since been confined. Almon became rei-
giously inclined soon after his arrival in the
prison and has been very well behaved indeed
all the time. Daytimes he has worked stead
lily IN the shoe-shop. He maintained a firm
spirit until about month ago. Then he
had conversation about the crime with
Superintendent Rice, at the close of which
he exclaimed, What shall do:" From
that time he evidently began to reflect upon
his situation, and, yesterday, be professcd a
Willingness to tell The truth and disclosed
everything, In the presence of the Hon. w.
ii. ii. Bingham, the chairman of the drec-
tors of the State Prison, and Mr. Wendell p.
Rice, the superintendent, he made the fol-
lowing confession.