Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1882-03-22

was no sleep for the eyes Of the terrified lad |
When the father awakened he wrapped the body |
Of his mother in quilt and compelled his son to
help him remove her to the cellar, where the wife |
was also thrown in her night Clothes her body
falling face downwards on the wet cellar bottom
and lying partially over the body Of the mother
A sheet was thrown over her, and thus they were
left With a mop the murderer removed the
pools Of blood on the bedroom floor, apparently
using ashes to scour out the stains where the
brains OF the old lady had been crushed into the
floor. Efforts were also made 10 clean the blood
despatched ceilings. Some pork and potatoes
were taken from the cellar and the cellar door
was nailed up. The little girls came down at
their fathers call in the morning and Mary child
shly inquired for her mother Annie besought
decent burial for her mother which the father
promised; and he enjoined strict secrecy on
pain OF death II they divulged what had been
done. McCaffrey asked the little girl to cook
something for breakfast, but she refused, saying:
{" won't cook for the man that has murdered
my mother" She could not eat She took some
tea, but Immediately threw it up. Her father cut
the pork with the same knife he had used on his
wife and mother.
PRISONERS
No one came near the house till late Sunday
afternoon when julius Griffin nineteen years old
son Of neighbor, was seen approaching. Before
he came up to the house, Mccartney called out,
"IIold on, there, and sent John ont to tell him,
when he came up on the piazza, that he could not
come in. The father told Griffin not to be Of
Tended, but to come again some other time and
see Johnny" McCaffrey was walking back and
forth in the room with a child in his arms. lie
bod cd OIL aru in hfa 10Th innau
30 the incident made no serious impression on the
young mans mind and he made no mention Of
1t to his parents. Monday John put the bride
on the horse and was going to Frank Ladds, a
neighbours, but his father ordered him into the
house and threatened to kill him II he tried again
to get away Asked II he was afraid of his father,
Afraid of him guess vast was the lads
emphatic reply. "Black Hawk" Hutchins called
on Monday asked where were the women folks"
aud was told they had gone up north visit.
llutchins asked how long they had been gone and
was answered, three or four days" When Hutch
ns reminded him that he had seen them there the
| Saturday before, he was turned off with an eva
sive answer "Black Hawk" then asked for
| some cider, giving knowing look to the children
and toward the cellar door. He was told he could
have no cider that day. but at some other time he
could have all he wanted. The discerning Black
Hawk" went home fully persuaded that some
thing was wrong at McCaffrey's," but made a
monopoly OF his suspicious. Sunday and Mon
| day the father promised the children that he
would take them away, but when the time came
| he put them off. He kept the butcher knife about
| his person and some of the time carried it in his
hand When the doors and windows ratified in
the wind he said there were witches and spirits
in the house. Every time the door shook he
sprung to his feet and drew his knife, II expect
ing some one. 1t is generally believed that dur
ing these two days McCaffrey was lying in wait
for Peter McCue to return to kill him. and that
he would have murdered him had he returned
and entered the house unsuspectingly. The
| chores at the barns regularly done, but the
| murderer kept his children under close surveil-
lance. McCaffrey afterwards told the officer that
he would have had sweet time getting into his
house, for he had an AK, gun, and carried the
butcher knife in his breast pocket" Tuesday
forenoon, having eaten up the cooked provisions
in the house, he fulfilled his promises to take his
children away from the home that had become
intolerably odious to them. John took the pole
from the traverse sled and attached shafts for a
single horse The motherly Annie busted herself
|
The father filled barrel with trumpery to take
along and, having locked or nailed up all the
inner and outer doors about the house, he placed
some loose boards upon the sled, and upon these
placed the barrel and bestowed himself and the
six children. John handling the reins the party
departed from locality which will forever have
bad eminence as the scene of most revolving
| murder.
| THE JOURNEY.
The first person the party met was James Foster,
| a mill-owDer, about mile and half from McCaf-
freys. With this man Mccartney had long held
a feud and they had not been on speaking terms.
McCaffrey accosted him. desired to be friendly
again, said he was going away for while, and
asked Foster to go up water the cattle and do the
chores. Lewis White met him in the road ac-
costed him, wondered at his appearance and asked
him II he was moving, to which McCaffrey an
swered, "Yes." Julius Griffin drove behind him
for while. To him Mccartney said he was going
| on a pleasure trip, promised to send him dis
patch when he arrived at his destination, and
asked Julius to write him, all in banterng way
lie seemed in an amiable mood and reached his
hand over and patted his child's head Passing
Ralph BARRIERS, he told him he was going to
move to the Center.
THE DISCLOSURE
About one o'clock he appeared at the house OF
Charles Hopkins, the former residence OF Daniel
Hopkins, at the Center, but drove along to the
next house, the latter gentleman's present abode.
Mr.. Hopkins has long been his friend and business
adviser Mr. Hopkins was away, and his wife
came to the door in answer to McCaffrey's rap.
He passed the baby which he held in his arms to
Mrs Hopkins and started to get the other. Mrs.
Hopkins was naturally astounded by this sudden
appartion and enquired of McCaffrey it, mean
ing "Why was he down there with all those chill
dren in such plight, without their mother?" lie
replied that there had been terrible accident up
at their house and he thought it good time to 60
away on visit. As soon as the children had
been transferred to the hospitable warmth OF
Mrs Hopkins kitchen, she seized an opportunity
to break away and seek an explanation Of John,
who was in the barn caring for the team. To her
he communicated the bare fact of the murder OF
his mother and grandmother by his father and
the concealment Of their bodies in the cellar. The
terror of his fathers threats sealed his lips
from further disclosure. Mr.. Hopkins was sum-
moned. The horrible news flew like wildfre,
Constable May and Justice Clark were called into
consultation, and Mr.. Charles Hopkins and Lem.
uel Lyon were dispatched to the McCaffrey house
to investigate and report. Meantime Mrs. Hop
kins had prepared the half-famished family a
generous meal, of which they all heartily partook.
Mccartney was perfectly docile, seemed little
Eighty, walked the room constantly, endeavorng
to soothe the cries of the young child he carried
in his arms. The children were thoroughly
chilled, but the first reports Of frozen limbs were,
happily, incorrect.
THE MURDERERs APPEARANCE.
Nodirect enquiries were addressed to Mccartney.
Mr.. Hopkins asked him about his business. Some
general conversation was had, in which McCaffrey
said he was going to break up, travel with a cir
Gus aud send his children to Burlington to the
convent. Thought he would have to start low
but hoped for promotion had he joined a circus
forty years ago he would have been a good per
former; wanted money to enable him to start
wished Mr.. Hopkins to take the farm, look after
things and use the money for the benefit OF the
children as far as it would 60; after coming back
from his journey he might want the farm back
again. To all this Mr.. Hopkins quietly assented
and ngeniously proposed TO take him and the chill
dren to the street" to start them for Burlington
lie asked Mr.. Hopkins II any one had been up 10
the house, 10 which an eyasive answer was given
At four O'Clock the messengers returned with full
confirmation of the boy story. After they began
10 get ready TO go TO the street." four miles dis