News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1882-10-19
The Cuxhufy M,Irdsp
CONFESSION OF Louis ALMoN NEARER

NoNFESSloN OF LOUIS ALAION NEARER
Louis Almon Meaker, the tool of
his fiendish old mother in the terrible
DuXbury murder has at last confessed
and, If he has not told the whole truth
at least all that he has told is proSa-
bly, truth. We give his entire confess
sion below:
L, Almon L. Meaker of Waterbury
VT, now confined in states prison
under sentence of death, knowing that
the time of my execution draws near.
desire to leave to the public a state
ment of all the facts relating TO the
crime for which was convicted. AL
ice, the murdered child, came to live
with my father in May, 1879, and Was
murdered in April, 1880. She was
ten years old. She came to live with
father by a contract with the. overseer
of Charlotte. She was not at all times
kind in the family. My mother was
not satisfied with having the girl live
at our house, and complained to father
about it and wanted him to get another
place for her. Mother often punished
her severely. Twice she stripped her
from clothing, and whipped her bare
body and drew blood. About two
weeks before the murder my mother
told me if father did not get another
place for her, she should dispose of her
another way. During that week, one
day, was in the house and father
was in the field, my mother came into
the pantry where | was getting
lunch, and asked me if | would help
her take Alice to the mountain and
leave her there to starve. | told her
no, / would not. 1t run along few
days, and she urged me to help her
get rid of her. She persisted in taking
her off and leaving her where no one
would find her and let her starve. /
proposed to take her back to Charlotte
and have them take her back. Ny
mother would not consent to this. My
mother said if l did not consent to the
course she wanted to take, she propos-
ed to kill her outright. She urged me
to help her do it; and did not con-
sent until the Tuesday before. She
continually urged me, and said it
could be done by poison and would be
an easy death. l will say here that
If l had thought her death would have
been so terrible, | never could have
consented to aid her. She made the
plan to secure strychnine, and / pro-
cured it Of Druggist Carpenter of
Waterbury village, and paid ten cents
for it. This was Friday night, the
night of the murder. / went imme-
diately TO Mr.. Bates, livery keeper,
and got team, and went over home
and put the team back of the barn.
Mother had put Alice to bed with her
clothes on; and mother took her out
of the window, telling her we were
going to ride. My father was in led.
Mother and Alice walked short way
up the hill through the field, and came
to the road where | had the team.
They got in and | drove through the
street, and gave the poison on the
Henry hill'' below the street, when
we put it in some sweetened water
and gave it to her. We drove on,
and in about twenty minutes the poi
son took effect and she went into con-
WILSON'S. My mother held her hand
over her mouth to prevent her max
ing a noise. We started for sand
bank toward Stowe, and took a shawl
TO bury her with. But she died so
soon we stopped at a swamp, where
the body was shown Mr.. Anterior. |
agreed with my mother after we were
arrested (Which she urged me to dol
to take all the blame ON myself and
clear her, which | have done, until |
feel it duty to tell the facts as above
stated. No other person or persons
had knowledge of the affair but nv
mother and myself. l had no motive
i'll committing the act, and only did it
what / did do-at the request and
advice of my mother. l did not real
lZe what L was doing, nor consider its
ALMoN L. MEAKER.
Witness, WENDELL p. RICE.
Mrs. Meaker is most repulsive
looking woman. She is very deaf and
has for years sustained a reputation
as virago. Almon is a weak and
lnoffensive looking youth, and I'M
committed the crime, as he
says, under his mothers influence.
When he spoke of little Alice's con-
vulsions he sobbed bitterly; but he
seemed greatly relieved after his tale
was over. An effort will be made to
have his sentence committed to i'm
for life. His confession
will help him very much toward that
result. Some of the Duxbury neigh
bors think that the murder was COM
miLted to conceal another awful crime |
but there is no proof of that.