Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1882-03-15
Tragedy in Waterbury.

! frey, Waterbury farmer. killed his wifi
and mother aud rut their bodies in hi,
cellar, where they were found yesterday
afternoon.
McCaIrcy. WHO is a man about fottv
five years o: age, owns a farm ON Coltor
brook in the northwest part Of Waterbury
about nine miles ncrth OF Waterbury vii
iagc and three or four miles from Water.
bury Center. The farm next him in the
direction of the village, and owned BY c.
:. Clough, Esq, is unoecupied, as is thC
farm next him in the direction of the Dol
ton line, so that il is about mile from hi.
house TO that of the nearest heighbor.
His wife was Ann McCue, to whom he
was married in St. Augustine church in
this village. December 10. 1866. She lived
ftom the time she was quite small girl
in the family of Mr.. Delano of Hardwick
went from there into tho service of Mrs
Geo. Langdon here, and from Mrs. Lang
don's to Hon. John A. Pages, in whose
family she was working when the mar
riage took place. She was a bright, in
Gustrious and worthy woman.
There were seven children in the family,
the second of whom is with his mother.
folks in Greensboro at present. Mccartney.
mother. an old lady of 50 years, also lived
with him, and at the time of the TRACED J
there were at his place his wife. his
mother and six children. the Oldest boy
of fourteen and the youngest twin girls one
year old.
McCaffrey was thrifty farmer. his place
though rough. being productive and he
industrious. Two years ago he was In
sane and imagined his wife was some sort
of beast, and once drove her out of the
house. He had q gun at that time ant
there was fear that he would shoot her
When himself he was kind husband anG
son. and was with his wife and mother
regular and early in attendance on service
at their church in Waterbury. His insan.
| ity two years ago became so marked thai
he was taken TO the Brattleboro asylum.
After few months in the asylum he
was discharged and has since gene regu
larly about his business and until lately
gave no more signs Of mental alteration
Within few weeks some have thought
he seemed little unnatural again, but the
appearance was not so marked as to &C.
casion particular alarm.
Nothing was known Of the tragedy till
yesterday afternoon, when Mccartney
starting from home about noon, and taking
his six children, drove to the house Of
Daniel Hopkins near Waterbury Center
and gave his children into Mr.. Hopkins
charge. lie supposed Mr.. Hopkins to be
one of the selectmen, and told him he had
brought the children for safety, that there
had been an accident up at his house; and
he gave Mr.. Hopkins butcher knife, say.
ing that was all he had to defend himself
with. The boy, the oldest child, as soon
as he got chance said he thought hil
mother and grandmother had been killed
Saturday night. The father had taken care
of the children till Tuesday afternoon, as
stated, when he removed them, and in
driving to Mr.. Hopkins one of the twin
girls had foot badly frozen.
McCaTroy was put in charge of Consta.
bic Oscar May; while Charles Hopkins
and Samuel Lyon drove 10 Mccartney.
house to investigate. They found the
house nailed up and on breaking in they
found the bodies of tho wife and mother
in the cellar. Tue bodies wcro not moved
at tho time but Hopkins and Lyon roturn-
cd and McCai1rey was taken to Water
bury street where he was taken by Deputy
Sheriff Frank II. Anterior and brought on
Halls train to Montpelier where no was
put in Jail. He exhibits signs of derange
ment of mind but is not violent, and a
times talks with apparent clearness abou
certain matters, 1t was difficult to I'M
derstand from him what his own theory Of
the tragedy is, one of his statements look
ing as though he committed the deed will
the butcher knife and another as though
he choked the women to death.
1t is gathered from his story that ht
awoke about 2 o'clock Sunday morning
and that it appeared to him that an ami
NAL was trying to get the children. Thi
animal kept changing its appearance, a
one time seeming to be covered with ful
or hair and again this would change tc
smooth skin. This animal he fought will
and killed and then killed his mothe
(who was probably trying TO escape will
one of the little children) as he though
she was going to give up the children te
the rest of the animals. There is no doub
expressed by any one who has seen
McCaffrey as to his insanity. II his story
is true he undoubtedly killed his wifi
while thinking he was fighting the beas
that he imagined was after the children.
: States Attorney CHI. Pitkin has to-day
gone to Waterbury to make investigation
of the affair. Should the grand jury fai
to indict McCaffrey on the ground of in
sanity and SO certify he would if his insan
9 ity continues so as to make him dangerou
be sent by the court next fall to the Brat
tleboro asylum.
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Washington County Court.
The March Term OF Washin nton count