Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1883-09-28
THE CAsTLETON MURDER.
Tho story Told by the Mother.

| Mrs. Goodwin, accused OF the murder OF
her own child, tells the following story
Friday night her husband, accompanied
by another person went to the lake to fish, as
usual leaving Mrs Goodwin and little Clara
alone. Abou. two O'Clock Mrs. Goodwin
was awakened by some noise outside the
house, got up and procured Il light, and went
to the window in her bedroom to look out,
when shot was fired from without, the
bullet crashing through the window near her.
immediately after the shot was fired she ran
| TO the door and called for help from her father
in-law's house, whichlwas situated aboutS or
| ten rods east of the house in which she lived
and on the same side of the road. Alter
making two or three outcries, her father-in-
law, accompanied by his wife, youngest son,
some dozen years old, and a man by the
name OF Lake, came to the house. Wine
she was parrating the incidents Of the firing,
a noise outside the house attracted their at
tenton and the men folks went out, when
they discovered that it was caused by some
cows having got into a field OF corn standing
near the house. After quieting the young
Mrs. Goodwin, the elder lady went to assist
her husband in getting the cattle from the
com. During this time young Mrs. Good.
win had laid down again with her babc VINO
was awake. Here she was asked why she
did not take her babe and go to the house OF
her mother-n-law to spend the re-
mainder of the night If she was as
frightened as she pretended she was.
She said her baby had hard cold
and she and her mother-ln-law who had talk
ed the matter over, had decided it would not
be safe 10 take the child out into the night
air; and her mother-inlaw had promised to
come back and stay with her after getting the
cows out of the corn but that while doing
so got her feet wet and had gone to her own
house to change her stockings when the sec
ond shot was fired which occurred about hall
an hour after the first one was fired. just
Immediately before the second shot was
fired, Mrs Goodwin, who had not gone
to sleep, heard a noise which sounded
as though some one had fallen up against
the house. Upon hearing which she started
to get up and had assumed sitting posture
when the shot was fired. There was no
light in the house at the time. When she
LAID her he down on the bed and drew her
hand from under its head she felt the warm
blood on her hand and puttlng it to her
mouth tasted 1t. She then Immediately ran
to the door again and cried my baby Is
shot, my baby is shot
In reply to the question as to whom she
suspected of the crime Mrs. Goodwin said
she hardly knew what to say, but later on
she said she thought it was her husbands
Oldest brother Frank who had committed it
She said he had been opposed TO their com
ing there to live. And since they had
moved there her father-in-law had told
her ''she must look out for fire, as she did
not understand the disposition of the Good
win family as well as he did,"
Mrs. Goodwin is OF the opinion that the
shot was fired by some one inside the house,
and that entrance was gained by crawling
under the house, there being no under
pinning or cellar, to the woodshed or
The cellar door, the latter of which could
not be fastened, and which led from the
kitchen into the space between the floor and
the ground.
When questioned about the revolver bcin
found in the house with number of empty
chambers, Mrs. Goodwin said she could not
tell how many chambers were empty; it was
one her husband had left with her few
weeks ago, with instructions to use it if any
one went TO harm her and while nothing
was said about any trouble that might arise
from his own family, 1t was understood that
such thing might occur. She had always
been afraid to have the pistol in the house
for fear she might accidentally discharge it
and shoot herself.