The Middlebury register and Addison County journal. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1883-1885, 1883-01-12

ence and labor. President Hamlin as
sisted the pastor in the funeral services,
and the attendance of friends and nesgh-
bors indicated affectionate memory Of
the departed and profound sympathy
for the afflicted family. Il
Norman w. Smith, former student
of Middlebury College and person well
known in this vicinity, committed suicide
at Atlanta, Ca, on Jan. 6, by shooting
himself through the heart with revolver.
For two hours before the suicidal act he
was quietly engaged in writing letters.
lie wrote one letter to his father, Warren
II. Smith of Rutland, VT, one to fell
low student in which he says, ''Why do
this act which shall take away my life |
cannot tell to any person. do it with
the full possession of my senses. and af-
ter careful meditation. Sufficient that |
do it, and go to meet Him who alone can
know all the reasons, and at whose bar
l must meet my final account" He then
gave minute directions as to how he
should be dressed and what kind of a
casket he should be buried in. lie then
made bequest of his personal clothing.
He left letter for the coroner. instruct
ing him how to dispose of his body, He
wrote to his landlady regretting the an
noyance his act would subject her to.
Smith after leaving here went to Williams
College but did not graduate. He after
wards attended the Burlington Medical
college and has been at Atlanta since last
October. The faculty and students were
greatly surprised and shocked at the act
which has cast gloom over the college.
Smith was born in 1859, was young
man of bright mind in many respects,
but he was always, while here, inclined
to act on the impulse of the moment,
and lacked ballast. His sudden death has
developed the fact that he was married
July 10. 1881 at Troy, n. Y. to Miss
Minnie b. Jacobs of Rochester, N. Y. who
is described by the Troy Times as ayoung
lady of evident refinement and beauty.
The pair were married in the presence of
two witnesses by the Rev. j. n. milford,
rector of Christ church, Troy, between
whom and Smith an intimate acquaint
ance had sprung up in 1880. In his hab-
its Smith was strictly temperate.
The chief sensation of the past week
has been the elopement from Rochester,
on the 4th inst, of John A. Edwards, a
mulatto of 30 years of age. and Katie
Evelina Marsh, a white girl. aged ID, the
daughter of respectable farmer Charles
NJ. Marsh. The facts in the case are as
follows: Edwards has resided in the
vicinity all his life with his mother.
white woman. This winter he has had
horsepower saving machine. In order
to run it he obtained two horses. One he
bought of Crosby Martin of Rochester,
who retained lien on the animal to secure
payment. The other belonged to Martin,
but had been hired by Edwards. Ed
wards owns the team with which the
Journey from Rochester was made. He
borrowed robes from +. ID. Emerson.
constable of Rochester, On the day of the
elopement Katie went to school in the
morning as usual. but at the noon
recess disappeared. 1t has since come
out that her flight with Edward was pre-
arranged and that on leaving the school
house she walked to a point near his
house, where he was waiting for her with
his team. They drove over the noun
tains to East Middlebury and thence to
Vergennes, where they staid at the
Friday the journey was continued
| to- Charlotte 1t being impossible to
cross the lake that day. they passed the
night at the hotel of Charles Mcneil, to
Charlotte ferry. On Saturday they reach
ed Essex. n. Y, opposite Charlotte. At
ter paying his hotel bill at McNeil's,
! Edwards funds were exhausted, and it
became necessary to pawn his watch to
pay ferrage. In conducting negotiations
he made the acquaintance of Mrs. David
Laramie of Willsbore, place four miles
from Essex. The runaways went to Lar
amies and were there found bv Emer-
son and Martin on Tuesday. At Lara
mics Edwards and the girl claimed to be
married. They came back to Middlebury
Tuesday night and went on to Rochester
Wednesday, Edwards was not put I'M
der arrest, but before leaving here gave
mortgage to Martin for all his property
to secure the latter from loss in connec-
ton with the affair. Katie is a slim. in
nocent-looking girl, who is evidently
infatuated with Edwards. Edwards and
Katie both say that she has been misused
at home, but the neighbors deny this. A
| false report reached here on the night of
the elopement that the clippers had been
seen in Leicester. Deputy Sheriff Rider
and Night Waterman Dickinson accord
ingly went to Tlconderog the next
morning for the purpose of intercepting
them. but of course withoutresults, as
they had gone north
EAST MIDDLEBURY.
The continuous sleighing is favorable
to business of all sorts.
On December 20 j. Judges class of
young singers gave chicken-pie supper
at the Good Templars hall, with view to
replenishing the teachers purse.
Christmas evening being the tenth an
niversary Of the marriage of j. Groves
and wife, their friends gave them a sur.
prise. There was large display of tin
ware, some house furniture was given
and purse was made up. The presenta-
ton was made in happy manner by Mr..
G.. c. Cady. The occasion was an enjoy
able one, and the guests left wishing Mr.
and Mrs. Groves many returns of the
day.