Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1885-04-17
WAS IT SUICIDE?
Sudden Death of an Essex Lady Under
Mysterious Circumstances.

Mysterious Circumstances
The people of Essex Junction are deeply
agitated over the mysterious death of Miss
Cynthia Hapgood, aged II, which oc-
Cured Saturday morning On Wednes-
day last she started for Albany for the
purpose of accepting position rs copyist,
secured for her by lady friend. On
Thursday her brother--her parents both
being dead-received a telegram from her
at Rutland stating that she was sick and
asking if she should return home or com
plete her journey, to which an affirmative
answer was sent. Miss Hapgood came to
Burlington Thursday night and it is
stated that she stopped at the Van Ness
house over night though the register does
not show her name. The attendants,
however, say tnat young lady bearing
her description stayed there that night,
and that she was noticed to act
strangely At any rate Miss Hap
good reached Essex Junction Friday
noon and started to walk home, about two
miles distant. She was obliged to stop
at a house near by, however, and her
friends were sent for and she was taken
home. She complained of severe pains in
her stomach, but was unwilling that n
physician should be summoned. She
grew worse rapidly and u physician was
sent for but she died early Saturday
morning, u short time before he arrived.
A post norton examination disclosed
traces of poison, and it is probable that the
unfortunate young lady took the fatal
dose in fit of dependency, although
there are various rumors in regard to the
case. 1t is a peculiar coincidence that II
young lady named Gotta left Essex un-
known to her friends the same day, and
was traced by her brothers to Albany
where so far as heard from all trace of her
was lost.
Particulars of the Suicide of Cynthia Hap
good-A Kemorseful End.
From the numerous and conflicting ru-
mors regarding the circumstances attend
ing the death of Cynthia Hapgood the fol-
lowing details have been CLEANED: The I'M
fortunate young lady left the home of her
stepfather, VIM. Folsom about two miles
from Essex Junction, Wednesday after
noon for the ostensible purpose of going to
Albany to accept position as copyist, and
took the New York express that night, as
every evidence indicates, in the company
of commercial traveller at least they
were In company from this point to Yer
gennes, where they stopped over night.
The next day Miss HapgOod went to Rut-
land where she was met at the station by
Ella COttt, WHO, IL appears lelI leT HOlle
in Essex the previous day without the
knowledge of her parents, and went di
rect to Rutland in company with drum
mer
Shortly after arriving at Rutland Miss
HapgOod began to act strangely and in a
to telegraph to her mother stating
that there was a story that the
Gotta girl was running away in
her company, and asking what to do
Mrs. Folsom answered her message, tell
ing her to come home and Cynthia took
the train which arrives in this city at 7:30
When she reached Burlington she stopped
off and went to the Van Ness house
where she took supper, registering as f.
Smith of Orwell, Vt. In the evening she
went to one of the drug stores and asked
for two ounces of arsenic, stating that her
father wanted it to poison rats. She was
shown u package of "Rough on Rats
but said that would not do and the large
amount asked for disarming suspicion
she was allowed to have the amount OF
arsenic asked for. She then returned tt
the Van Ness house, retired, and nothing
further was heard from her until the neXI
morning at about 1870, when she rang
The bell boy who answered her summons
found that she could not unlock her door
He procured "a latch key and opened the
door for her. 1t was then noticed that she
was deathly pale, and she complained Of
fast and prepared to take the l1:l5 train
for Essex While waiting in tn,
reception room for the bus she was no
ticed to eat occasionally from some pack
age concealed in her hand. She took tn,
train, and reaching Essex, started to wall
to the residence of Mr.. Folsom, but wa
obliged to stop at a neighbours and sent
for her friends. Her subsequent move
ments and death were substantially ~
published yesterday, except that he
friends assert that she was not unwilling
to have Il physician summoned.
Upon the news of Miss Hapgood's deatl
the room occupied by her the night pre-
vious was examined and about an ounce o
arsenic was found in the stove A letter
was also found, which is in the hands o
the States attorney, and which shows con
clusively that the unfortunate girl expect
ed to breathe her last at the hotel. Tn
funeral service which was held at Jericho
yesterday was attended by large mum
Der of sympathizlng friends.
A telegram has been received by tn
father of Miss Gotta announcing her pres
ence at the home of her brother in Aye
Junction, Mass.
BURIED IN THE SNOW.