Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1886-06-11


THE DoDT OF THE DEAD prpptpp ror,,n d, ,sr
WEEK BY FISHERMEN on THE prrRr1rtn
WEST BRANoH
The following despatch was sent from
Bennington to the daily papers last Saturday /.
Judge sbley and Il. b. Griswold of this VILLAGE
VIII nshlhg TINS week in Somerset came upou The
brSS W u man much decomposed one leg had been
meek and body was leather strap like that used by
psoh Pe1ulere but there are traces Of goods The
aV0 ls Tar from Inhabitants In the widest place in
sue Green Mountains, and the body was left where
ioand. From Information gained since their return
supposed TO be the body Of j. H. Willis of Bridge
water whose pack Allied with Yankee notions was re-
csnty found by Dover fishermen near the headwaters
I h t1e Deerheld river aud which pack Identified
~ nls son and brother-in-law, who have lately been
tearchng Tor the missing man. On one occasion since
Mlihss deappearance, Postmaster Bond Of searsburg
h hnu auolner resident were engaged iu running a
boundary line between Somerset and strattop. and
out OF the woods they frequently heard indis.
unct cries long way on like those of a human be.
ing, but which they finally concluded came from sonc
MO animal. The Bennington think willis set
persisted because Of that accident HIS body wns moi
mutihied, and lay in natural position of sleep"
Asa Burnap Of Somerset stated to fisher
men who were at his place last week that the
old peddler came up the road to his house one
afternoon early in November last, and asked
for water, which was given him. lie then
started on, and got over the fence or wall aud
followed it along some distance but soon got
time aud asked for drink of water He then
started oil, leaving the road, and struck into
the woods This was the last seen OF him.
Mr. Buruap was away at the time, and Mrs
Burnap felt somewhat afraid of the old man
because of his peculiar actions, his appear
ance being that of a man tout Of his head. a"
IL was noted at the time as strange thing
that he should leave the road and plunge into
the wilderness The second day after this
W If ha
last winter and IL was towards night that
Clark Harris and Mr.. Bond were on their way
home from running the lines OF some wood
lots when they heard the sounds now suppoa-
ed to have been the old mans cries. Wnen
first heard one of the men said they sounded
like those of human being and shouted in
answer. Other cries came, but 1t seemed i'm
possible that any person should be in that
great wilderness, and both men concluded it
must be the cry of a bear which is no un-
common sound there, and they went on home
The spot where the body was found is on
the Deerheld west branch, about mile from
where the valise was found and some six OF
eight miles from where the old man entered
the woods 1t is probable that he either at.
tempted to follow the brook up, or, getting
hurt aud exhausted, dragged himself near the
brook, knowing this to be the only chance
that his body would ever be found The
tract of wild timbered country is so immense
that it is hardly one chance in a hundred that
any spot off the streams would be visited in
years
Another and Later Account.
Our Somerset correspondent gives an &C
count of the finding Of the body which differs
FROM that in the Bennington despatch.
"On Friday last a @. N. Hbbard of this town, with
! Ballard Howard Of Dover and Stlman Crowningshield
OF Hnsdale, n. H., were fishing near the headwaters
rfy
! OF man lying near the stream. At night they re-
ported what they had found, and the next day the
town authorities, together with several other persons
| repaired to the place where the body found
which, as was expected proved to be that of l.. s.
Z. Willis Of Bridgewater, the peddler whose yalise
was found few weeks ago about ~ miles below
! where the body found He lay on his right side
with his legs crossed and his head resting on sma
log. His left arm lay across forward near his head
his hand holding to a small dry limb Of tree that lay
on the ground. There was ring on his little finger.
To all appearance he died without struggle, and the
unanimous opinion was that he came to his death by
starvation aud exposure The strap he carried bis
yalise with lay by bis side. His hat was found two
three rods away, but may have been taken there by
some small animal as tue rim had been partially eaten
of. His arm was out Of his coat, which was butoued
around his neck aud lay under bis head aud shout
! ders. The body was 50 badly deCOmposCd that Il
could not be removed aud 1t was buried near wncre
| it was found The dead mans friends have been no.
| tilted that his body has been found"
In addition to the above our correspondent
writes on Wednesday
"Since yesterday have learned that Judge sb'ey
| aud another gentleman from Bennington found Mr..
Williss body last Thursday, the day before Mr.. Hib-
bard found it, and Saturday they telegraphed to youu
Willis who with his employer came to Somerset Mon
day night, aud Tuesday took the body out OF the
woods far VIM. G. Baileys where they buried It,
winter. The story that his leg broken, pub
| lshed IN the daily papers, was mistake