The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1889-09-11
NUMBER 81.
Murder at East Montpelier.


George Gould was shot and killed last
Thursday forenoon by j. Sherman Caswell
on the w. s. Cutler farm in East Mont
pelier. The murder was one of the most
cold-blooded and deliberate crimes ever
committed in the state and affords strik-
ing instance of the extent to which mans
reason can be dominated by the power of
jealous passion. The scene of the tragedy
was the farm Of the late Willard S. Cutler
on the road leading to Calais and just over
the line in East Montpelier. Caswell be-
gan to work for Cutler about twenty-five
years ago, and since that time has lived on
the farm. He aspired to the hand of his
employers daughter, Laura now about
thirty-eight years of age, but his suit was
unsuccessful. Cutler died about three
years ago and Caswell and the girl remained
on the farm. Last spring Mrs. Cutler died.
and about that time George Gould COM
menced to work on the farm. Gould ap-
pears to have succeeded in dstancing Cas-
well in the race for the hand of the buxom
Laura, and on the day preceding the mur-
der the couple came TO Montpelier and were
married by Rev. j. f. Wright. They spent
Wednesday night at Jack Blodgett's, in
Putnamsville, going home Thursday fore
noon. Caswell was upstairs when they
arrived and the only other occupants of the
house were two women. About eleven
O'Clock, half an hour after his arrival
Gould was going into the house with some
kindling-wood for his wife to build fire.
As he stepped upon the threshold Caswell
appeared at a window about ten feet over
Gould's head, and, thrusting out a shotgun,
fired down upon him. The charge of shot
struck Gould in the face, tearing off the left
side of his head, nose and jaw and passing
into his right breast Gould clasped both
hands over his face and ran across the road
against fence, falling about one hundred
fifty feet from the steps. He died in about
half an hour. No one saw Gould when the
shot was fired, but Miss Minnie Cutler saw
him running from the steps. He spoke
several times before expiring, but no one
knows Just what he said DR.. ID, G.. Kemp
was summoned and arrived fifteen inmates
after Gould died He directed the neigh
bors who had gathered to leave the body
where it was till the seectmen arrived, and
it was not moved till after two o'clock in the
afternoon when S. S. Towner was sum-
mOned to care for it. Immediately after
firing the fatal shot, Caswel went to the
house of a neighbor and asked him to take
him to Montpelier. He intended to give
himself up to Sheriff Dudley, but he was
absent and he surrendered to G. DEF Ban
croft, whom he met on Main street. Caswell
talked quite freely about the details of the
crime and made no objection to being taken
to Jail Caswell is forty-siX years old and was
born at Worcester. He was member of
Company G, Fourteenth Vermont Volun-
teers and government pensioner. 1t was
>.
then commit suicide, but after making away
with Gould his courage failed him To
friend who visited him at the Jail he said he
had no regrets for what he had done and
that the only thing he was sorry for was
that he did not kill the woman too On Fri
day morning Drs. Kemp, Chandler and
Bsbee held formal autopsy and decided
that the victim met his death from hem
orrhage induced by receiving a charge of
shot from gun in the lower jaw, some of
the shot lodging in the breast. The de-
ceased was thirty-seven years of age. Fun
eral services were held at the house Satur-
day afternoon and the remains were in
tered in the Cutler burying-ground. The
murder was evidently premeditated and de-
liberately planned. Caswel was drink
ing, man and it was reported that he was
under the influence of liquor when the deed
was committed. This report is denied in
other quarters, and it is stated that the muir
derer had been drinking no more than usual
on the day of the crime. Caswell was evil
IDENTIFY determined to obtain the hand of
Laura Cutler in marriage, and his rage at
seeing her the wife of his hated rival drove
him TO commit the terrible crime. He had
often threatened to make trouble for Miss
Cutler in case she married another man.
and the sad tragedy upon the very day after
her marriage proves that he was making no
idle threats. He seemed remarkably cool
and unconcerned after giving himself up,
and at first showed little signs of repent
ance. Later, however, when he began to
realize the inevitable consequences of his
act, he broke down, and for several days
refused to take any food No interview
could be obtained with the prisoner as his
counsel at once instructed him to do no talk
ing j. G, Wing will defend Caswell and
S. 9. Shurtleif is working up the case
against him. The charge against him is
murder in the first degree. Mr. Wing re-
fused to make any statement about the
defense STATING that
nothing to say at present, but that at the
proper time the prisoner would tell his story.
He finally decided to waive the preliminary
examination, and on Monday Caswell was
bound over to await the action of the grand
jury, which convened yesterday.