Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1889-11-29


At she breakfast table the nert morning
71Sng= news awaited him. Goodwood street,
froin and to end, was in n state Of tho great
eSt eSoitement. Two constables standing at
Shn gate OF No. B denied access TO all corners
except to tie properly constituted authori-
tins while the roadway before the house was
filed with an eager, noisy crowd; for John
Davis had been found at the steps of his TO
s,deuce still and cold, with the snow about
aim dyed crimson with his blood.
There was an inquest after tho funeral, at
which all the Inhabitants of the village who
we're able 10 gain access to the building in
which it was held attended Members of the
Nress from the city wore thore. and an artist
from an illustrated paper, who sketchei Tie
house, 40. Good SUCd street, and drew an
Imaginary portrait OF the murdered man,
whom he had never seen. The witnesses ex-
anliuod were four. The first was a village
physician, who hnd examined the body after
its discovery. lie testified that death had
been caused by blow upon the head with
blunt possibly a hammer. The
skull was beaten il, and death must nave been
Instantaneous. Did not sec the instrument
with which the blow was inflicted From
TIE position and nature of the fracture
should say that il was impossible for it to
have beru caused by au accident Deceased
might have be,n ahio to utter a cry at the
moreut OF being struck bat should thnl; it
hardly probable. Witness described he
wound in detail i'll medical language, &nd
NnS permitted 10 stand aside.
Inc second witness was Eliza Fleming, tls
servant of the Davis family. 1t wa. She who
first disto> t'ei the body, about daylight on
tine morning Of the 18th of December. Size
had upcucd the front door, with the iutep.
ton Of sw,eHins tie snow from the piazza
and front stops, and had fo'.ud the murdered
man ivinE face upward at the foot Of the lat
~. Wssat first 700 frightened to do any
:niuG bUt scream, but att"rwarl thought her
iulster might uot he dead, and 50 went 10
LIN, but found the body quite cold.
TIE rest Of the testimony of this witness
excited great interest
W hen she opened the door 10 sweep the
Wa21a there were no footprints in the SHOW
around the door This fact she remembered
distinctly, as she eisuce, along the length Of
the piazza before seeing the body. There
was no disturbance of the Snow ut The foot of
tie steps, except such as was evidently caused
by her masters fail. Witness was first 20 20
out to the street and give the alarm In doing
80 She was compelled to step in the footprints
made bv her master. rs the snow was quite
deep She was positive that there were no
footprints in the front ward except those
made by Mr.. Davis. There was no Place
around the front door where person would
he concealed from the view Of any one COM
ing up the gravel walk.
The next witness was Mrs Amelia Davis,
widow of the deceased. Mr.. Davis was teller
N a bank which she named, in the city.
When his body was found his gold watch. his
pocketbook, gold pencil and seal ring were
found in their proper places. Witness
knew of no enemy of her husband. He WAS
an inotlensvc good man. Eliza Fleming
slept i'll Il back room adjoining the one Occu-
pied by witness. and could only leave it by
passing through her mistress chamber. All
the family retired at 10 o'clock on the even
ing of the 14th Of December. and Eliza Elem
ing did not rise until half past OF next
morning. The personal property found on
the body of the deceased was in the posses
sion of the coroner.
AT this point a man with a sandy beard
who occupied u seat near the coroner
among the audience. arose and requested
permission to ask a question OF the witness.
Permission being granted the man with the
sandy beard wanted to know what the name
Marie" meant. on the inside of the seal ring
belonging to Gscea sel In reply, witness
said She did not know Sine had never seen
the ing except upon her husband finger,
when the name of Cuurs, was concealed. She
knew %: no person named Marie" ra fur
Their questions hy Tho coroner, she said She
huc" Iltlcol her husband autecc,ients prior
to her marriage. 1t was "A love match, en-
tered into against the wishes of her parents.
Witness being then evidently in great mental
distress was permitted to stand aside, and
tie man with the sandy beard sat down, APP
parently satisfied.
The fourth and last witness was Henry
Austin He briefly described his meeting
with John Davis ON the night of Dec. II,
their walk home together, and parting at his
own gate. He afterward saw from his win
dow John Davis endeavorng to open his
front gate by pushing away the snow which
had accumulated against it. There was a
deep drift of snow the sidewalk on the
west side of the street Witness and de-
ceased were the first persons to pass through
Goodwood street after the storm ceased.
Was sure of that because he remarked it TO
Mr. Davis. He had never known Mr.. Davis
prior to meeting him on the train that even
ing.
This closed the testimony, and the jury
after short consultation delivered "A YER
dict that John Davis csule to his death by a
blow from blunt instrument at the hands
of some person to the jury unknown. The
crowd dispersed, each Individual with his
own theory to the tragedy, and Austin
walked thoughtfully towards his home. Be
fore he reached the Street corner, he felt
hand upon his shoulder, and turning found
himself face to face with tho man with the
sandy beard.
II beg your pardon" said the individual.
''1dy name is Mixer. have just como from
that remarkable inquest, and the coroner is a
fool"
Austin looked at him inquiringly.
Il am city detective" continued Mr..
Mixer. Il read Of this case In the papers,
and came down here merely out Of profess
sonal curiosity. want TO make some in
quiries. You are the last man, with one ex-
ception, who saw Davis alive, and you look
reasonably intelligent
Austin bowed and thanked him for the
compliment.
''In the first place, said Mr.. Mixer, where
is No. 8 Goodwood street,
81 am going hone," said Austin, "and viii
show you"
They proceeded down the street sios ny
side Austin Qlancinp ut his Communion half