Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1890-02-21
THE NEWS IN BRIEF.
THE SAWTELLE MrRDER.
HHi-tsry Of ORe Of the Most Romarkn-
hIe arinnea Ever Gomnnimeh.

IHi-tsry Of One Of the Most Rcmarkn-
bic Grimes Ever Committed.
Few crimes have ever been committed in
New England which have attracted 30 gen
eral attention as the murder Of Hiram f.
Sawtele There have been murders where
the lives of more than one person were
taken and where the details we're perhaps
as fendish as in this case, but there was
never a more cold -blooded murder or one
more deliberately and maliciously arranged
and carried out.
To understand the case fully it is neces-
sary to 20 back to last December, when
Isaac B. Sawtelle was pardoued from the
Massachusetts state prison, where he had
been for l5years, serving a 30 years sentence
on three indictments for raping young girls
His pardon was procured by working the
pious dodge. as he claimed TO have expert
enced religion. Clergymen and sentimental
women worked in his behalf and succeeded
in arousng maudln sympathy All the
members of the governors council recon-
mended pardon and nothing was left for
the governor but to accede to what was
asked.
As soon as released Isaac went to live
in the family of his brother Hiram in Rox-
bury, Mass The latter kept fruit store
on Washington street. Boston, which, to-
gether with his residence had been owned
by their father and was now held in their
mothers name. The property said to be
valued at $50, 900, had been accumulated
through years of labor, and Hiram, who
was an honest and hard working man, had
done more than anybody else to secure it,
having been associated with his father be
fore carrying on the business alone. Isaac
succeeded in working upon the sympathies
of his mother, claiming that he had never
had fair chance in the world, and that
the possession of money was the stepping
stone by which he could regain his respecta-
bility. The mother transferred the proper
ty TO him, but Isaac put an injunction upon
it, so that he could not sell it. These
transactions had caused hard feeling be
tween the brothers, and it is belle that
in order to remove every obstacle from his
path and to give him possession of the prop
erty, Isaac plotted to remove his brother
and the latter's entire family, consisting of
his wife, daughter aged eight, a son aged
five and an infant Some time ago Isaac
asked Mrs. Sawteles permission to take
one of her children to Lowell. Being suspi-
cious of him, she refused
On Feb. | Isaac made arrangements to
take his mother to Lowell, and told Hiram's
wife that her husband had given him per
mission to take the little girl to Lowell, and
the mother finally allowed her to 20 with
him. When the father came home at
night he denied having given his consent
for her to go with her uncle. From Bos
ton Isaac took his mother and the little girl
to Lowell, staying until Monday, when they
went TO Rochester. n H. While at the
latter place the little girl claims that her
uncle attempted to poison her with medi
cine and little pills, but only with the effect
of making her sick. Then he telegraphed
to his brother Hiram in Boston that the lit
tie girl was sick with the grip, asking him
TO come Immediately This was Tuesday
evening, Feb 4. The next morning a sec
ond telegram came, to the mother, urging
her to come to Rochester the inference be
ing that if she had responded in person she
too would have been disposed of 1t was
finally settled that Hiram, the father,
hould go alone, and he left Boston Wednes
day at / p. NJ. From this moment his
movements became shrouded in mystery
and he was never again seen alive by his
| friends. The following day, Thursday,
| Feb. g. Isaac and his mother and the little
girl arrived home.
Isaac denied having seen Hiram at all
Mrs Sawtelle was suspicious of foul play
and accused Isaac of putting his brother
| out of the way, which he strenuously de
MED. Isaac remained in Boston until the
following Sunday, when he disappeared.
Hiram's absence was reported to the po-
lice on Saturday, and on Monday, Feb. 10,
! Special Officer Shields started for Roches-
| ter, while search was also begun in Boston.
! From investigations made by the police it
is learned that on Wednesday, Feb. ,,
Isaac Sawtelle hired team at a Rochester
| l.. / Il. l.. -
| Hiram without doubt with whom he
drove away. Within half an hour he re
turned alone with the team Later in the
afternoon, about ) o'clock, he purchased
hatchet, pick ak and spade at hardware
store, also canvas bag in which to carry
them. Then, again hiring the team, he
drove off in the direction taken in the
morning, not returning until at night.
To inquiries as to his purchase of a spade,
he replied that he intended to buy a farm
in the vicinity and wished TO test the soil.
1t seems that on his departure from Boston
the second time, Feb. o, Isaac went to
Rochester buying two tickets the next day
for Portland. At Portland he registered
at the Falmouth House as J Bridge, Dover
On Wednesday evening of last week the
clerk of the hotel recognized Bridge as
Sawtelle, from the picture in an evenin :
paper, and Thursday caused his arrest
Sawtelle admitted his identity and was
taken to Rochester Thursday night. He
refused to make any statement except to
say that Hiram was all right and would
turn up at the right time.
There were reasons for believing that
Hiram's body was hidden in the woods near
Rochester, and a systematic search for it
was begun Friday The body was finally
found buried in a shallow grave, pierced
with two bullets and with the head and
arms cut off. The chain of evidence was
made still stronger when the officers ex-
amined Isaac's clothing and found several
blood stains. He was arraigned at Roches-
ter Friday, pleaded not guilty, and was
committed to the Jail at Dover without bail.
There is little doubt that Hiram Sawtelle
met death in the woods and probably at the
hand of his brother Although there are
some circumstances to show that he had
accomplices the officers believe that he
committed the crime alone.
An important question in the case is
whether the murder took place in Maine OF
New Hampshire, as in the former state cap
ital punishment has been abolished.
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