The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1892-04-08
ANOTHER MURDER.

line Another Murder in Bennington"
but we ale glad TO say that this time it
is in Glastonbury, that part of the town
near SALISBURY and South SALISBURY.
The particulars of the killing of John
Crowley by Henry Mcdowell in the
woods near North Glastonbury, Monday
night give the murder sensational
tinge. The two men had worked to-
gether on different jobs in the Greon
Mountain woods since last October.
Both were unmarried.
John Crowley was ten CT fifteen years
older than Mcdowell, who appeared to
be about 80. Yet a friendship amount
ing almost to an intimacy existed be-
first appearance in Glastonbury last
October.
He was dressed in the uniform of a
petty officer in the British navy at the
time, and gave it out that he, with four
others, had deserted their ship the sum-
mer before, after killing the mate. He
was we'll educated and refined 10 talk
and manner, but the people of the neigh
borhood thought it nothing strange
when he sought aud obtained work in
one of the camps for the meagre pay of
S. a month and board Shortly after his
arrival Mcdowell and Crowley met and
much of their work since then has been
done together. Crowley had been en-
ployed in the woods in that vicinity for
six or eight years, and was well known
to be an inoffensive character, drinking
only occasionally, and of saving dispo-
sition.
monday afternoon Crowley went to
South SALISBURY, returning at 9 o'clock
with jug of whiskey. He went i'm
mediately to his boarding place, farm
owned by German Harrington. About
o'clock Mcdowell came to Harrington's
and asked for Crowley. The latter went
to the door and Mcdowell asked him to
take a walk down the road. Crowley re-
fused, but Mcdowell urged, and after
some sharp talk between the two men
Crowley got his hat and started off with
Mcdowell. That was the last seen of
him alive.
Two hours later Mcdowell knocked at
Harrington's door and told the inmates
of the house that he had had some
trouble with Crowley and had ''done
him up" He suggested that they had
better look after Crowley. He then dis
appeared in the darkness. Mr.. Har-
at once started i'll the direction from
which Mcdowell had come, and about
two miles down the road stumbled upon
Crowley, his head lying half buried in
the soft earth, surrounded by a pool of
blood.
The man was breathing, but was I'M
conscious. There were no signs of a
struggle. The back of Crowley's head
was crushed in, as if by blow from a
heavy club, and several splinters were
found in his hair. The face was bruised
and bloody, as though it had been kick
ed by heavy boot, and across one cheek
and the side of the neck there was a
deep cash, made by sharp knife.
Crowley was picked up and carried to
Harrington's house, where he fingered
until o'clock Tuesday morning without
regaining consciousness. As soon as
Crowley was dead, Mr.. Harrington start
ed for Bennington to notify the authOri
ties.
Until he learned that Crowley was
dead Mcdowell took no pains to hide
himself.
Before leaving HarringtOn's house
Monday night he said he expected Crow
ley was dead. and asked Harrington if
he was an officer with authority to take
him in custody. Mcdowell knew that
Harrington was not, and doubtless asked
the question only as a bluff. After he
left Harrington's he stopped at a num-
Der of wood-choppers' houses and told
them the same story that he told the
Harringtons. At Cortland Elwells house
in East SALISBURY, three miles from the
scene of the murder, Mcdowell varied
his story somewhat. He told Elwell
that Crowley had attacked him with a
large stone, and that he had been oblig
ed to kill him in self-defense.
Mcdowell staid at Elwelrs Tuesday
morning, sleeping on lounge with his
clothes on. There was nothing unusual
in his appearance. The only weapon he
had was huge knife, such as is usually
carried by sailors. After getting his
breakfast at Elwell's Mcdowell left the
house and went to the home of wood
chopper named Adams half mile fur
ther down the town. He told Adams
about the trouble. Adams is employed
in the same lumber camp where Crowley
and Mcdowell worked and was just get
ting his team ready to go to the camp
when the murderer came. Mcdowell
asked him to find out how Crowley was.
Adams returned to the house about
noon. Mcdowell met him at the gate
with the question, "How's John?'
Dead" was Adams's reply.
I'm id sorry" was all that Nc
Dowell said. Without another word he
started for the Green MOuntainson a run,
and he has not beeu seen since.
| Such seems to be the terror Mcdowell
inspires in the people of the place it is
doubtful if he would be arrested by them
had he returned. In the locality near
the scene of the murder there are about
dozen houses, and it was not long
afterwards before officers were in pur-
suit. The town offers reward of $500,
accompanied by the following:
DEsCRIPTIoN-Light brown hair, sandy
beard and moustache, blue eyes, height
about feet s inches, weight about 165
pounds.
zone arm tattooed with figure of
mounted cannon and British flag, and
one arm with schooner. A star tattooed
on both wrists, both thumbs out of
shape, rs though some time strung up
by the thumbs. When last seen had on
grey round about frock, brown overhalls,
leather shoes, and cap. The Selectmen
of Glastonbury will pay reward of two
hundred dollars for the arrest and deliv-
cry of the said Henry Mcdowell, to the
officers of Bennington County. Address
all communications to Sheriff, or Chief
of Police, Bennington, Vt"
Traces have been found but nothing
has been known of McDOwelPs where
abOuts since he disappeared as aforesaid
in the fastness of the Green Mountains.