The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1893-02-10
THE GLAsTENBUR MURDER.
ooNRoY. ALIAS MCDOWELL.


Sheriff Wilson procured requisitiOn pa
pers and he and Deputy Godfrey with
Nash identified the man, who was
brought TO Benning on, arriving We'd
nesday morning and is now Jail awaiting
trial. He has already been indicted by
the Grand jury. The dispatches from
South Norwalk, Conn, say, under date
Of the Sd: Last night a poorly-dresscd
man stepped up to the Chief of Police
and asked to be arrested, saying that he
had killed man on April End lastin elias
tenbuTy, vt. The Chief, thinking there
might be some truth in the mans story,
complied with his request and locked
| him up. This morning Chief of Police
Nash OF Bennington was telegraphed to,
to learn if he knew anything of the affair
and if there was any truth in the story
told by the man." The story of the
crime is as follows: On April End, 1892,
John Crowley was found dying in the
woods in Glastonbury, near South Shafts
bury. Close to his body was the weapon
with which the crime had evidently been
ommitted a large bludgeon of beech
wood. Crowley was ten or fifteen years
| older than Mcdowell, who was about 30.
Both men had worked together on differ
ent jobs in the Green Mountains, In Oc-
t0ber, 1891, Mcdowell made his first APP
pearance in Glastonbury. He wore the
uniform of a minoi officer in the British
navy and declared that he and four other
officers had deserted their ship the pre-
ceding summer, after having killed the
mate. The man seemed to be well edu-
Gated, but the Deighbors thought it
strange that man of his apparent Gull
ture should seek work in one of the Jun
Ia, f,.p hn Of
per month and board After McDowelrs
arrival he and Crowley spent much of
their time together. Crowley had been
employed in the woods for six or eight
years, was inoffensive, although a little
addicted to drink, and was known to be
economical in money matters.
On the afternoon of that day Crowley
went to South SALISBURY and returned
at o'clock that evening with jug of
whiskey. He Immediately repaired to
his boarding place, a farm house kept by
German Harrington. Mcdowell went
to the house abont clock and asked for
Crowley. Crowley went to the door and
Mcdowell asked him to take walk.
Both departed from the house and that
was the last that was seen of Crowley
alive
Mcdowell reappeared at Herrington's
door two hours subsequently and told
the family that he had had trouble with
Crowley and that he had "done him up"
He advised that they look after Crowley.
After these words Mcdowell disap-
peared. Mr.. Harrington and Others
searched for Crowley and found him two
miles down the road, his head lying half
buried in the soft earth, surrounded by
pool of blood. This was the direction
in which Mcdowell had come to the farm
house.
Crowley was still alive but uncon-
scious. No signs of a struggle were APP
parent. The back of Crowlew's head
was terribly crushed and several splin-
tiers were found in his hair. The feat
ures were bruised and bloody and
across one cheek and on the side of the
neck was cash made by knife. Crow
ley fingered unconscious until the next
morning, when death ensued.
Mcdowell made no effort to conceal
himself until he learned of Crowley
death. After visiting Herrington's house
he had said that Crowley was dead ana
he wanted to know if Harrington was an
officer and could take him into custody.
He also told to several woodchOppers the
same story that he had to Harrington.
At the house of Cortland Elwell in East
Salisbury, three miles from the scene
of the murder, Mcdowell said that Crow
ley had attacked him with large stone
and that he had killed him in self de-
fense. The murderer passed the night
at Elwell's, sleeping on lounge with his
clothes on. He ate breakfast there and
went to the house of a wOodchopper
named Adams, half mile further down
L al A., IS 10
and asked him to find out how Crowley
was. When Adams returned at noon and
said that Crowley was dead, Mcdowell
exclaimed, "Pm id sorry" and started
on run for the Green Mountains. He
has not been seen in that vicinity since.
Crowley had $50 in his pockets the day
preceding the murder but when found
dying in the road his pockets yielded
only forty cents. Mcdowell always car
ried knife and several weeks before
the murder he said, "There is only one
man in the States who knows who |
really am and he will be sorry that he
does" This is believed to have been
said in reference to Crowley.
A representative of tho BANNER has
interviewed Mcdowell and his story will
be of interest Mcdowell stands about
feet s inches high and shows the effect
of the past years worry and travel.
When weighed in Nofwalk, Conn, Tues
day he tipped the scales at $50 pounds,
about fifteen pounds less than when
he left this section. He is of fiOrid
complexion, with sandy hair and sandy
mustache. He talks with quite brOgue,
easily, uses good grammar, is explicit in
what he states, and makes no mistakes.
He appears to be perfectly willing TO
talk regarding the matter Of which he is
accused, and has never from the first
failed to say that he acted in selfdefense,
and that will probably be is plea when
placed on trial. He characteYizes some
of the published reports concerning him
as being all bosh, and to our reporter he
told the following story of his life, which
in many respects sounds like a romance.
Referring to his early life he said that
he was born in the county of Tipperary,
ireland, in 1864. He served two years in
the Seth English Infantry aud two years
and six months in the Royal Artillery,
being honorably discharged from all.
He came to the United States IN 1884,
and soon after enlisted in the Engineer
Corps u. S. Army, and was sent to
Willett's Point, New York, which post
was commanded by Gen. Albeit. He
deserted in nine months but was appre-
hended, tried by a Court Martial and
sentenced to the military prison at Fort
Leavenworth. Kan, where he remained
twenty months, his time being shortened
by good behavior. After leaving there