The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1893-02-10

proceeded on my way, arriving In Brat
tlebOro the next day. | hung around
the depot there two or three hours, try
ing to hear something about the affair,
but heard nothing. l then crossed TIE
river into New Hampshire, went to
Keene and Troy, looking for work in
each place. Not getting any went down
to Hancock and stayed there five days
with a man by the name Of Bullard, l
paid for my board by saving wood and
doing other chores. BY this time | had
a desire to get back near to where the
trouble occurred, and walked until |
reached the Fitchburg Railroad, which
followed until | reached Pownal, arriv-
ing there just eleven days after | left
Glastonbury. procured food here and
slept in barn. While here | heard that
Crowley was dead and that the officers
were looking for me. My irst impulse
was to go into Bennington, give myself
up and run my chances. | applied to
several for work, and one man eyed me
so closely that l thought he had recOg-
nized me and was going to arrest me.
From the description he gives of the
man it must have been Mr.. Charles Bar
Der. After leaving here l walked to
Hoosac Junction. Spending the day
there and wishing some officer would
come along, recognize and arrest me.
From there l went into Troy, and here
ran across a man who asked me if l was
on the road. l told him yes. He asked
me to 60 with him and / did. He had
pint of whiskey and l got full. He
gave me pair of shoes to replace those
had on, which were pretty nearly worn
out. After getting sober went over to
Lansingburgh, N. Y, and from there TO
Albany. Here 1 got into freight train
and stole a ride out as far as Fonda; and
not getting any work there went on to
GrindStOne Island, where l had worked
before. Not being able to get work
| went into Canada. and four miles from
Kingston, Ont, got a job with farmer
named James Gordon. | worked for
him three months and a half under the
name of John Mcdonald, but getting
uneasy and wanting to get back to the
United States, left him. The first place
| struck was Sackett's Harbor and here
got work on the Government buildings
now being erected there. l worked
steady until one day l got full and was
thrown from a wagon, dislocating my
shoulder, causing me to quit work. My
next town was Lancaster, Penn, where |
Baltimore, Md, and got Job down the
bay which kept few weeks, and then
l went to Washington. All this time |
had been thinking about getting back
East and giving myself up, and finally
made up my mind to get back into Con
necticut and put myself in the hands
of the police. All this time | had no re-
morse of conscience, nor was in fear of
being taken; but was tired of roaming
round. decided to go to Connecticut,
as | had relatives in Naugatuck and
Bridgeport, and once worked in a fac
tory in the former town started for
that State; paid my fare on the cars to
Trenton. n. j., and beat my passage the
rest of the way. | arrived in NOrwalk
Friday and went directly to police sta
ton, told the Captain in charge OF the
crime l was accused of and asked him to
arrest me- He thought was drunk or
crazy and would not do it, but finally
telegraphed TO Bennington. and when
the reply came that was wanted, locked
me up; and [ experienced feeling of
relief when Nash came down and identi-
fed me. | was willing to come back but
had to wait until the proper papers were
received"
He was brought back to this town by
Sheriff Wilson and Officer John Nash,
making no trouble on the journey, not
even being handcuffed, as that was not
deemed necessary. In relation to the
affair Mcdowell Tor Conroy), said, that
while walking along the road Crowley,
who was drunk, remarked to him that
prior to his arrival in town he {Crowley),
had been the boss of the place, but since
his arrival he had stood no show, and
that they must fight it out then and
there
He says that he told Crowley that he
did not want to fight. but that the latter
grabbed him by the throat and, pulling a
large stone from under his coat, made
for him.
He struck Crowley blow on the jugu-
lar before he could use the stone, and
Crowley fell to the ground. He tAen
kicked him several times until he lay an
conscious in the road. He then turned
and retraced his steps to the house
from which they had started, and then
told what he had. done as has before been
related IN our columns, and recapitulated
above.
Mcdowell, as he is known here, asserts
that he never before was arrested only
for breach of military discipline, and
that the reports of his being connected
with any mutiny are trash. He does not
appear to be insane on any subject, but
has got the theory of self-defense SO
firmly in mind, and tells such a straight
story, with no equivocation, that it may
be hard to make strong case against
him. There were no witnesses to the
deed, and the principal evidence that can
be used against him is his own.