The Windham County reformer. (Battleboro, Vt.) 1876-1897, 1895-12-13
Grave Robbery at Norwich.

There is great excitement over grave rob
berry at Norwich. The day before Thanksgiv
ing, Joseph Murdoch hanged himself to tree
near his house In Norwich. The funeral wa
held Saturday, the body put IN a tomb, and
buried the following Monday. Relatives OF
the deceased visited the grave SUNDAY and dis
covered a suspicious state of affairs. The grave
was opened the next morning, when II was
found That the box and coffin were smashed
and the body removed. Further investigation
showed that the body was dragged through the
cemetery, thrown over the fence and thence
dragged across pastures, over stone walls and
barhcd wire fences until the main road was
reached, one half mile distant, where q wagon
was awaiting the body. The people lay the
blame on the Dartmouth medical students, bul
probably this is not deserved, n the term closed
before the affair took place and but IrW m Il
cal students are In town.
Clifford was given n hearing "Wednesday and
held under - 900 bonds O'Donnell was arrest
ed Wednesday night and II raigncd yesterday
Last Friday night one of the Greek letter
fraternties held its annual banquet at Newton
inn, where two OF three medical students were
employed aS walters. About 3 O'Clock one OF
the medical students returned to Newton inn
AN wished to hire Il horse and wagon, saying
that his companions had become Intoxicated
and he wished TO carry them home. A large
horse and express wagon were let to him and
the tracks found in the snow of both horse and
wagon wheels correspond exactly to those ol
the horse and express wagon wheels hired.
There were footprints around the grave, in
dicating that three men had taken part In tho
NulcH Corresponds 10 lhc HulHbcl VI
students employed ut the banquet. Since the
stealing of the body occurred the eldest dan gh
ter has been IN a swoom, and all efforts 10 arouse
her have failed.
The body was found in Hanover States At
torney J c Enright of Windsor, with Sheriff
Spahord of Springfield, went TO Norwich Tues
day to make Investigations. + Clifford of East
Randolph, a student of the Dartmouth Medica
college has been arrested and Ia in custody al
Newton Inn. The officers are said to be on the
Trail OF suspect, who has disappeared and
other arrests may follow. The citizens of Nor
wich are in earnest and determined that such
crimes shall not go unpublished. A reward OF
$1,000 was offered by the town.
A brother OF Jack b'Donnell. the medical stu
dent who hired the team of Or Bowles which Ii
supposed to have been used In bringing Muir
docks body TO Hanover, scouts the idea that
Jack is implicated.
He explains his disappearance by saying that
he was simply gone on q vacation which he had
intended for some time to take. The officers dc
not take any stock in this story and very likely
have him under arrest by this time II he went "a
STAFFORD, as it T. supposed he did. o'Donnell's
home Is in Rutland.
> ID SNOW OF Washington, u {, another student
who l. suspected Of participating in the affair,
keeps on the New Hampshire side of the river
and has not been arrested. lie says he Is not
guilty
Ephraim Morris dies hard. He refused aid
In any way 10 the annual fair of the ladies OF
the First Congregational society Mt Hartford.
because the society voted against him and In
favor of retaining Rev II W Boyd. Some anN.
iety was felt because of the attitude Of Morris
and his family. but the fair WAS held last Satur
day and proved a great success, thus adding
further TO the discontinue of Ephraim.