St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1896-07-24

] Y. =
OF the espondent's life. From his blrtn
to a year before the tragedy you heard
nothing. This IS study in psychology.
For what purpose and for what reason
| did he do it Was he sane or not You
want to know all about this man from
the time of his birth. Was he kind
man, kind husband? 1t is said he was
born on a Wheelock farm, but he was
really born in Troy. He spent his life
practically on one farm. He never went
out of the valley where he lived, with the
exception Of trips to Barton Landing.
! He had narrow mind and narrow
world. He had only term or two OF
school, rarely read the papers, required
help for his own figuring. lie had no
knowledge of the world. When nine
wears old the father left him with his
mother; there he lived until manhood
What kind Of man was he Never
iovial, often sad. What was his mind
and ambition 1t is just as plain as
daylight that his only ambition was to
be man OF property. He never went to
church or town meeting. He stuck to
his farm. He lived an honest life and
had respect for his name. He reaps to-
day the reward of his honesty, because
the witnesses after giving damning evil
dence all say he was an honest man.
You know how this farm deprecated,
how he married the girl that he undoubt-
edly liked. For four years they had no
child, but within year after their mar
rage there was trouble. She was frail
and sickly and he saw he had burden
instead of helpmeet. She left him in
the first quarrel, but returns to him and
there was little change during the whole
period. Mrs. Sheldon says there were
many hard talks. When the first child
came there were more burdens and he
saw his purpose again thwarted. Eddie
was born; then Harlie. Mrs. Isaac Gray
tells us about this period. She heard
him curse and swear at his wife during
her sickness. The daughter was obliged
to testify to this. She told you there
never was any substantial change in the
way her father treated her mother. They
had many hard talks, many times Of
trouble. This takes us over period OF
16 or II years. Many times the daugh-
ter heard him threaten his wife. 1t is
plain he had violent temper, but it is
plain that he saw his purpose of life
thwarted. The motive of it all was his
love of money. 1t took what he could
earn to pay the bills and he was cross
and ugly about it. When she was sick
he shook his fist in her face and said he
would blow out her brains if it wasn't
for the law. Mrs. Bruce heard this and
told you about it.
| Twice after the children were born she
left him to live with her parents. All
this occurred before they came to
Wheelock. 1t is said that all this time
he was laboring under "A deusion; that
he thought he was going to die, and that
his wife would marry some one else.
There is no evidence that this was so.
Was that the reason of the so called
delusion or was it on account OF what
have stated. They say the delusion was
was ever present in his mind,
His daughter tells you she never heard
OF it. They say it was the bottom OF
the whole matter. But in all the quar-
rels with his wife he never referred to the
witch story. He never tainted her with
wanting to get the property after his
death. Probably there was some basis
for the witch story. But he isn't the
man that brought this story in the case
1t was an expert that did it. should
calculate it was the man who suggested
it all through the examination. The
respondent did not take her life, though
he often threatened her. He was not
ready to do it. That he had malice, that
he hated her sometimes so much that he
wished her dead, is evident in the whole
case.
His brother in Barton prospered. The
mother went to live with the brother
Soon a feud developed between the two
families. Marcelus did not like Mar
shalps vile. Marshall visited hi,
brother and came back from his visi
with still unkinder feelings for his wife
When he got 81 800 from his mother.
estate he came to Wheelock and bought
the hotel. Who was at the bottom o
this 1t was his wife who was sick o
the farm. The children could work il
the hotel and Way could run littl'
store. He sunk this money there and i
was later sold for 500. How did h,
feel about it? Remember his God was {
dollar. He came to the town and the,
made him tax collector He got mixet
up in his accounts and used as his OWL
the money he collected. He made
failure OF running a hotel and store
Things went to destruction and he salt
later that everything was going to hell
Do YOU wonder this made him angry
Do YOU wonder that his hatred increased
against his wife?
They have cast some slurs on Mrs
Orcutt. 1t is not for me to praise he
because they have run her down. TIL
trouble was considerably worse yea
ago. Things were going bad and h
was blaming her for it, They had har
. words and Mrs. Ladd says at that tim
, she talked worse than the husband
:, Matters came to crisis and he went t
p Lawyer Gleason to see if he could nc
, get a divorce. He suggested divisio
e OF the property, which was never carrie
| out. With the belief that everythin
\ had gone to pieces, feeling ugly, mat
+ sick, he went over to see his brother
+. it a wonder that he appeared excite,
, Remember that the brother is trying [
=. save him now. He cared for him the
v and he is trying to save him now. n
e doubt he did not sleep well, no doubt
I was mad. But was he insane? 1t
:. easy enough to say so, Did his broth
d send him home maniac and about
q commit suicide and never telephone
a send postal card that he was coming
e Marcellus says on the stand he thong
n it was time enough to read it in t
papers.
a When he started to collect taxes
a. 1,