Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1897-02-26
A Strange Case.
Double Tragedy of Murder and Suicide
Mt Fails Village, Conn.

The double crime of murder and suicide
perpetrated last Saturday morning at Falls VII
lage, Conn, a small hamlet just south Of the
Massachusetts line IN Litcl field county. The cir
cumstances attending the crime are very pecul-
lar, no particular motive being asCrbable for the
deed. About O'Clock in the morning the dead
bodies of Mrs. Hattie Chapn, aged 81 and Of
Charles Mead, a young man Of -, were found In
the dining room of the Chaplin house Walter
H. Chqpin the womau's husband is the postmas
ter at Falls Village. Last March he accepted a
position AS manager of trout preserve at Shelf
Held Mrs. Chaplin assuming the duties Of the
post-oilice, and her husband going down occa.
sonally during the week to make out the reports
and relieve his wife. Mead has had several posi-
tons as a travelling salesman, but has lost them
on account OF his drinking habits and inattentiun
to business. He was discharged for this cause
last Christmas. Since then he had been at his
home in Falls Village. He spent much of his
time in the post office with Mrs. Chaplin, and the
town scandal mongers enjoyed many gossip at
the couples expense He would often accom-.
pany Mrs Chaplin home after the Office was
closed in the evening besides spending the day
with her, Mr. Chaplin being all the time in gno
rance of any trouble. The intimacy began i'm.
medatey after Chapin's removal to Sheffield
and was kept up Internationally during Mead's
on Friday evening Mead left his home very
early, aging he was going to the post-of1ice for
the mail, and no one Jaw him until he was found
the next morning in Chapins house, dead. The
tragedy was discovered by Joseph Chaplin, the
nine year old son of Mrs. Chaplin, who went down
opening the dining room door saw two bodies
covered with blood lying there. The lad ran out
to give the alarm. The men who came in answer
to his call found Mead lying dead with a bullet
hole in his temple and his head on the do rsill
between the sitting and dining rooms. Mrs. Cha
pin was on the floor Of the dining room in a sit
ting posture. with two gaping bullet wounds in
her head. 80 Caliber revolver lay on the floor
between them with three chambers empty and
two loaded. The corouer's first conjecture was
that the woman had fred the shot that killed
Mead and then committed suicide. but later in the
the conclusion that Mead was both murderer and
suicide II was believed. from the condition OF
the bodies, that the shooting must have taken
place about 3 O'Clock in the morning. The wom-
ans husband came to Falls Village Saturday
morning for his weekly vIsi', knowing nothing Of
the tragedy, aud was nearly Frustrated when
told Of IT,
The boy Joseph says he and his mother went to
bed at the usual time Friday night lnvcstiga
ton has shown that the door Of the room which
Mrs Chaplin and the boy occupied had been
forced in the woodwork near the lock being
tered the house by stealth ani forced mis- way
into Mrs Chapin's room. The theory Is that Mrs.
Chaplin hastily changed her night robe for a
wrapper and went below with the invader as
not to allow the boy to 81 itnesS any scene. \
lamp still burned i'm the dining room when the
officers arrived Saturday morning. indicating
that the couple had a consultation. The com.
mon superstition is that Mead became angry be-
cause the woman would not yield TO his prOpO~
ais fired the fatal shot and then killed himself
Further mystery is added to the crime by the
discovery that the pistol is not one which belong.
post Office and the house and which Mead often
had in his possession. The officials said 10 be
now divided in opinion as 10 whether IL was Mead
or the woman who did the shooting.