Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1897-01-08
B0NDVILLE'S SENSATION.
The Arrest of Luke Bradshaw
Brings Out a story of Lust and Crime
---Its Equal In Revolving Features
Has Not Been Told In Local Annals.

.
---Its Equal In Revolving Features
Has Not Been Told In Local Annals.
The arrest of Luke Bradshaw of Bond
vile on Thursday of last week rolls up the
curtain on a tragedy which seems more
| like the production of an erotomaniac'S
mind than a real picture of end-of-the-cen-
fury life in a civilized community, so re-
voting and fendish are the unbridled pas
sion and moral obliquity which are revealed,
with the attendant train of adultery, bas-
/ tardy and young womanhood outraged.
A white woman who was left with six
children by the death of her husband mar
ried a negro. This negro outraged his step
daughter, aged II, and the child which
was born to the girl two months ago is
only few weeks younger than one born to
her mother, both infants having the same
father. Another daughter, aged 10, is
raped by the negro, and with dirk at her
throat warned that death will be her por-
! ton If she reveals the heinous crime. The
mother, to save this daughter from further
attacks, had her placed in highly respect
able family. To the girls new home the
negro came at night, after first trying to
entice her from her real friends by amatory
notes. While attempting TO enter the
room which he supposed her to occupy he
was fired upon by one of her protectors,
but escaped uninjured, and his arrest fol-
lowed. Back of the horrors of such pict-
ure are the spectres of a death by poison
| ing and young girls chloroformed in their
chambers for the purpose of outrage, but
no definite OF tangible charges of the latter
| crimes are made
Bradshaw was arrested by Deputy SheI-
| i'll J. W. Melendy of South Londonderry
on warrant issued by Justice G. Will
! liams, on complaint Of l.. X. Burbank,
| grand juror. The warrant charged Brad
shaw with an attempt to break and enter
the house of DR.. T. A. Flandreau of
! Bondville on the night Of Dec. %, for the
| purpose of committing the crime OF rape
upon his stepdaughter Addie Capen, -.
Rradshnw's Personal Appearance.
Luke Bradshaw is mulatto, 80 years
| old. The man whose name he bears was
a full-blooded negro, and in his mothers
veins run mixture of negro and Indian
blood. Bradshaw's hair is coarse and
straight, while that of an older brother is
much darker and has the regulation negro
kink. The difference in the two sons has
caused the people of Bondville to question
his paternity, but of the current rumor
and belief on this point there is no proof.
face is smooth shaven and his large, dark,
rowing eyes and his high cheek bones and
proiruding upper lip give him a decidedly
sulen and sensual appearance. He is a
farmer by occupation and to his credit it
may be said that he is industrious and has
furnished ample provision for his family.
| His wife says he has been kind to her in
many ways.
The name of Mrs. Bradshaw's first hus-
band was Capen. Mr.. Capen died seven
years ago, leaving her with six children.
Previous to Capen's death Bradshaw board
ed with the family during one winter Brad
shaw and Mrs. Capen were married four
years ago and they have two Children
girl three years old and a boy of four
months. To these children he has always
been kind, but his stepchidren especially
the daughter Addie, have many times been
put in fear of their lives, for they charge
that he has often threatened to kill them
unless they complied with his wishes.
The Attempt TO Enter the Flandreau
House.
Mrs. Bradshaw, fearing that the daugh-
ter Addie would meet the horrible fate that
has befallen the 17-year-old daughter. Mar
tina, called at DR.. Flandreau's Saturday.
Dec. 70, and asked that the girl be allowed
to come there to work. The request was
granted, and on the following Wednesday
the girl began as domestic in the Fland-
reau family. She is a girl of amiable dis
position, large for her age, and more than
usually intelligent. She had not been in
the house three hours when Bradshaw
called with a note for her This note be-
gan with a declaration of love for the girl
and the wish for a chance to prove it and
closed with directions for meeting him on
the first pleasant night. The girl readily
OWNED the negro's purpose in asking her
to meet him. On the next Sunday Ad-
dies brother John brought her another
note from Bradshaw which read:
Il See that you had company the night that
asked your favor will call that all right
but shall ask you again and il you don't do SC
| shall take it that you don't mean TO do so
want you TO meet me to night at : O'Clock If you
can. II you can you may to morrow night If il
don't storm. II II should storm do so the next
night. You can do it If you have a mind 10. II
don't make any odds what they lmeaning the
you don't do as | ask you | shall you now
don't forget II for they can't keep you from me
Don't be afraid of the cold ! will take Of
you
This letter was treated ike the first and
on Monday night Bradshaw was seen tc
drive towards Bondvle village with sew.
eral buffalo robes in his wagon. The girl
went to bed that night as usual without a
light, so that should Bradshaw attempt "a
, enter her room he would be unable to To-
. cate il. Rev. II. f. Harmed, the Metho-
, dist minister, who boards at Dr. Elan
, dreaus, retired shortly after II o'clock and
in less than an hour detected suspicious
, sounds, as of some one at work at his
chamber window. Mr.. Harmed arose and
in moment saw through the curtain a
light as of match and Immediately went
down stairs and informed DR.. Flandreau
who seized his revolver and went to Mr.
Harned's room. DR.. Fandreau raised the
, curtain quickly and peered out. There
was nothing to be seen in front or on the
north side of the window, but on the south
side, leaning against the house, was a lad
der with a man on it. Dr. Flandreau
fired at the man and by the fash of his re-
! volver saw that the would-be intruder was
Luke Bradshaw. He fired two more shots
in quick succession, but neither took effect,
and as the man jumped, or rather tumbed
TO the ground his identity was again re-
vealed by the light from lantern which
stood on the steps. A fourth shot was
fired as Bradshaw ran up the road with his
head down.
1t was afterward found that Bradshaw
ran around back of the houses to the horse
sheds where his horse was hitched, and es-
capped. In the morning a halter, which
members of Bradshaw's family have iden-
titled as his, was found tied TO one of the
front posts of the sheds. Its position in
dictated that the horse had been backed
into the shed to allow a speedy departure.
| In his haste to get aWaV from the soana