Worcester morning daily spy., 1898-01-11

it no serious thought; and when Miller
was about opposite, Rice hailed him.
The man did not answer, but tried to
avoid a meeting, and, qulckening his
pace, hurried past. Owing to the hour,
which Rice thinks was about 12.15,
Saturday morning, particular attention
was given to the appearance of the
man He was shabbily dressed, wearing
a pair Of felt boots, an old coat with
the left sleeve barely hanging by
thread and wore a light checkered cap,
When the condition of the cattle at
the Newton home was noted, Rice
thought of the appearance Of Miller
shortly after midnight Friday, and sup
posed the Newtons were away, and that
Miller had taken advantage of their alb
sence and sneaked awayN from the
place. When the crime was discovered,
other things were recalled which
showed that Miller had carefully laid
his plans.
Last Tuesday night Rice passed the
night with Mr.. Newton, and during the
conversation before going to bed Rice
mentioned the fact that on the Sunday
evening previous he had driven friend
to the West Brookf1eld station TO catch
the express which leaves for New York
at 1.21 a. m. Miller showed some in
especially interested In the time of the
departure of the express. For his ben
eft Rice twice repeated the time of de-
parture. When this fact was recalled,
after the discovery of the crime, Rice
remembered meeting Miller on the
causeway, and at the time Miller could
easily get to the West Brookfield sta
ton and get aboard the New York ex-
press. There is no other train which
Yp-y, Of En nFlr ial1 de
at that time, and consequently Rice be-
lieves Miller made use of the informa-
tion gained on the previous evening.
Another fact in regard to Miller was
remembered by Rice, This was his con-
duct on Thursday, the day preceding
the murder Rice was at dinner with
the Newtons, and Mr.. Newton was
very jolly, and the contrast between
him and the hired man was noted. Mil
Ter was sober, and appeared to be
thinking of something. At the meal Mr..
Newton was speaking of his prospective
purchases, and stated that he was 60
ing to Spencer that afternoon to look
at some sleighs that were for sale. 1t
is probable that at this time Miller waa
debating the thoughts of robbing the
house.
Rice's general summarizing of Miller $
disposition was that he was quiet and
I1UfOS6, dIlQ IL lGIl dlOllC NOQAo Wy
speak to any one. He, however, was of
a cruel nature, and had often been seen
to cruelty abuse horses while teamins
for Mr.. Hodson. He told Rice that he
had Learned the carpenters t% in
Germany, and at one time stated that
he had been engaged in seafaring life.
THE NEWTON FAMILY
The Newtons were well known and
thoroughly liked through all the Brook
fields. Mr.. Newton, although not ma
tive of the town, had spent greater
portion of his life there, while his wife
was born and brought up in the Brook
fields, where her parents and some of
her brothers and sisters now live.
Mr.. Newton, the murdered man, was
native of Braintree and was born in
1852. In his younger days he worked
in boot and shoe shop in that town
and it. was while employed there that
ne married Miss Sarah A. Walker, a
! daughter Of Joseph L. Walker of North
Brookfieid. They were married II years
ago, and at first went back to Brain
| tree to live. About 10 years ago, how
ever, Mr.. Newton removed with his
family to North Brookf1eld, and secured
employment with a shoe concern there.
A few years later he hired a farm in
North Brookfield, which ne ran with
good success until about three years
ago, when he purchased bakery in
Hartford and removed there. The bak.
cry business did not succeed so well as
farming, however, so he returned in the
| fall of '95, purchasing the Nancy Rice
place, where he lived to the day of hi:
death. His parents are both dead, bu
he leaves one sister, Mrs, Albert ProutI
of West Rutland, Mass.
| His wife was one of four children
The other three are living, and are
Henry o. Walker, who is employed il
a North Brookfield shoe shop; Charles
| Walker Of Spencer, who is a shoe oper
ator there; and Mrs. Lottie L. Rice
wife of Charles Rice a farmer anC
teamster of North Brookfield. She wa
Al years of age
Ethel, the seven-year-old girl was al
adopted child. Both Mr.. and Mrs. New
ton knew the mother, who has sine,
become Mrs. Benson. and, out of pity
for the girl, took the child when but si9
weeks old. They had reared her witt
| the tenderest care. She was brigh
and a general favorite among the pu
pills of the school at Brookfield.
AN UNWORTHY REPORTER.
All the officers at the house recognized
the efforts of the big squad of news
paper men to get the facts of the affair
for their papers and extended to them
many favors and liberties that were de,
MED the public. In such cases, however
1t is tacitly understood that newspaper
men will not disturb articles in the
house, much less carry things bodily
away.
Yet reporter for the Worcester Tele
gram violated that trust while at work
trying to get something on the case
during the morning. He deliberately en-
tered one of the rooms of the house
and, despite The protestations of the
only sister of the dead woman, deliber
ately cut out with a knife the crayor
| portrait of little Ethel from a frame
that hung upon the wall. The woman'S
appeals were in vain. He said that the
sort of journalism in which he was en-.
gagged demanded that he take the pic
ture, and soon ne had turned it over tC
an assistant, who was speeding with al
haste to Brookheld, while Mcdonald was
inwardly rejoicing at what he consid.
cred newspaper enterprise.
Chairman of the Selectmen E. d
| Goodell and Deputy Sheriff Tarbell, also
member of the board of selectmen
| took decided exceptions to any such pro-
cedure, and brought the fresh news
paper man up with a sharp turn. Young
Mcdonald was given his choice of get
ting the picture and returning it inn
mediately or taking the consequences
He chose the former course, and started
after the picture.
Mrs Rice, the sister, was very much
disturbed at the occurrence, and nobody
blamed her in the least 1t was the re.
porter who got the blame, and he richly
deserved it.
In speaking of the affair, Chairman
Goodell said: That was a contemplate
act, and it ought to be shown up in its
proper light. We let you fellows in here