Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1899-08-18
TRIED TO KILL FAMILY
Continued from Ist page. ]

Mrs. Cobb, wife of Deputy Sheriff Cobb,
heard the ring of the front door bell at
the lail on Court street. Her husband is
the keeper of the Jail, and their living
rooms are In the building. The man at
the door was Eastwood himself. AS
subsequently related by him, after
shooting Mr.. and Mrs. Fem he came
down North Pleasant street and entered
the village park In front of the Congre-
gational church. Here he lay for some
hours, expecting to escape in the dark
ness; but the officers had In the mean
time ordered the electric lights turned
on and he saw no opportunity openly to
do so. Later he made his way to Court
street and concealed himself in a garden
until fright at the commotion he had
created and fear for his life should he be
found caused him to make his way to
the Jail with the purpose of giving him
self up.
Mrs. Cobb tells what followed at the
Jail. Going to the door and peering out
into the darkness she inquired, "Who is
there?" Getting close to the partly open
door Eastwood said: 81 am the man
whom the officers are in search of; some
one has shot me in the side, and if you
will promise me you will tell no one but
the officers that | am here, | will give
myself up and come inside the Jail. You
are not afraid of me, are you?' At that
Mrs. Cobb threw open the door and told
him to enter. He delivered to her the
revolver with which he had done his
murderous work, and also handful of
cartridges. He then showed her an
ugly wound in his side and asked if he
could have medical attendance. She
conducted him to a cell of the Jail and
after locking him in, went out and an
nounced his presence in the jail.
As Mrs. Cobb is a white. haired lady of
nearly seventy years, her GOODNESS and
prompt action in the matter has caused
her to receive the highest commentator.
The motive which actuated Eastwood
in his murderous onslaught was doubt
less revenge for his wife's refusal to
live with him and the fancied influence
of her relatives in such refusal
Frederick Eastwood and Ida L. Brown,
daughter of Mr.. and Mrs. Cyrus Brown of
East Middlebury, were married in John
sonville, n. Y, about IL years ago.
Eastwood was born IN Cohoes, n. Y,
and is about 10 years of age. His mother
dying, his father married sister of Mrs.
Cyrus Brown and they made their home
in Johnsonvile, n. Y. His future wife
visited her aunt, and there met East.
wood. These meetings led to their mar
riage. and they made their home in vari-
| To- -, GalI
where Eastwood secured employment on
the Fitchburg railway as member OF
the section gang. He has been engaged
in this work for four years past.
According to the story of relatives,
Eastwood has always treated his wife
brutally and she had intended to leave
him before, but was deferred by his
threats of bodily harm to her. This had
gone on for years, according to report
until March last, when the death OF
Cyrus Brown took place at East Middle
bury, and Eastwood and his wife came
up from Greenfield to attend the funeral
They renamed some time, and finally
Mrs. Eastwood announced her deter.
mInation to remain with her mother
Eastwood Is said to have made threat:
against her life and that of her relative:
If she continued to refuse to return and
live with him; but she remained firm.
Early in April Eastwood. returned to
Greer field. Before leaving he called al
the REGISTER office and had notice in
serted in this paper, posting his wife fol
desertion and refusing to pay her debts
He did not again appear in this section
until Monday last.
In appearance he is large and heavy
man. In April he gave the impression
of being quiet and gentlemanly, and is
evidently possessed of considerable edu.
cation. He was well dressed. No one
meeting him casually would think OF
classifying him as a degenerate. or at
tributing to him the qualities going tC
make up a murderer. His astounding
conduct therefore Is all the more difficult
of explanation That he brooded over
what he considered his wrongs, seems
apparent from the methodica way iu
which he went about his horrible task OF
vengeance.
His statement that he had been shot by
another person is not corrObora.ed by
circumstances. His coat was burned by
powder, seeming TO prove self-inHicted
wound, and one chamber of his revolver
was empty. 1t is probable that he re.
loaded the latter while in the park, and
emptied one chamber into himself.
Tuesday afternoon Drs. Noble. Martin
and Russell went to the jail and placed
the prisoner under ether, in order to
~ l. L., 60 t1a bull
found that the ball had entered the body
just below the heart and glanced down.
ward. 1t was not recovered, and the
mans condition was considered too pre-
carlous to continue probing.
The same doctors held an autopsy on
the body of Frank Fem at his home
The bullet from Eastwood's revolver
was found to have passed through the
heart and death was no doubt instantan
eous. Fenn's remains were taken to