Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1899-12-14

Agnes Willis. a colored woman about So
years of age and the wife of Edward
/ Willis, barber, was found ~ her sister,
Mrs John Carsaw, in her bedroom in Il
house on Cherry Court off Cherry street
about sis o'clock Monday night dead with
her throat cut and bathed in her own
blood. Mrs. Willis is perhaps the best
known colorcd woman in this city having
often been employed by those having Of
fees near the centre of The city as a
scrub woman. Indications point to Gill
bert Farmer, young co.ored man with a
very bad criminal record, as the murder
cr
Farmer was arrested shortly before mid
night by Officers Grafton and Brothers at
home of his brother, Ernest Farmer, on
/ Oak street The officers had been sent 10
visit this house and that of Farmer 5
mother on Lafountain street by Chief
Smith. At the home of Farmers mother
| the officers learned that FaCmer had not
| been there since o'clock in the afternoon
and that he did not come home to supper.
When arrested, the man was sitting with
the family Of his brother and claimed
that he left the scene of the murder about
o'clock. On his person We're found no
weapons. He was not asked to confess or
deny the crime but when in the police Of
flee he was much agitated and the pcrs-
piration stood in drops upon his face. He
slept behind the bars of the county jail
under the ban of the most serious crime
that man commits
The murder OF Mrs. Willis IS the most
gEastly crime which has occurred in this
city ia many years. Her throat vas cut,
apparently with Il razor, the chosen wea-
pom of the colored race Th- crime was
committed in her bed room la the second
s.ory o: building located on lJwer Chez
sfff. ha ne igh
several PURPOSES and the rear Of which is
occupied as tenement by several Door
families.
Mr and Mrs. Willis occupy two rooms
in the rear of the second story Of this
block. Their rooms are reached by means
of marrow stairway located at he rear
of the building off a little court called
Cherry Court, on one side of which is Il
row of old wooden buildings and at the
head OF which is double teclement. Some
thlnE like Il quarter of century ago,
within a stones throw of the Willis home,
Israel Freeman, a colored man, was muir
dered by man AIMED Scarbo who split
his victims head open with an axe.
Gilbert Farmer, who is suspected as the
murderer of Mrs. Willis, is a criminal we'll
Known to the police in this city ami to
the reformatorY Institutions OF the State
lie has served terms len the States prison
/ at Windsor, the House of Correction and
the State Industrial School. VIII re he was
frSt sent in futile attempt to cneck a
bad career. He had returned about five
weeks ago from serving a term in the,
House of Correction, where he went uU-
der sentence of the City Court for having
bfoEen into n trunk and stolen a sum of
money. His two terms at Windsor were
due to his having been caught in the act
OF buiglariZing. The rogues' gallery at the
police office contains his picture. He has
mother and other relatives in this city
anC wife in the town of Hinesburga His
rather Gilbert Farmer 81, was at one
time the janitor of the University
There was apparently little motive for
the crime. He had been seen with Mrs
Willis during the day and ii is said by at
least on person living in the neighbour
mood that ne entered the house with Mrs
Willis between and O'Clock in the even
ing. Mrs. Carsaw. who discovered the
crime, called to her sister before reaching
the rooms and then heard some one run
mig through the rooms and jump from the
stairway in the rear. She then entered
the rooms and was greeted with what was
PROBABLY the most horrible sight which
her eyes will ever witness
The two rooms which Mr.. and Mrs Will
lis have occupied are divided into living
room and bedroom. Entering the kltch-
en- from the stairway, Mrs. Carsaw found
the door closed and no one was in the
first room. lamp burning in the
bedroom indicated that her sister was
there and Mrs Carsaw started for the
door of the room, calling her sister by
name. AS she approached the door she
could see her sisters feet and thinking that
she was lying on the bed Mrs. Carsaw
walked into the room and was confronted
with horrible sight. The room Is a small
one containing a bed, which stands at the
right of the door. At the left of the door
is "A window and in the corner of the same
a. on xrINt fn h.
cheap dresser. In front of the bed was a
cheap rug, the floor being uncarpcted
Stretched out on the bed with the upper
portion of her body aid her waist covered
with her own blood, the white spread of
the humble little bed soaked in crimson
ana hfeless eyes staring wildly TO-
ward cheap crayon portrait of her
husband nung closely by the gaudly
Autographed certificate of her marriage
lay Mrs. Willis. Her body lay hardly half
way upon the bed and with the feet rest
Ing upon the floor. On the floor the rug
was soaked through with blood, while its
dampness and the rubbing of the rug upon
the floor had brought the rough boards
almost 10 a suspicion of whiteneSs. The
bed and furnishings of the room bore no
evidence of a struggle, The wound was a
deadly one and death undoubtedly followed
It's intlicton in a short space of time. The
eyes Of men and women meet sights of
this character but a few times in their
lives with willingness. Some look upon
them oftene: than others from the dictates
of their profession. That of the Wills
bedroom Is rare In its ghastlinese.
Mrs. Carsaw was Mortified at the sight.
With one look she failed to realize tho
extent Of the crime and impressed with
the idea of illness and frightened so that
she had little control over her actions she
rushed from the house. calling for help
The section Is thckly populated and her
cries brought several people. who imme-
diately discovered that the woman was
dead and that her throat had been cut.
| Howard Briggs was despatched for the
| police while another went 10 the little