Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1899-12-21
MURDER AT BURLINGTON.
Colorcd Woman Found with her Throat
Horribly Cut Gilbert Farmer COL
ored Man, Arrested on Suspicion.

l
Agnes Willis, oo,ored woman oil bur
lington about So years Of age and wife o.
Edward Willis, b,rber, was found by hei
sister, Mrs. John Carsaw, Tuesday even
ing of last week lying in her bedroom witt
her throat cut and bathed in her own blood
| The body was half way on the bed with the
feet touching the floor.
! This wound which caused her death wa:
about six inches in length and YVES located
on the l. fl of her side neck. ex ending from
| point three inches below the left ear 1T
tie over halt way arou to the other ear
| 1t had severed the muscles Of the neck and
the jueular vein, at which point the IN
| cision seemed to be the deepest Mrs. Car
saw started that when she entered the house
and discovered the crime. her sister
groaned, and the body WAS hardly cold
! when the city officials reached the scene.
The husband of the murdered woman
was at his shop and when he first received
! the news Of the death of his wife refused to
believe it. Their one child, little girl only
II years old, remained in the house during
the txamination OF the rooms ard the re-
moval Ct the body.
Indications point to Gilbert Farmer, col
ored, IS the guilty man. Since his return
from the house of correction he has been
with Mrs. Willis considerable of the time.
Early that evening he was seen to en-
ter the lane leading to her home with her
by Mrs. Carsaw, who says that at this time
she heard her sister order him to leave her
and never come back. Ano her resident
of that section of the city says that Farmer
accompanied Mrs Willis to her rooms and
Mrs Carsaw, who discovered the crime,
maintains that she heard footsteps and
some one jump frt m the rear OF the build
ing. An old lace curtain at the bedroom
window has blood upon its folds, which
may have come from the wipng of a knife
or have been spat'ered upon it The blood
upon the rug and floor would indicate that
the dead woman tell first upon the floor
where the rug lay and bled there tor a
short time. She then either struggled to
the bed or was picked up and placed there
by the murderer.
When arrested, the man was sitting with
the family of bis brother and claimed that
he lett the scene OF the murder about
o'clock. On his person were found no
weapons. He was not asked to confess or
deny the CRIME but when in the police Of
flee he was much agitsted and the perspra-
fion 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.
A much talked-of knife with a razor
edge, which Farmer WAS said to possess
and with which it is believed he inflicted
the wound, could not at first be found but
was fl ally produced by his mother, who
was thoroughly frightened by the officers
before she could recolle ct anything about
it. 1t was found concealed in a closet In
an outhcuse with stick of wood over it,
and on the handle and blade we're spots
that looked like blood 1t was taken to the
state laboratory tor on analysis OF The
stains and report will be made to the
states attorney. The finding OF this knife
is an important link in the chain OF cir cum
stantial evidence that is being wound
arounl the suspected man.