Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1901-11-08
MURDER IN LANeDoN, N. H.
The Wife of Chauncey Jones Shot by
George II. 5riegs-The Result Of a
Neiqhbor's Quarrel.

The town of Langdon, n. H., and vi
cinity has been in state of great eX-
element since last Saturday morning,
when George II. Briggs of that town
shot and killed Mrs. Chauncey Jones, the
wife of a neighbor. The shooting grew
out of trouble between the two families,
which has existed for a long time. Ac-
cording to the reports given it started In
a disagreement over keeping up fences
between the property of the two men;
later on Briggs wanted a road laid out
across the land of Jones, which the latter
opposed, and recently Briggs has been
compelled to mortgage his cattle to Sc
cure a note due to the estate of the late
Phillip *. Gleed of Morrisville, which
was Brlggs's native town. Briggs seems
to have had an idea that Jones instigated
this latter movement
on Saturday morning Briggs had been
across the land of Jones to drive home
some cattle which he had sold. When on
his way back with the cattle Cleveland
Jones, the 15-year-old son of Chauncey
Jones, ran out, as is alleged, and fright
ened the cattle, causing Briggs much
trouble, and he is said to have sworn,
with an oath, IN clean out the whole
gang of you" He then went to his home,
which was near by, got a revolver and
returned to the Jones house, threatening
vengeance on the Jones boy who had
frightened his cattle. The boys mother
blocked Briggs's way, and he then fired
three shots at her killing her almost in
stantly. One shot went through the head,
and the other two through her body.
Briggs is said to have fired two shots at
the Jones boy, neither of which took eff
feet. Soon after the shooting Briggs
gave himself up to the authorities. y
little after noon he was taken to Bellows
Falls and put in the lookup, and from
fob 20 10 IN 10
evening train. He was arraigned Mon
day, and held without bail for the ac-
ton of the grand jury which meets on
Tuesday of next week. Briggs Is now in
the county Jail at Newport.
Briggs is said to have been a man of
very violent temper, and hardly RESPONSE
BILE when in one of his outbursts. By
many, severe blame is laid on the Jones
family for their alleged persistent hec-
toring of Briggs. Briggs has retained c.
H. Williams of Bellows Falls and Hosea
Parker of Claremont as his counsel. 1t
is said that insanity will be set up as
a defence. a sister and an aunt of Briggs
having been insane.
Jones, the husband of the dead woman
has been a millwright in the employ of
the International Paper company for /
years, and has been member of the Bel
lows Falls band for several years. Briggs
is about 40 years old. His parents :
live in Williamstown, and he is well
known in Barre, where his first wife, who
secured a divorce from him on the ground
of alleged cruelty, and three children,
aged II, Is and II years, still live. A
Barre despatch says that Briggs married
his present wife while divorce proceed
ings were pending. There are two young
children by the present marriage. This
Barre despatch further says that Chaun-
cey Jones interviewed the former Mrs.
Briggs a short time ago regarding
Briggs's temper, and is said to have told
her that he was afraid of Briggs be-
cause of his threats.
The only eyewitness of the shooting
was the boy, Cleveland Jones. The boy
admits that he retalated in kind in
answer to Briggs's outburst Saturday
morning, and that he cast some insinua-
lions on Mrs. Briggs's character. Briggs
claims that 1t was these charges against
his wife's character that so Infatuated
him. Briggs's wife was in a field near
the Jones house at the time of the shoot
ing, but says she did not see 1t done,
and knows nothing about it.
The accounts say that Jones moved to
the little farm in Langdon in April, 1900,
and that Briggs took up his residence
there last spring