Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1902-12-12
BELLOWS FALLS NEWS.
BODY FOUND IN THE CANAL.
Miss Helen E. Barron Of West Rut-
land Committed Suicide - Barron
Family Formerly Lived in Bellows
Falls,

The finding of the body of Miss Helen
II. Barron of West Rutland in the canal
near the mills of the Robertson PAPER
company Sunday afternoon caused con-
siderable excitement about town as the
first reports in relation to II were evenly
divided as to whether 1t was a case Of
suicide or murder. During Sunday and
Monday the facts gradually sifted them
selves until 1t is the almost universal
judgment of those who have had to
do with the matter that it was a suicide
although the exact circumstances of 1t
will probably never be known.
Miss Barron left the place in West
Rutland Monday morning which had
been her home for some time, saying she
was going to some point in the state
of New York to spend the winter. Tues
day friends at West Rutland learned she
had not reached there, and becoming
alarmed instituted search for her without
any trace being found until Saturday
afternoon, when Chief of Police Thomp-
son of this place learned that small
bag had been found beside the canal
near the bridge leading to the railroad
station Monday night, a workman hav-
ing picked IL up and left 1t in the market
of Lowell q Shedd on Canal street. The
contents of the bag clearly showed it
to belong to the missing woman and Mr..
Thompson communicated with the West
Rutland officers. The woman having
been seen in different parts of the village
Monday afternoon, seemingly aimess
and unbalanced in IA slight degree, it
was surmised the body might be found
in the canal
4. a. Morse, a prominent merchant of
West Rutland, came here on the Satur-
day night train and arrangements were
made to draw the water from the canal
at noon Sunday, which was done with
the above results.
The woman was about "a years of age
and for some years previous to 1870 she
lived in Bellows Falls, a few of the
older residents remembering the family
very pleasantly. The family consisted
of the father and mother and three at
tractive daughters. Helen was the old
est and never married. They lived a
portion of the time in the house now &C.
cupied by Mrs. II. b. Jackson on At
kinson street. and later in the Chase
house near the Blake & Higgins paper
mill at the south end of the village.
Later the family went to Rutland, Mr..
Barron becoming interested in marble
business in connection with l.. ID. Hurd
and others of this village, which ven
lures proved disastrous to them. The
parents died in Rutland some years ago,
and the other daughters were married,
| leaving Helen alone in the world. II
is probable that becoming tired of life
she returned to the locality of her earlier
! home and put an end to ii. She evil
| IDENTIFY came from Rutland on the train
reaching here Monday at 130 p. m, and
was about town. stopping into the house
| of two or three entire strangers during
| the afternoon asking to sit and rest. She
| was last seen about four o'clock but II
! is likely she did not take her life until
after dark as she would probably have
been seen.
neckte and other articles of cloth.
| ing tied closely about the head and
mouth 1T is supposed were to prevent
any cutlery she might make from being
heard. The body was somewhat bruised
and features disigured. probably from
passing through the canal head gates
but the body easily recognized by Mr.
Morse who took 1t to West RUTLAND
| from Keefe's undertaking rooms. or
the mail train Monday noon.