Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1902-11-01

Reading, Mass, Oct. 30.-A hunts
mans dog brought to light yesterday
afternoon murder just Off Il we'll
travelled highway near the Wakefield
line, the victim being woman, cvi-
dently tramp but whose identity has
not been esta ablished. When first dis
covered by Walter Locke, whose dog
drew him to the spot, the body was
still warm, and blood was slowly ooz-
ing from no less than six wounds in the
head. Five of these wounds were
from pistol bullets, while the sixth,
which had gashed the left ear and
plunged deep into the neck, had been
apparently made by some sharp instru-
ment
There was every indication that the
murder itself had been committed else
where aud that the body had been
taken from n wagon and dragged Into
the field where it was found. From the
number of wounds, the local authorities
are led to believe that the crime was
done in anger. The dress Of the woman,
the fact that she wore two skirts, three
pairs of stockings and two coats, all
seemed TO indicate person well pre-
pared for long journeys OH foot in all
sorts of weather. There was no clue
whatever to her identity and hundreds
who looked upon her in the local under
taking rooms pronounced her a
stranger.
Locke had been hunting through the
Reading and Wakefield woods nearly
all day and was coming back towards
his town when his dog, who was we'll
ahead, suddenly stopped and began to
bark.
Locke paid little attention to the
animal until he reached him and then
lie discovered the body. partially COW
cred with pine bOughs. Satisfying him
self that the woman was dead, he ran
to the nearest house, that of George
LoOmis, just over the line in Wake
field. and the two men succeeded in
getting word to both the Reading and
Wakefield police, and Medical In
aminer Jack in MelrOse. Dr. Jack
soon arrived and pronounced it n case
of murder, giving his opinion that any
one of the wounds might have proved
fatal. According to DR.. Jack, the
woman was apparently about 45 or so
years of age, 5 feet, 4 inches in height
and weighed about 40 pounds. The
location OF the body was 70 feet from
the Wakefield line in Reading.
The fact that the body was still
warm leads to the belief that the crime
must have been committed some time
after noon, as it was 2:40 O'clock when
Locke found it. A well recognized trail
led from the street, which gave every
indication that the body had been
brought from the actual scene Of the
crime in some vehicle, and then
dragged into the field, some attempt
being made to conceal it by pine boughs
Although the place where the body
was found is somewhat remote from
any house, the surrounding country is
open for considera bic distance, while
the road is particularly straight, which
would give anyone standing Oh it a
quarter of a mile in either direction n
good chance to see any team which
might be driving along or stopping by
the roadside.
AS soon as Dr.. Jack had made his
examination the body was taken to un-
dertaking rooms in this town. where an
autopsy will be performed. J. II.
Whitney Of the state police will take
charge of the case, being assisted by
Chief Merrill Of the Reading police.
The affair caused great sensation
in this vicinity, and hundreds filed
into the undertaking ROOMS last even.
ing to look mt the body of the un-
fortunate woman.