The Saint Paul globe., 1904-01-24
SpoOner.


his brief stay agreeable and secured
| the promise of a visit on his return.
The Northern campaign over, Ross was
again visitor.
Ross was now young man of eight
cen, fine looking and soldierly, whom
| campaigning had developed into man
of the world. She was a woman of
thirty three beautiful and accomplish
| ed. Unhappy in her domestic life, she
readily bestowed her love upon the
| dashing young soldier. His visit was
prolonged. Like the lotus eaters of
Homer he forgot to return home.
She was ever in his company and
they took long horseback rides through
the romantic and beautiful Quaboag
valley till her love for the young SOL
dier fermented into a guilty passion,
which turned dislike for her aged hus-
band into hatred.
Plans for the Crime.
Plans for his taking off, to which
Ross gave an asserting but unwilling
ear, began to form in the brain of the
woman. Ross was borne along hope
lessly upon the wild current Of events.
He could not leave the beautiful en-
chantress, though he knew his stay
meant murder He had the confidence of
the husband, and accompanied him oc-
casionally upon distant journeys.
While Ross was with Spooner on
one of his trips there came to the
Spooner residence two British soldiers,
James Buchanan and William Brooks,
who were called into the house by the
servants at Mrs. Spooner's request.
Buchanan was a sergeant under Gen.
Burgoyne. Brooks also served under
the same general and after his defeat
at Saratoga they, with others, were
rNh inf
men were entertained by Mrs. Spoon
er's instructions for two weeks, and IL
quor was furnished them without stint.
The husband made feeble efforts to get
rid of them, but he was. not master
of his own home The servants were
under the wife's control.
The men finally departed, but soon
returned, and after various plans for
poisoning Spooner had miscarried and
schemes for killing him by violence had
come to naught, through lack of cour-
age, Spooner was finally struck down
by Brooks one night as he was entering
his yard, on his way from the village
tavern.
His body was thrown into the we'll
head foremost.
Lured to His Doom.
1t was the purpose Of the consp pira-
eOIS " Liodhc II dppctI llldl uC uctu
fallen into the we'll by accident while
| drawing water. Ross, though not una
| ware that measures had been planned
| for taking the life of the man he had
wronged, was not a party to them till
the fatal night, when he seems to have
| been lured into the deed of blood by
| the fair Circe.
The tragedy over, Mrs. Spooner
| opened her husbands strong box, paid
| the men literally and bestowed upon
Buchanan and Brooks the dead mans
watch and silver buckles, with male
VIOLENT cunning, SO that should 1t be-
come known that Spooner had been
| murdered suspicion might fall upon
| the two British soldiers.
| Shortly after Spooner's disappear
ance became known. search was in
| stituted. The body was found in the
well by tell-tale evidence which the
murderers had neglected to efface, and
| 1t was determined that Spooner had
been murdered. The British soldiers
had gone to Worcester, where they
| sought forgetfulness in drink.
| While in a maudlin state one OF
] them displayed Spooners watch. Their
| attempts to extricate themselves from
suspicion by falsehood enmeshed them
the more, and they finally implicated
Ross and Mrs. Spooner. All four were
| arrested ana their CFldl was speedy
Now, Gen. Ruggles was a tory
When the congress was held in New
York in October, 1775, he had been one
Of the representatives from Massachu-
setts. Though he was chosen presi-
! dent and might be supposed to re-
| present the congress, he was the only
member who did not sanction it's spirit
and the result of it's deliberations
The two other delegates from Mas
sachusetts received the thanks of the
legislature, while Gen. Ruggles was
reprimanded.
At the beginning Of the revolution
Gen. Ruggles espoused the royal
side and became odious to the people
Of Massachusetts. He never took uI
| arms against his country; perhaps he
| was patriot at heart, but believed
| the time for striking for independ-
ence had not yet come. He was hated
| where he had been most esteemed
| though it is claimed that the British
| government more than made the loss
| good.
| Hatred of the father was visited
upon the unhappy daughter.
| Convicted and Sentenced.
While the name of Ruggles was held
/ in opprobium Bathsheba Ruggles
| Spooner was convicted and sentenced
| The case was a notable one. The court
| was composed of William Cushing
chief justice, and Justices Jedediaf
Foster, Nathaniel Peas1ee Sargent
/ David Sewell and James Sullivan
Robert Treat Paine was state attorney