Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1905-09-15


| attorney and Mitchells attorneys T. Il.
! O'Brien and c. II. Williams of Bellows
! Falls, Atty. Gen. Fits made the following
statement to the court:
! The states attorney and | have care
| fully investigated the charge against this
respondent We have talked with the
! principal witnesses, and together viewed
| the place Of the crime and have heard
the story of the respondent and have in
vestigated his life and antecedents at
| his former home in Waterbury. Conn.
| Should the case be put on trial. the state
can prove the following facts:
James Mitchell, the respondent Is of
| Scotch descent and is about 80 years old
! and formerly lived at Waterbury. Conn
The murdered woman was Linnie RAN
| kin, wife Of George Rankin of Water
bury. Her maiden name was Linnie
| Murgatroy. Her home was in Water
| bury, also.
She and the respondent had been lovers
in earlier days and were engaged to be
married when the respondent enlisted in
the United States navy and left and was
not heard from for three or four years.
During his absence Linnie married
George Rankin and one child was born
TO them. Linnies sister was married to
the respondents brother.
The respondent returned from the navy
about two or three years ago; came to
Waterbury to his brothers house and
and his wife were living. Mitchell and
ldnnie soon met and the old affection
was renewed.
The evidence will be conflicting as to
which first proposed the idea Of their
running away and living together, but a
considerable evidence would tend to show
that the respondent proposed it, he be-
ing six years her senior. although the re-
spondent claims that she proposed it,
At any rate they soon made the plan.
carried it out and she left her husband
took the child and ran away with the
respondent and from that time on until
last February lived at different places
in Connecticut, Pennsylvania and finally
at Hagerstown, Md with the respondent
they living in the relation Of husband
and wife. and she being known as his
wife. She claimed that her husband
abused her.
Finally, last February Linnie arranged
with the respondent that she should come
to Connecticut or Vermont and procure
a divorce from her husband so that she
and the respondent could be legally mar
ried. and she came on at that time to
Waterbury. though she did not see her
husband she all the time keeping the
child with her.
The latter part of June. she and her
step-mother who was also her own aunt,
known and called i'm the family Aunt
Sue came to Grafton, bringing the child
with them. and went to the home of Lin
ME ; brother, Dana Murgatroy, in Graf
ton. She also had an uncle there by
name of Dana Unwin. Her brother.
Dana, his wife and family lived in a
house in Grafton which was owned by
John Rice a young unmarried man. and
Rice roomed in the house. Linnie room
ed in the house all the time from then
until her death. She soon secured en-
ployment at the hotel in Grafton as
waitress, and was employed there until
the day of the crime. She procured
board for her child with a neighboring
family.
All the time after she had left Mitchell
at Hagerstown, Md. she had been in
correspondence with him, and several of
the letters passing between them are in
the possession of the states attorney
They are very affectionate both ways.
He claims TO have sent her money to
procure that divorce with. and it appears
that after she came to Grafton. she did
talk about getting divorce and was
arranging to go to see a lawyer in Brat
tleboro, but had never done so.
Soon after she came to Grafton, a
courtshp sprang up between her and
John Rice, the young man who owned
and roomed in the house where her
brother lived. There is evidence tending
to show that this courtship was at the
insttgation of the step-mother Aunt Sue
At any rate. Linnie began to go with
Rice and 1t came to the point where she
agreed TO marry him as soon as she
could get her divorce. At about that
time her letters TO Mitchell, the re-
spondent. became colder of which he
Immediately complained in his letters
and finally, on July 23d, he wrote her
long letter complaining bitterly of her
coldness and finally saying that he sus-
pected something was wrong and If he
did not hear from her at once was COM
ing to Grafton and lend it ALI" This
letter is now in the hands of the states
attorney.
He came to Grafton July SO Sunday,
went to the hotel and inquired for her;
was shown into the parlor and she was
called and they met in the presence of
the landlord. Their meeting was in the
ordinary manner, she saying Hello" and
shaking hands. She was alone with him
for time and when she came out of
the room she told the landlady who was
there, and also told another woman, say
ing at the time, that he had threatened
to kill her II she did not do as he wished
something of that sort, and she appeared
somewhat excited
From that time until the time of the
crime, Mitchell was in a state of ex-
citement. He had a revolver with him.
which ne claims TO have bought in Ha-
gerstown but with no intention of COM
mitting a crime with II. He did not ex-
hibit the revolver until the time of the
shooting, though some cartridges belong
ing to it were in box and were about
the house; he stopping all the time at
Dana Murgatroy's house, where Linnie
slept and where Rice roomed. Mitchell,
the respondent, inquired of Dana and his
wife If Linnie was going with any man
and soon learned about her affair with
Rice. He then went to Rice and talk
ed with him about 1t and the two men
had an understanding with each other.
practically to the effect, that she could
take her choice and the other one would
be satisfied The respondent told Rice
in this talk that he had come to Graf
ton with Serious intentions" but
claimed that he had abandoned any idea
of them. Mitchell talked a good deal
with members OF the Murgatroy family
about the affair and seemed much dis
turbed at the woman's conduct, claiming
she was not true" to him.
Before Mitchell came, the step-mother,
Aunt Sue, had returned to Waterbury.
After Mitchell was there and had talked
with Rice, Rice wrote a letter directed
to Aunt Sue, telling about Michells ar
rival and going at some length into the
matter of his own affair with Linnie