Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1906-03-16
DROWNED HERSELF
Insanity the Cause Of Mrs. Dus.
tins Rash Act
Undoubtedly Jumped into Connecticut
River with Suicidal Intent-Body Has
Not Been Recovered.


sane, Mrs. William l.. Dustin Of North
Craftsbury a young woman of 2S years,
ended her life by drowning in the Con-
necticut river Monday morning while
visiting in Brattleboro at the home of
B. S. Gallup and sister, Miss Lillian CAL
lup, and their mother on Tyler street.
The body has not been recovered and
search for it for the present has been
abandoned. The circumstances surround
ing the case do not admit of the slightest
doubt that Mrs. Dustin found death in the
river clad only in a suit of union under
wear and stockings.
Mrs. Dustin came to the Gallup resi-
dence for visit on Thursday March 1,
and 1t was her intention to return home
on Tuesday of this week, but Miss Gallup
intended to try to persuade her to remain
longer, knowing that she was in an ex-
tremely nervous condition and needed
rest and quiet. Although the members
of the Gallup family were not related in
any way to Mrs. Dustin they had known
her a long time and knew that there was
insanity in her family. They noticed that
she had some trouble with her head, as
she would sit for a long time and rest
her head in her hanus. In reply to in
quirles by Miss Gallup she would say that
her head ached. She seemed to be melan-
choly, and at least. once she consulted a
Brattleboro physician and was given a
prescription.
Soon after O'Clock Monday morning
Miss Gallup thought she heard Mrs. Dus-
tin in her room upstairs. After an hour
or more. as she did not come down for
breakfast, one of the family went up
stairs to enquire for her, but found only
her clothing. With more or less of a
feeling of apprehension Miss Gallup opened
the back door, which is on the north side
of the house, to see If she could find any
trace of Mrs Dustin, and there in the
fresh snow were tracks leading toward
the river. She followed the tracks a few
rods. to the top of the railroad bank, and
then returned to the house and went 10
Mrs. Dustn's room.
In the room she found Mrs Dustin's
outer clothing, including her hat and
SHOES, but her stockings and suit OF union
Undertaking were missing. 1t was APP
parent that Mrs. Dustin had disappeared
with suicidal intent. Miss Gallup tele-
phoned for Sheriff Frank w. Mcclure at
the county clerks Office and also notified
First Selectman James f. Hooker. County
Clerk ]. H. Mortified located Sheriff Nc
Clure and also sent word to Bailiff john
Calvin.
Sheriff Mcclure and Selectman Hooker
followed the tracks from the Gallup house
to the railroad bank across the railroad
to the river bank and down to the waters
edge. Apparently they were made by a
person in stocking feet, and there were.
no returning footprints They appeared
to have been made by a person running
The tracks were partly filled with snow,
and as no snow fell after o'clock it
was apparent that the tracks were made
before that hour. From all the circum-
stances Sheriff Mcclure concluded that
Mrs Dustin disappeared soon after day
break
Returning to Mrs. Dustin's room Sheriff
Mcclure was not able to find any note,
IAf ATs.a 49,
night dress, which had been removed so
hurriedly that both sleeves were turned
inside out. In leaving the house Mrs
Dustin had to go down stairs, open a door
into the back hall and unlock and open
the rear door. The milkman, who came
early noted the tracks leading from the
back porch.
On Mr.. Hooker's order Charles Cushman
and others secured two boats and gran
pling irons with which to search in the
river, and Bailiff Calvin ordered out the
police force to assist. Sheriff Mcclure
had charge of the work. The men ex-
amined the point where the tracks stop
ped at the river and found that the water
was shallow for considerable distance
out, but that the current was swift.
They searched down the river as far as
the cove, north Of the Boston & Maine
railroad roundhouse using the graphing
irons and exploding many dynamite car
work
until night.
Mr.. Dustin arrived on the early morn
ing train Tuesday and arranged to have
the search kept up all through that day
The cove south of the roundhouse was
dragged Tuesday forenoon, also a large
part of the river which was gone over the
day before. At night it was decided that
the probability of finding the body by the
means at hand was remote and the search
was given up. The river was open, and
there was little anchor ice to bother, but
the water was high and swift Those
who assisted in the search were Sheriff
Mcclure, Night Waterman William War
rem, Policemen E. r. Thayer, ]. H Evans,
Scion Richmond and Austin H. Ward
also Charles Cushman, Francis Weeks.
Maurice Cavanaugh Patrick MCGUIRE and
David Leahy.
On wednesday morning Mrs. Dustin's
brother, Martin McCue of North Crafts
bury, came 10 Brattleboro. and II was
decided to resume the search. Iron rakes
with long teeth were made and the first
cove and other parts of the river were
gone over systematically until yesterday
afternoon, when the river became so full
OF anchor ice that 1t was impracticable
to search longer.
The attention of Sheriff Mcclure was
attracted Tuesday morning by some brown
fringe near the railroad track. directly
~ thS SOuiSe WHICH mTS. dustin look.
He put 1t in his pocket and later 1t was
learned that railroad men found brown
shawl on the track Monday morning and
took 1t to the freight office. This shawl
was procured and 1t was Identified by
Mr.. Dustin and Miss Gallup as belonging
to Mrs. Dustin. The portion of fringe
found had been cut off by being run over
by train. The finding of the shawl was
simultaneous with a discovery by Miss
Gallup that it was missing. It is sup
posed that Mrs. Dustin threw 1t over her
shoulders, but lost it when she jumped
down three-foot bank wall to the rail-
road track.
Mrs Dustin was 2S years old. Her
maiden name was Tressa McCue. Her
home had been principally in Green's
boro. She was married to Mr.. Dustin
last April, and they lived on a farm i'm
North Craftsbury. Mrs. Dustin finished
her 3Oth term as a school teacher the
past winter After her marriage Mr.
Dustin tried to influence her to give up
teaching, but she insisted and so a girl
was hired to assist in the house and
Mrs Dustin continued her chosen work
teaching in her home district and living
at home. She was a bright and capable
young woman and had an attractive per-
sonality. She leaves two sisters in Bur-
lington, one in Albany N. Y, and one
brother, farmer, in North Craftsbury.
Mr.. Dustin and Mr.. McCue offered a re-
ward of $50 last night for the recovery of
the body and sent notices of the offer
to Connecticut river towns as far south
as Holyoke.