The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1908-07-25
WOMAN DEAF MUTE
BEATEN TO DEATH
WITH A CLUB
Shocking Murder Committed
at East WalIingfOrd
EVIDENCE or DOUBLE CRIME
Miss Della 3. conedon Found
Dead at Her Home Wandering
Farm Hand Arrested

Farm Hand Arrested
Rutland. July 25.-Lying in a small
blood spattered milk room, with the
back and side of her head nearly
beaten in, Miss Della b. Congdon, a
deaf mute who lived in East Walling-
ford, about two miles from the viii
lage of Wallingford, was found about
III o'clock yesterday morning and as
result Frank Rogers of East Wal
lingford has been detained by the
authorities pending an investigation
Miss Congdon had not been seen
alive since Thursday morning and
Mrs. Mary Sprague, who lives nearby
noticed yesterday morning that the
mail had not been taken in and that
the milk had not been removed from
the doorstep. Mrs. Sprague, know
ing that Miss Congdon lived alone.
and thinking that she might be i'll,
sent her two sons over to the house
TO see If anything was wrong,
The boys went through the house
without finding any traces of
her until they came to this
small room in the back part of the
building Here the boys found the
body lying in a pool of blood, and the
walls OF the room blood spattered.
The boys called w. c. Stone, who is
one Of the selectmen of the town. and
who lives in the vicinity Mr. Stone
Immediately notified States Attorney
Robert A. Lawrence, and Deputy
Sheriff A. A. Leonard of Wallingford.
States Attorney Lawrence. ac-
companied by Sheriff E. c. Fish and
Bert b. Spafford went to Wallingford
in an automobile, arriving there at
about 2 o'clock in the afternoon.
Upon investigation it would
SEEM said Mr.. Lawrence last night,
as If the woman had been prepar.
ing breakfast when attacked She
was known to be a late riser. When
! found she was fully dressed, and had
tooth brush in her hand. which
had been broken in two. Her false
teeth were in an adjoining room. and
ii appears as If she had retreated in.
10 this little room when attacked.
She had evidently put up a fierce
fight for life, but as she had been
deaf and dumb from an early age. IL
was impossible for her to cry out
In the kitchen stove traces of small
fire were found, and on the stove was
a slice of toast. and some potatoes
which were cut ready to cook.
The room in which she was found
was about 6 feet by 10, and all of the
walls were spattered with blood
There were pools of blood on the
floor around the body. A butter
worker In one corner OF the room was
stained as If the woman had struck
her head when falling, and poo
OF blood nearby seemed to bear out
this theory. From the appearance oil
the head 1t would seem as if the body
had been dragged into the middle OF
the room.
Her sleeves were rolled up, anC
the arms had several black and blue
marks, also blood stains. The heaC
was resting on the right side, and the
arms were folded around the head
as If to shield the face.
"Fhe underclothing was disar
ranged, and evidence of crimina
assault was found, although this will
not be fully determined until the au
topsy is performed this morning"
The club with which the murder
was committed was found lyinl
across the body, and was twisteC
into the clothing in such a way as t.
partially choke the woman. Deputy
Sheriff Leonard said
Evidence was found to indicat,
robbery as the motive, some of the
furniture being ransacked, and draw
ers being found open and the con
tents of the drawers thrown about.
Rogers was unable to give very
clear account of his doings of the
last few days, and 1t is claimed b,
those who know him that he haC
been in the vicinity of the farm with
in two or three days, He has beer
In the house of correction i'm thi,
city a number of times, and was only
released from that place about tire,
months ago Since that time he ha!
been working around for differen
farmers in East Wallingford and do
ing odd Jobs as laborer.
Charles Hopkins, with whom Rog
ers boarded claimed to have seer
Rogers Thursday night at about
o'clock, and not again until about 6. 81
o'clock yesterday morning He cam,
around to his boarding place at tina
time, and appeared to be under tn,
influence OF liquor, and was told L
take his belongings and get out II,
hung around until about o'clock ant
then departed.
From there he went to the farm o
another man in the neighborhood o
Sugar Hill and struck job for tn,
day helping farmer and Il wa
while there that he was arrested.
II is said by the neighbors tina
Miss Congdon had little or no none
in the house, as she had been bacl
but two weeks from a visit at tn
home of her brother, George Cong
don, who also lives in WallingforC
The house in which she lived was Il
her name, and she had some money
She has another brother living 4
the West, She was about 40 year
of age
Drs Stone and Sprague, responde
to the request for an autopsy by tn
states attorney, and both men arri'
ed In Rutland on the l0;45 ocol