Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1909-04-22
Roy z. chamherIIn Found Dead.

Roy =. Chamheriin Found Dead.
Two tramps, who had lodged in the
lookup the night before, were walking
down the track last Thursday forenoon
and not far from IL o'clock saw the face
and hands of q man above the water in q
ditch beside the track north Of the Hor-
ton Sargent farm and just below the
cedar swamp, two and a half miles from
this village. They went to the farm
house, now occupied by the family of
Walter Stark. and Mrs. Stark telephoned
news OF the gruesome discovery to the
Randolph exchange.
Selectman o. j. Marcott, DR.. A. @.
Bailey, the health officer, and Undertaken
A. F. Lamb hastened to the spot and
found q well-dressed young man lying on
his back in the ditch in which the water
bad been probably a foot and half deep.
The body had been entirely submerged
and escaped the notice of section men and
other passersby until the water lowered
enough to expose the face and the hands,
which were lying on the chest. The sec
ond finger of the right hand Was thrust
through the ring Of a corkscrew and near
I he body was an empty bottle Of the same
size and general appearance of the one
found with the unknown stranger, who
froze to death back OF the West Braintree
church the night Of March "a. A beer
bottle, which very likely had nothing
whatever to do with the case, was found
at little distance from the body.
In the pockets of the clothing were a
gold watch, So cents in money and q
post card addressed to Roy E. Chamber
lin, Bethel, VT. Mr.. Lamb being well
acquainted with the ChamberIin family,
knew that Melvin Chamberlin OF Gaya-
willie had q son, Roy, and inquiries were
made over the telephone. Mrs. Chamber
lin answered the call and said that her Ell
der son, Roy, was working for A. N.
Washburn & Co. in the Bethel Mills and
she supposed be was there then. The
Bethel Mills people said that Roy did not
work Tuesday but went to Braintree and
had not been seen by his employers since.
Any further doubt as to his identity was
finally removed when Mr.. Chamberlin ar
rived in the afternoon and sorrow fully
claimed the body as that OF his son.
Wednesday afternoon OF last week, 4
man was seen going down the track act,
ing in Q peculiar manner. He seemed to
be either crazed or intoxicated and war-
dered over the rails without much regard
to his personal safety. Another man,
since learned to be Z. l.. Sleeper of Beth
Ell, had been to Randolph to see his moth.
err, and was also walking back home, in
preference to waiting for late train
4 They reached the Sargent place twenty
minutes past six and there they parted
company, Mr.. Sleeper pushing on alon,
to Bethel. Very soon after, Chamberlir
must have fallen into the brook and
drowned; for, v hen found, the doctor
and undertaken thought he had been dead
nearly twenty hours.
The remains lay in Mr.. Lambs under.
taking rooms Thursday night and wer,
taken the next morning to Gaysville
where the funeral was held at / O'Clock
Saturday afternoon. The deceased wa.
% years of age and, besides his parents
left younger brother and sister.
This is one more tragedy to be laid al
the door of the Braintree saloon, who's,
curse unfortunately is not confined to thu
town which gives it license. Those whS
see sons, husbands and fathers de
bauched, ruined and even killed by thu
vile stuff allowed to be sold them are no
guilty of fanatical unreason in asking
why any one for any amount of none.
should be licensed to pour the poison 70
them.