Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1911-09-14
Wife of James Baird, Found
Dead by Roadside, and Com
panions in Custody.
FOUND IN WILDERNESS
Woman ATTEMPTS to Escape from.
Officers-Geo. Watson and
Edward Conway Admit
Trouble with Baird

Montpelier. Sept. 1s.-Mrs Jarno.
| Baird. George Watson and Edward
Conway were arrested tonight in the
Wilderness between Tayston and Hunt
ington, charged with knowing some
thing concerning the death of James
G. Baird. found dead beside the road
IN FaNston at an early hour this
morning. States Attorney j. Ward
Carver. Sheriff r. II. Tracy and Deputv
Lawson were called to Pigeon Hol-
low, in Fayston, this morning to in
vestigate Baird's death Baird's head
was badly battered, evidently with q
club or stone The body was found
between his house and that OF Albert
klngsbury. Baird was A. years of
age, married and commonly known ms
t1ghting Jim Baird. lie has some
thing of a court record.
Baird's body was found by Charles
Croumie, a teamster Croumie was drIv-
Ing load of lumber along the highway
when the horses shied. Getting off the
team to investigate Croumie discovered
the body just off the road near a wire
fence. he went to a nearby house and
telephoned tho town and county authori
ties, who Immediately started for the
scene.
TWO strangers. one OF whom Is said to
nave mad blood on his hands, stopped last
night at the home of Nelson Forrell. who
allowed them to sleep in the barn. They
left before the body was found There
mas been large number Of acts of vio-
lence In that section of Fayston during
the past few weeks, fist fights, revolver
shots and drunken rows being said to
have been common The house Of Judge
; j. Dana was pierced by a bullet a short
time ago.
The strangers who stopped at the For
rell house said they had had row with
Baird but little attention was paid TO
the matter as Balr1 was known to be of
quarresome nature and the men did
not appear to regard the matter as seri-
Gus
Sheriff Tracy returned here tonight
with Mrs Baird. Watson and Conway.
who were lodged in Jail awaiting their
hearing in connection with the death Of
Mr. Baird
The woman was arrested in the woods
while she was attempting to make her
escape from the officers and Conway
was arrested while In a drunken sleep
in an abandoned lumber camp. Both a.
rests were made in the wiiIhneSs be-
tween FaYston and Huntington. The
story told by Conway is that the three
men went to Moretown last night to buy
a crosscut saw for Frank Orvis, the lum-
herman. by whom they are employed.
On the way back they say they stopped
at the secondclass liquor place in Fays-
ton and bought some liquor. BY the time
they arrived at the Baird home they were
all intoxicated. Mrs Baird started to get
supper and the men became engaged in
fight over the possession of some OF
tho liquor They say there was fight
but dscaim knowledge of the fatal in.
1uries to Baird. They say he thrashcd
one of them in the house.
Watson was arrested while he was
searching for the crosscut saw which
was lost during the time they were at
the Baird house. Neither man made anv
Resistance. but The woman objected 70
going with the officers DR. r. H. Stone
is expected to arrive in the morning ia
make the autopsy at Fayston ana
states Attorney j. w. Carver will bring
the case to the attention of the grand
jury without a binding over hearing.
The shirt taken from one of the mon
bore what appears to be hloodStainS.
None Of the men had any mark on their
bodies which might have been made dur
ng the fight Bairds body was evidently
carried TO the place where 1t was found
under the fence beside the road
Baird is survived by two brothers, Alec
of Granville and William Of laval
Mass. and by two sisters. Mrs William
Riley Of Granville and Mrs. Nancy Jan
graw of this city.