The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1914-12-17
Numerous PersOnsWh how ere
Instrumental i'm Capture
of Wren
TWO YEARS SINCE
OFFER WAS MADE
Several Brattleboro Men i'll List of
Claimants-W Wording of Offer by Hol-
brook, Cabot & Rollins Corporation
Out OF the Ordinary.

1t is now nearly two years since
James Stewart Hamilton, a walking
boss in the employ OF the Holbrook,
Cabot & Rollins corporation was found
murdered near cut in the new railroad
in the town of Hinsdale on the morning
Of Feb 1913. The reward of $1,000
offered by the corporation for the "ap-
prehension and delivery to New Hamp-
shire authorities of the murderer has
never been paid. That there are, or viii
he, several claimants who have some
grounds for believing they are entitled
to Mt least a part of the reward, is well
known.
Interest in the crime for which John
II. Wren is now serving a life sentence
in the Concord, \. H., state prison, is
revived by the fact that some, if not
all, of those who contributed in any
way TO the capture OF the alleged muir
.derer are taking steps looking towards
receiving a share of the reward.
Ralph kirkwood, who found in the
bottom of the chimney in his home on
Birge street, the upper tenement OF
which had been occupied by Mr.. and
Mrs. Wren and child. a receipt for a
registered letter issued to J. :. Hamil-
ton and dated at Hinsdale, considers
that this was a very important link in
the chain of evidence that resulted
finally in the conviction of Wren.
David s. Carey, ticket agent at the
local railroad station. who informed
the authorities that he had sold two
tickets for Boston to Wren the morn
ing the body was found and had pre-
Iviously gone over routes with him for
- trip to Chester Nova Scotia, feels
that he was instrumental in giving the
authorities the clue that led them in
the right direction.
Milton Snowden. a coIored porter in
| the Boston station who recognized
| Wren from q story of the crime he had
| read and who notified the Boston police
| that the man he suspected of having
| been Wren had bought tickets to Hall
fax and had sent Il trunk by express.
| thinks nc gave information that enti-
ties him to a slice of the 81 900
| Detective Hanrahan of Halifax. who
arrested Wren when he stepped from
the train in that city. and later search
cd his trunk and found bloody cloth
ling, Is another who considers that he
has 4 claim on the reward.
Sheriff Lord of Kcene, who was in
direct charge Of the ease. and Police
| inner George Wilson of BrattIeboro
who got together n lot OF the local
clues, also are claimants.
| 1t may he. too, that Rev. NJ. j. Oste.
yee of Hiusdale, n. H., who tes-
titled to having carried Wren by team
on the evening of Feb. ) from the Os.
Iteyee home near the scene of the
crime to Brattleboro, feels that he con
trihuted considerable to the chain OF
evidence that brought about the con
viction, and this is equally true of en-
Ipioyes of the Holbrook, Cabot & Rol
Inns corporation who were able to ties
tfy that Wren was with Hamilton
when the latter quit work on the even
ing before his dead body was found
and that the men had been arguing il
the office of Hamilton.
But after all it may be that the
wording of the offer of the reward
=" For the apprehension and delivery
to the New Hampshire authorities OF
the murderer or murdercrs NAV de
termine the awarding of the entir,
sum. Usually such offers are .sfol
Ievidence or information that Will lea(
to the arrest and conviction, = etc