The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1915-01-05
ST. JOHNSBURY
STIRRED BY TRAGEDY
Little Good Was Known Of ]. Douglas
London, Who Murdered Mrs. Charles
Wheaton and William Lane.

ST. Johnsbury, Jan. 5.-The funeral OF
Mrs Charles Wheaton, who was shot
through the heart by J. Douglas London
farmland, yesterday morning, will
probably be held Thursday. The body OF
William Lane, a farmland employed by
the Wheaton family, also shot by Lon
don. has been claimed by brother resid-
ing in Jefferson N. III. The body OF Lon
don is held here awaiting disposal
1t was while Mr.. Wheaton was carry
ing children to the village schools in this
village that London, neer do-well,
whose record in Maine is thought to
have made his safe return to that state
! impossible, went to the Wheaton house.
] He came here from Freeman, Me-, where
he is supposed to have a wife. Until
last spring he was employed as a farm
hand by Wheaton, but his bad habits
caused his discharge He was succeeded
by Lane. Since then he had talked
threateningly about the Wheatons.
Saturday, London, who vas working
on the farm OF Charles Gadapee, asked
to be off over Sunday and also asked for
SIS. He was around the village Saturday,
but spent that night, Sunday and Sun
day night at the home of Mr.. and Mrs.
James Kiiburn, neighbors of the Wheat
ons. Monday morning he told Mrs. Kill
burn that he was going to return to the
Gadapee farm, but started off in the OPP
posite direction, toward the Wheatons',
carrying a one-shot 32-calibre rifle.
Just what occurred when he reached
the Wheaton home may never be known.
Mrs. Wheaton must have seen him APP
preaching and attempted to barricade
herself in ROOM With her were her
two youngest children, aged two and
four Two shots were fired through the
door OF the room. II is supposed that
London then gained entrance to the room
and shot her twice more One bullet
passed through her heart and another
shattered her right arm. Four were en-
bcdded in her body.
In much the same way London muir
dered Lane. Two shots were fired
through the barn door. and two more
after London had either wounded him
or killed him, so that he was able to get |
into the barn. Lane, like Mrs. Wheaton /
received four shots.
After killing Mrs. Wheaton and Lane, /
London returned to the Kilburn home /
and announced:
"Well, I've killed Nance and Lane, and I
now I'm going to kill myself. You'd bet
ter 90 down and take care OF those two
kids of hers and notify your GRANDPA
ther." Mrs. Kilburns grandfather is A.
Z. Lawrence, town selectman.
Mrs Kilburn replied, you've done
nothing Of the sort. And you're not GO
ng TO kiln yourself"
Yes, | am" repeated London.
Picking up her child, Mrs. Kilburn an
iwered, well don't do il where ! can
lear YOU and ran to her grandfather's,
where telephone messages notified au-
horities, summone3 physicians and |,
allied the undertaken.
London, after Mrs Kilburn fled. went
0 the barn and, sitting down, put the
life TO lis heart and fired.
Intense excitement was caused in ST. /,
Iohnsbury by the news of the crime.
rowds Aoeked 10 the scene. II was q
aid that il London had begun instead !
I epding with self.destruction il would
ave been well. He was known as worth. Z
ass and he had an evil reputation.