Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1915-01-07
st. Johnsbury Wife and Mother
Victim of Grudge Cherished
by Ne'er.DO-Well Her Hus-
band Had Formerly Employed.
-FOUR BULLETS N BODY
Kills Also His Success.
sOr in Job, Notifies Neighbor
of His Act, Then Puts Rifle to
His Own Heart-TwO Children
In House during Tragedy.

st. Johnsbury, Jan. with four bullets
embedded In her body, ono OF them hav-
Ing gone through her henrt. Mrs Charles
Wheaton, n years old, was found dead In
her bedroom this morning by neiyhbors
rushing to tho house. on what II known
as the Crow Hill road, whsn news Of her
murder and that Of william Lane, a farm
hand. by J. Douglas London had stirred
this village. The body Of Lane. who also
was shot four times. was found In the
Wheaton barn. London shot himself
through the heart in the nearby Kilburn
barn A grudge against the Wheatons
for having discharged him IL thought to
have caused the double murder and sui!
eide
II was about nine o'clock this morning,
while Mr.. Whea ton was carrying children
to the village schools In this village
that London. neer-do-well. whose rec
ord 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 IL 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 was WORKING on
the farm of Charles Gadapee, asked to
be of over Sunday and also asked for
S. He was around the village Saturday,
but spent that night. Sunday and Sun
day night at the home Of Mr.. and Mrs.
James Kilburn. neighbors of the
No
Kilburn that he was going to return to
the Gadapee farm. but started of in the
opposite direction, toward the Wheatons'
carrying a one-shot 32-calibre rifle.
BULLET THROUGH HEART
Just what occurred when he reached
the Wheaton home may never be known.
Mrs Wheaton must have seen him ap-
preaching and attempted to barricade
herself In a room. With her we're her
two youngest children, aged two and
four. Two shots were Aired through the
door of the room. It is supposed that
London then gained entrance to the
room and shot her twice moro. One bull
let passed through her heart, and an
other shattered her right arm. -Four
were embedded in her body.
In much the same way London MUIR
dered Lane. Two shots were Aired
through the barn door, and two more
after London had either wounded him
or killed him, so that he was able tc
get into the barn. Lane. like Mrs
Wheat ton. received four shots.
| After killing Mrs. Wheaton and L>1e
London returned to the Kilburn horn
and announced:
/ We'll, I've killed Nance and Lane
and now I'm going TO kill myself. You're
| better go down and take care OF those
two kids of hers and notify your grand
father" Mrs Kilburn's grandfather Il
\. F. Lawrence, town selectman
Mrs Kilburn replied you've don,
nothing of the sort And you're not goinl
tn kill yourself"
Eyes. I am" repeated London.
MURDERER KILLS HIMSELF.
| Picking up her child. Mrs. Kilburr
answered. well. don't do II where
can hear you" and ran to her grand
fathers. where telephone messages
notified authorities. summoned physi
clans and called the undertaken,
London. after Mrs Kilburn fled, wen
to the barn and, sitting down, put tn
rifle to his heart and fired.
Intense excitement was caused in st
Johnsbury by the news of the crime
Crowds flocked to the scene. It wa.
said that If London had begun instea,
of ending with self destruction 4
would have been we'll. He was know
as worthless and ne had an evil repu
tation.
The body of Lane, who was about Is
was brought to the Caldwell undertaking
rooms, and will be claimed Tomorrow
by "A brother coming from Jefferson
N H. The body of London will b.
placed in the vault. He was about 4
years of age
The funeral of Mrs, Wheaton, who wa.
a highly respected woman, will be hell
probably Thursday. Besides her nus
band, she leaves six children, ranging II
age from two TO IA years, They ar
said to he among the brightest in thei
school.