Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1917-06-28
VERMONT GRAD. MURDERED
DR.. Theron D. Jenkins, '13, Slain
by Farmland.
Worst Tragedy In Northern New York
-Lustful Murderer Killed One
Woman ana Two Men he.
sides Physician.

Dr. Theron D. Jenkins Of winthrop. N.
Y, who was graduated in June, 1913, from
the University Of Vermont Medical Col
lege, was one of the victims of the worst
crime ever committed in the history OF
St. Lawrence county of northern New
York, when. on Thursday night, Frank
briggs. who was employed on farm
in the town of Stockholm. nine miles
from Potsdam, shot to death Mrs. Jo-
sephine Rogers. DR.. Jenkins and James
and Henry Ladue. brothers. for whom he
worked. and crimina1ly assaulted Miss
Harriet Ladue. the 1S-year-old niece Of
his employers. DIR. Jenkins was shot
through the head as he entered the Ladue
home. where ne had been summoned ear
lier in the evening, to give medical atten-
ton to the man who killed him. His
murder was one Of the most pathetic fea-
lures Of the tragedy, as 1t occurred on the
first anniversary Of his wedding. Besides
his wife. he is survived by his parents.
Mr.. and Mrs. Silas D. Jenkins, who live
in Winthrop. The murderer, who drove to
Potsdam and surrendered to the authori-
ties. is in Jail there. No motive has yet
been discovered for the slayings, and in
sanity is thought to have been the cause.
briggs. a native Of. Lincoln. Neb.. had
been employed at the Ladue farm since
last September. with the exception Of a
three weeks absence in the spring. when
it is said he had tried to enlist in the navy.
During last week he had complained at
various times of feeling i'll, and on Thurs
day night when the Ladue brothers. Mrs.
Rogers returned first and briggs told her
the chores, he remained indoors. Mrs.
Rogers returned first and Dreggs told her
he was sick. When Miss Harriette Ladue
came in, Mrs. Rogers asked her to go to
a neighbours for hot water bottle. While
at the neighbours. Miss Ladue telephoned
for DR.. Jenkins.
When the girl returned she found
briggs in the parlor with his rife. The
bleeding body Of her aunt had been drag.
ged across the floor. through the kitchen
| and into the dining room. The girl asked
him what he had done and he told hel
he had killed Mrs. Rogers.
At this moment James Ladue returned
from the barn and as he entered the
house briggs shot him through the shout.
der. He fell to the floor but got up again
only to get another bullet through the
body, which ended his life. briggs dragged
the corpse into a bedroom and rolled II
under the bed.
The murderer then turned his attention
to the girl. Apparently the passionate af
lection that he had developed for her ant
which he had been compelled to keel
locked in his breast burst forth in fury
He seized the girl and carried her up
stairs. He stripped the clothing from fie
Then he tied her hands and feet viii
bits of clothing and gagged her.
Possibly sound of footsteps below
stopped him in his madness. He ran be
low. grabbed his rife and met Henry La
due in the kitchen. One shot laid hin
low but briggs dubbed his rifle and strucl
the dying man a terrific blow on tn
head. dragged the body into the dinini
room and left 1t beside that Of the woman
whose corpse was still warm.
At this point DR.. Jenkins drove into tn
yard AS he entered the house Drigg
shot him through the head and he fe
over a wood box on the back Of the kitch
en- stove.
briggs then returned to the bedroom up
} stairs and committed the crime that wa
the climax Of his bloody orgy.
Following the assault he ordered tn
girl to dress and after getting together
sackful of crackers and bread he too
her to the barn on the Steenberg farm
where the Ladue horse was kept. H
hitched up the rig and drove with the gil
toward Potsdam.
After going about four miles he got OF
Of the rig. threw away the bag Of foo
took the broken rife and told tho gil
he was going to kill himself. She begge
him not to and he got back into the bugg!
He told her he was sorry for his deed an
that he was going to give himself up.
They reached Potsdam at midnight an
! went directly to the police station. Drigl
approached Ofiicer Stone and said: II al
. a murderer and I want you to lock n
up" Stone placed him behind the bal
in the village Jail