Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1917-08-16
ST. ALBANS GIRL
FOUND MURDERED
Body of Jennie Hemingway,
IA, Is Discovered in Corn
Field.
APPARENTLY STRANGLED.
Girl Lust Seen Alive Sunday Evening
in Company with Soldier. Robert
Warm, who IL Now in Jail.

st. Albans Aug. 13-The body Of Jen-
ME Hemingway, 14-year-old daughter OF
Henry Hemingway was found in a corn
field west Of Postmaster William H.
Firms house on the Newton road this
morning. Indications are that the girl
was strangled to death. Private Robert
Warm, 18th U. s. cavalry, stationed at
Fort Ethan Allen, the last person seen In
the young woman's company, Is now In
Franklin county Jail, pending an investi-
CATION by the authorities. Warm tells
story of some other soldiers chasing him
and the girl last evening. During the
flight. he says, he and the girl separated.
and he did not see Miss Hemingway
again until he and her uncle. Joe Wiley.
found the body this morning.
EVIDENCE OF STRUGGLE.
The girl when found was lying flat
on her back with her hands above her
head. There was some evidence that
she had put up struggle as her
wrists were discolored. but she must
have been quickly overpowered as her
clothes were only slightly dis
arranged and a spot of ground only
about seven feet square had been
trampled down in the field where she
was discovered. There was no blood
on the body or on the ground where
Iit was found.
After finding the body Wiley and
Warm went to Postmaster Firms
house. where they were allowed to
telephone for officers and DR.. w. B.
Arnold. city health officer. was sum-
moned. as was DR.. w. J. Upton. When
1t was learned that the body was in
st. Adams town Health Officer George
lDunsmore was summoned and gave
rYp1i co For ~ N
McAllisters undertaking parlors on
North Main street. where late to-day
DR.. B. Fl. Stone Of the State laboratory
of hygiene conducted an autopsy.
States Attorney w. r. McFeeters
conducted an inquest at the Jail office
too day. Before the removal of the dead
girl, Chief of Police J. F. Mahoney,
Patrolman Robert Walker and
Deputy Sheriff L. p. Martin made a
careful inspection of the place and
photographs of the body and sur
roundings were taken by w. D.
Chandler.
WARM TELLS HIS STORY.
Private Warm was interviewed at the
Jail this morning by States Attorney
McFetters and later he consented ia
see newspaper representatives. He
stated that he was from Pottstown
Pa. that he was in his 21st year and
that he enlisted about three months
ago following the death Of his wife
afternshe had given birth to twins
Saturday night. he continued he was
at the Hemingway house. when sew
eral other cavalrymen congregated
In front and caused such a disturbance
that police were summoned and one
or the troopers was arrested on the
charge OF breach of the peace. Warm
says the men thought he called the
police and threatened to get" him for
1t.
He said he was at the Hemingway
home. where Jennie lived with her father
stepmother and haif-sister, Jane, all day
Sunday and started out for a walk with
the girl about 1880 o'clock. AS the two
reached the Newton road some soldiers
jumped out and Warm and the girl ran,
the girl going west and Warm east. Two
OF the soldiers followed him, he said, and
three went after the girl. He succeeded
In eluding his pursuers after a time, and
when he had reached Lake street met the
girls uncle and asked the latter If he
had seen Miss Hemingway. Wiley said
he had not and Warm went on. Later
in the evening he went to the Hemming-
way home to ask If the girl had returned,
ascertaining she had not Except for a
empty passenger car near the Central
Vermont railway station. he declared,
he spent the night looking for the girl.
WARM HELPS FIND THE BODY.
Early this morning he went to the
court house, thinking he might find the
police officers there. Not finding them
he went to the city hall, about $50, and
was informed that they would be along
soon. While he was waiting Joe Wiley
appeared and the two took up the search,
hnding the body. as stated.
Warm said he had received leave OF
absence Saturday morning which expired
this morning at $50 and he appeared
anxious that the military authorities
should be Informed of his whereabouts
lie has not secured counsel and does not
even state that he did not kill the girl.
apparently taking it for granted that his
story bears out that fact. He says that
} his suspicious are not directed toward
any one man. Warm is a young man
of good appearance
warm gave the names of the follow
ing as having been in front of the Hem
, mingway house Saturday night: Joseph
Sanford of Brooklyn. N. Y. Thomas Boss
! OF Brushton, Pa. Sidney Decker of Bur-
lington. N. j., Frank Hyler and a man
named Panzer. all privates of the 18th
cavalry regiment
GIRL LARGE FOR HER AGE
Miss Hemingway was large for her age
ana mad the appearance of a girl Of Il
years. She was wearing a black and white
, striped dress. blue stockings and low
, shoes at the time of her death. She wore
! no nat. Postmaster Finn says that a few
years ago. when he was postmaster. ht
was Obliged to threaten the girl with q
sentence at the State Industrial school II
she dld not stop asking for money ant
ciothes on the claim that she was one OF
large family. Mr.. Finn further relates
that he sat on his verandah for some time
iast evening and saw nothing OF any
soldiers nor of the Hemingway girl
Just before midnight he looked out Of q
window and thought he saw someone en-
tering the cornheld but was not certain
that anyone went in
This Is st. Adams first murder case
since the murder of Chin Kim. keeper OF
second hand store on Catherine street,
"hich occurred in the spring Of 1914.
, SECRET INQUEST BEGUN.
secret inquest begun to-day before
City Judge N. n. Post by States Attorney
!, w. X. McFeeters will probably be COM
p'eted Tomorrow. Eight witnesses ap-
peared to-day. No new arrests have been
maze nor is 1t expected any will be made
until the completion OF the inquest when II
VIII be known whether the evidence war
rants such action. Private Robert Warm
is held pending investigation as he was
the last person seen in the girls company
| before her daath