Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1919-05-08
Body of Mrs. Harry Broadwell,
20, Stripped of Clothing and
with Cloth Bound Around
Throat, Found in Garden
NO CLUE TO MURDERER
victim Left Her Home Saturday Night
to Go to Pictures-Thcory Ii She
WINS strnngIcd ana Then Dragged to
Place Where Found

Montpelier, May 4.-The body of Mrs.
Harry Broadwell, 90 years old and the
mother OF three children was discovered
IN garden this morning in Barre. The
womans body had been stripped of ite
clothing and around the throat was a
piece of cloth bound tightly, Mrs Broad
well having been stranglcd to death. The
discovery was made by Harold jackson
a boy whose home is in Orange. He noti
fed the police at once.
Young jackson came to Barre from his
nome In Orange Saturday afternoon and
after attending the pictures in the citv
went to the Buzzell HOTEL where he stay-
ed over night. He arose little after
seven O'Clock this morning and about 7:45
he left the hotel, walking to Summer
street and was taking a short cut to Main
street few rods towards the center of
the city when he saw what appeared to he
the body of woman. He went to the
police station, but finding no one there
went back towards the place looking for
an officer Finding Officer curtis, he told
him that he thought a woman had been
killed. The policeman gave little credit
to the story, but accompanied jackson
and found the body.
me woman was laying face down on
the grass, her hands tied with her skirt
behind her back. while another piece of
clothing was drawn tight around her
neck. There was a gag of cloth in her
mouth. The only clothing sne had on was
her stockings and shoes and her gloves,
one of which was partly off her hand.
The clothing she had worn was lying
beside her. Her watch and hat were
found a few feet from her.
UDOn the arrival IF Stota,o Attoroo,, L,
r. Davis, pictures of the woman and
position in which she laid were taken.
Ofiiced Curtis guarded the place and a
little after nine O'Clock the body was
moved to the Perry ~ Noonan undertake
Ing rooms to await an autopsy and ide
tification, which occurred shortly AFTER
the body was placed in the morgue An
autopsy was performed later in the day by
DR.. b. H. Stone of the State laboratory
1t was apparent that the woman had
been gagged and bound somewhere
else than at the place where she was
found. although she may not have
been dead when left. Her ankles
were crossed when she was discov.
cred. 1t was generally believed in
Barre that she was killed in some
other place and that after death she
was taken to the desolate place and
thrown over a fence and then dragged
a short distance. Her clothing had been
literally torn off.
Her husband was found at his
home about 10 o'clock this morning
He went to Mr.. Davis office and said
he gave his wife $40 about seven
o'clock Saturday evening to go after
groceries, that she bought these and
returned home about go o'clock and
then, saying she was going to the
pictures, left the house. Mr.. Broad
well went out for the evening and
did not return until 2:30 o'clock this
morning. He found his wife had not
returned. He states that he went out
to hunt for her and that he searched
until about five o'clock, when he went
home and went to bed. He had arisen
when the officers reached the house
and was getting breakfast for his
children and the womans father, who
was living with the family.
1t is understood that persons who
could not account for their actions
during the night have been question
ed by the officers
The murdered woman was 20 and
was Lucinda Courser before her mar
riage. leaves her husband and three
children. ages eight, seven and six
years.
Attorney General Frank Archibald Of
Manchester was notified of the affair
and is understood to be on his way
to Barre.