The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1920-12-01
RING LEADER OF ....
r.. MURDER GANG
Officers Believe Herbert Lowell Led in
Killing of Owen Hayes-Seek
Confession f. ON Others.

RUTLAND. Dee Although the Of /
fieials working on the circumstances sur
rounding the alleged murder of Owen
Hayes of Fair Haven OH the night of
October II have withheld many of the
| facts surrounding the arrest of the four
| respondents. Herbert Lowell John Bard
| we'll, known as The Watch Tinker and
| for number of years n resident of Rut-
! land together with John DufaHey, there
are several outstanding features which
are known
THAT Herbert Lowell, alias Ernest
! Lowell. made a statement to the detectives
working on the case yesterday. which in
many points dovetails with other evidence
/ which the officers say is mot cireum
/ stantial." and which tends to make him
the ringleader of the gang.
THAT the only other direct evidence
must be the confession of one of the other
of the three men involved in the murder
Gus plot and coupled with this. the per-
Sstent rumor that Peter W. LOuge.
father of the Young girl who has been
prominently mentioned in the case, had
turned states evidence and told the en-
tire story of the affair.
3-That when the body of Owen Hayes
was found floating in the CaStleton river
he had suspended about his neck a small
bag. IN which was enclosed 800, which
was not found by the robbers.
THAT three Of the men. Duffaney.
Addison county Jail in AIiddlebury last
, night by Constable John Brown of Fair
+ Haven ,bqfll bfei Fqgs, still confined in the
II 5-That Attorney General Frank c.
{ ! Archibald of Manchester will ask for an
Immediate session of a special grand jury.
called for The express purpose of con-
| sidering the caSs3-3ipi 81
Yesterday Vas n busy day for Attorney
General Archibald. States Attorney, L.
VI, u. Phelps Of Fair Haven and Detec-
tiyeS- Wood and Brown from the Wood
agency Of Boston who were called into
the. ease on Sunday after the facts as
understood by the county officials were
unfolded to the state officers.
1t is understood that all four men
have made statements TO the effect that
Madeline Longe 15-year-Old daughter Of
one of the respondents. had admitted
having been told of the murder on the
Sunday night following the killing. and
that Owen Hayes was traced by witness
ses through his entire movements on the
night of his death up to 10 80 o'clock
when he left the waiting station of the
Rutland Railway Light and Power com
pany and started down River street on
his way TO his home. His body Twas
found floating in the Castleton river.
but a stones throw from the spot where
he was last seen alive. 1t was diScoy-
cred by John Flanagan and one of the
odd facts Is that when the discovery was
made he was in conversation with Peter
Longe, now under arrest as a party to
the killing,
When last seen, the officers have evi-
dence it is understood that Mr. Hayes
had over $500 in his pockets and when
the body was found the pockets con-
tanned but a few dollars. aside from
the bag which was suspended about his
neck and which was probably overlooked.
The unfolding of the, story has been Il
strange affair and it all resulted from
a chance remark made in the Office of
States Attorney Phelps where man
by the name of Louis Bishop had just
beeR arraigned before Judge Leo II.
Pratt on a charge of criminal assault
the victim in the case being the 1J-year-
old daughter of Peter Longe, the girl
Madeline.
Bishop. who is the father of three
children, left mOtherleSs a year ago when
Mrs. Bishop committed suicide. was being
questioned as to why he had taken the
girl ON the various trips, which they are
alleged to have taken about Vermont
and New Hampshire, and according to
the officers. he said
4 was afraid of the old man. He was
mixed up in the Hayes business"
This gave the officers n clew and after
they had talked with Madeline Longe
1 the detectives were called into the case.
Madeline had said repeatedly that she
was told of the killing on the Sunday
night following by Herbert Lowell now
said to be the ringleader in the affair.
She has, however, given the officers bnt
few details according to the reports Tt
is also claimed that Madeline told the
detectives yesterday that she noticed on
the night of the murder that her father
was very nervous and that for several
DAYS following he gave evidence of a
nervous disposition.