The Caledonian-record. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1920-current, 1921-09-20
til ! became so nervous | could
stand it no longer.

| III DcCdlic 81 lfciNou Sooi"
stand it no longer.
I 81 said for goodness sake Jason
go to bed. You're making SC
| much racket that no one in thS
house can sleep wink. He went
! down stairs and ! must have gone
right to sleep because | do not
remember another thing until the
shots awakened me.
al jumped out OF bed and rush
ed to my step daughters room.
looked in but as it was quite dark
| could make out nothing. |
hurried downstairs to the kitchen
just in time to see Jason pull the
trigger OF the gun, which he had
reloaded, and fired one shot into
his left side. He dropped to his
knees He was grooming loudly
and started to crawl around on
the floor until he dropped fiat on
his back, weakened from the loss
of blood.
II grabbed the lamp which was
setting on the edge of the kitchen
table and rushed up into Clara 5
room. There the poor girl lay face
downward on the floor One shot
had entered under her chin and
come out through her left ear,
cutting off a portion of the ear.
The second bullet had pierced the
back of Her head. Her face was
badly burnt.
"The shots had set fire to some
of her undergarments which had
been laid across the foot of the
bed and | arrived upon the scene
Just in time to rescue little Ruth,
who was sitting up, her eyes wide
open taking in everything.
The flames were CREEPING steadily
nearer the child and if | had not
arrived in the room when / did the
child might have been burned to
death. | smothered the flames,
gathered little Ruth in my arms
and awakened the other two chill
dren and rushed out Of the house,
barefooted and in my night cloth
ing.
"Will McLaughlin's is the near
est house to ours and ] stopped
there. | told them what had hap
pened and they Immediately COM
municated with Charles McLaugh-
lin, who telephoned to the author
tiles. The children were later TAX
en- by Mrs. John Convey and are
being cared for until the funeral is
over. Mr.. Covev started out in his
truck for the other Johnson farm
house to get Mr.. Johnson"
Owino to the absence of DR..
w. M. Bronson of Lunenburg, Dr..
William Leith of Lancaster was
summoned. l. K. Bennett, under
taker of Lancaster was also called
to take charge of the bodies. Con-
stable Irving Silsbv and Deputy
Sheriff Harris X. Phelps arrived
on the scene soon after the ira
gedy occurred. Judge Karl Brown
appeared on the scene also.
Dr.. Leith made an examination
Of the dying man, but said there
was nothing that could be done
for him. He told the authorities
that an inquest would be unneces-
sary in view of the fact that it
was established who did the shoot
ing. The gun and discharged bull
lets were handed over to Deputy
Sheriff Phelps. First Selectman
H. S. Powers of Gilman and Sec
ond Selectman H. T. Silsby visited
the scene of the double tragedy
Monday, but left shortly after
looking over the house. Unsuc-
cessful attempts were made to To-
cate States Attorney Oliver Cam
eron.
In conversation with Dr.. Leith,
while he lay on the floor, his life
blood slowly ebbing away, the
murderer told his reason for XIII
ing the girl and himself and how
the crime was committed.
"Who did the shooting the
physician asked. 81 did," the dy-
ing man replied.
"Why did you kill Mrs. Ken
nay?' Because | loved her. That's
why | shot her. 1t was true love,
too. | loved her more than any
one ever loved her..
"How long had you been think
ing of ending your lives?" For
several days | have been planning
to kill Clara and myself.
"Aren't you sorry you did it,"
an I'm not sorry. I'm glad"
Mrs. Kenney's husband, William
Kenney, a farmer of Lancaster. -.
H., from whom she has been sep
arated since last November, came
to the Johnson farmhouse Mon
day to review the remains of his
wife and brother. He made no
demonstration whatever, accord
ing to the Johnsons. He did not
shed a tear over his wife's fate nor
did he ask for the children.
Mrs. Kenney and Jason Kenney
have known each other for sever
al years but their friendship COM
menced to mature last fall when
Kenney was working for his
brother in Lancaster Six different
times Mrs. Kenney has left her
husband because of alleged cruel
and abusive treatment TO herself
and her children. They were
married in Lancaster on May 5,
1915 and have led a more or less
stormy married life ever since, it
n