Year: 1876

burning straw and blazing furniture they
discovered the corpses of Mr.. and Mrs.
Mallory and the lad. Two only of these
they were able to rescue-the old man
and the boy-and these not without re-
ceiving severe burns. Then the fast ad-
vancing flames drove them out. "They
are all murdered l'' cried one of the
young men from the window, sending n
thrill Of horror through the little crowd
OF neighbors already gathered below.
The bodies handed down seemed to
prove the truth of the averment. Their
CHASTITY wounds looked doubly horrible
by the fierce glare of the flames.


The dreadful shock had the effect of
temporarily paralyzing the energies of
those who gathered about those fright
ful evidences of a crime infinitely more
terrible than anything the quiet little
town had ever known before, and no at
tempt was made for some minutes to
check the fire. Those few minutes were
sufficient to put the flames beyond the
possibility of control. Suddenly the
noise Of breaking glass and an agonized
Shrek resounded from the back part of
the house. The crowd ran around there
and saw at one of the windows the face
of the eldest of the two sisters. She was
screaming for help with her head thrust
out through the window sash, and the fire
already lighting up behind her. The
younger sister could not be seen.


No ladder was obtainable, and the
well-sweep," upon being brought
around to this window, was found to be
several feet too short, as the ground
behind the house was lower than in
front.


A score of voices called to the child,
"Jump out y Jump out of the win
dow J. but she appeared to be too much
terrified to know what was said to her.
Men ran in all directions seeking lad
ders or poles long enough to reach the
child, but before any could he found,
the smoke overcame her. she sunk down
out OF sight, and in few minutes more
the beams, having been burned through,
the whole floor was seen to sink down
into the first story, which was by this
time huge furnace, bearing the poor
child with it, beyond all possibility of
human aid. Suspicion ut once fell upon
Burnett Davenport. An intuition of his
guilt seemed to pervade the entire COM
munity.


On the afternoon of the next day a
farmer, four miles from town, found
hidden in the woods, near the banks of
a little creek, the blood stained overalls
and jacket. These he-not yet know
ing of the murder of the Mallory family
brought into Washington, deeming
that his discovery would make great
excitement, but on arriving there he
learned of the appalling events of the
night before, and found himself the pro-
prletor of but second-class sensation.
People were not slow, however, to sur
mise the facts connecting the crime
with these CORY evidences of guilt.


Some one remembered having heard
Davenport speak once of living in New
Haven, and straightway swift riders
were dispatched thither to encompass
his arrest should he be found there.
The move was a wise one, for within
five days thereafter, Barnett Davenport
did, by circuitous route, reach New
Haven, and there was found in the COM
pany of an evil woman named Collier,
with whom he had formerly been ac-
qaalnted. He was promptly arrested.
The gold and silver money, the rings
and the watch were found upon him,
but the plate was not, and it was indeed
not known, as yet, that he had it. After
fortnight's confinement in prison,





realize with wnat horror everybody
viewed his crime, and how he was loath-
ed as n monster, even by the vilest
wretches, rem orse overcame him, and he
made full confession, telling how the
crime was perpetrated-as it has been
set forth-and making known tho spot
in the woods, little to the west and
south Of LitchfelG, where he had buried
the stolen plate, and where it was soon
recovered.


He was held in Jail at L,itchfield, and
there tried. Had he been taken to
Washington and allowed to fall for
few minutes into the hands of the in
furiated people of that town, the for
mality of a trial would mover have been
necessary in his case, but they of Litch-
field, while not less determined that he
should have the utmost punishment,
We're minded that it should be inflicted
by due process of law. And so it was.
He was tried, pleaded guilty, and was
sentenced to be hanged, and on the first
Friday in May, 178O, was hanged at
Litchtield, in the presence of larger
concourse of spectators than had ever
before assembled to witness an execution
in New England.