Homicides of Adults in Vermont, 1821-1846

Weapon: skillet to left side of head. 1/5" deep wound. d. 48 hrs.
Circumstances:
Inquest:
Indictment: ind. for murder
Term: 12/1828t
Court proceedings: pNG. fG. 10 yrs & $15c. Pardoned 10/1835.

Source:
Wds. Co. Ct. 14: 238

J. of Gen. Ass. 1829: 192

Newspaper:
Woodstock OBSERVER 12/16/1828: fG. of mansl. 10 yrs.
Vt REPUBLICAN 5/31 - 6/28/1828: nothing
Vt CHRONICLE 5/30 - 6/27/1828: nothing6

Census:
1820C: no HS

John Caryl WDS 173 Stockbridge
M 0,16,26 F 0,0,16,26 Com - 2
Willard Caryl WDS 170 Barnard
M 0,10,10,10,26 F 0,0,26,26 Mfg - 1

1830C: no HS

several Caryls in Windsor Co., none in Royalton

Genealogy:

Accused: Clark Caryl
Ethnicity: [Scots]

Race: w

Gender: m

Age: 39 67"

Literate:

Marital Status:

Children:

Occupation:

Town: Royalton

Birthplace: b. Chester, VT

Religion:

Organizations:

Victim: Hiram Strobridge
Ethnicity: [nb English]

Race: w

Gender: m

Age: adult

Literate:

Marital Status:

Children:

Occupation:

Town: Royalton

Birthplace:

Religion:

Organizations:

1828, July 10 Manchester, BEN

P
Class: certain

Crime: HOM MANSL / ATT SUI (delayed)

Rela: NONDOM

Motive: QUARREL started at raising, ended outside a tavern

Intox?: yes, both

Day of week: Th

Holiday?: n

Time of day:

Days to death: 3

HOM: Ezekial Odell m. David Leason

Weapon: stone (5 or 6 lbs. in weight) to forehead. Skull frac. d. 7/13, Sunday, 5pm)
Circumstances: outside Mattison's tavern. At a raising in Factory Point, EO started a quarrel by challenging others to fight him and by knocking down a man named Wells. DL interfered and stopped the quarrel. EO threatened revenge, but went home (2 or 3 mi. away). Soon after, EO returned to Mattison's tavern, where DL had stopped. EO came up to DL, used abusive language, pulled a stone from his pocket, and bashed DL's skull. DL got in his wagon & drove some distance before collapsing. Skull frac. // later, at home [or in his jail cell -- accounts conflict], EO att. suicide by cutting his throat. But only severed his windpipe.
Inquest:
Indictment: murder
Term: 11/1828t
Court proceedings: pNG. fG of M-2. LIFE. Pardoned 10/1832.

Source:
Journal of the General Assembly: no return from Bennington Co. in 1828

Newspaper:
CHESTER BANNER

RH 7/22/1828: the murder

RH 11/18/1828: ed. on EO's trial: upset that the death penalty was not invoked despite malice aforethought. "But as some of our jurists have lately found out that 'killing is no murder,'" . . . "no dream evidence in this case; else peradventure the compassion of the court might not have exceeded the justice of the law."
BFP, 7/25 & 11/21/1828

Census:
1820C:
Nathan Leason WDS 201 Chester
M 16,26 F 26,45 Ag - 2
Ezekial Odle BEN 138 Manch. [& 3 other Odle hhlds]
M 16 F 0,16 Ag - 1
1830C:
David Leason BEN 145 Winh. M 50 F 0,0,5,20,20,50

Artemus Leason BEN 145 Winh. M 0,30 F 0,5,20

Abigail Leason BEN 144 Winh. M 0,5,20 F 0,5,20,80
Anna Odle BEN 106 Manch. F 5,5,30

Jeremiah Odle BEN 103 Manch. M 20,20,50,60 F 10,50

Genealogy:
Accused: Ezekial Odel
Ethnicity: [nb English]

Race: w

Gender: m

Age: 33 68"

Literate:

Marital Status:

Children:

Occupation:

Town: Manchester

Birthplace: b. Manchester, VT

Religion:

Organizations:

Victim: David Leason
Ethnicity: [nb English]

Race: w

Gender: m

Age: adult

Literate:

Marital Status:

Children:

Occupation:

Town: Manchester

Birthplace:

Religion:

Organizations:

1828, Nov. 19 Panton, ADD

P
Class: certain

Crime: HOM MANSL

Rela: TAVERN CUSTOMER by CUSTOMER

Motive: QUARREL

Intox?: prob.

Day of week: W

Holiday?:

Time of day:

Days to death: [7]

HOM: Aaron W. Bristol m. ___ Snell

Weapon: stabbed with knife, once to shoulder & twice to left side. At first the victim seemed to be recovering, but then he died.
Circumstances: tavern
Inquest:
Indictment: ind. for assault & battery (as physicians could not agree that the stabbed wounds caused Snell's death)
Term: 12/1828t
Court proceedings: assailant escaped to New York state. Then returned. pNG. fG. $50f & $46.68 c.

Source:
Journal of the General Assembly, 1829: 194. Listed as A&B, so it cannot count as an independent source.

Newspaper:

BFP, 11/28/1828: a quarrel at a tavern. The fight carried out of doors, where the knife was pulled. // reports incorrectly that the victim has already died.
Woodstock OBSERVER 12/2/1828, from the BFP, garbles the story -- says the fight began as a barroom dispute with fisticuffs in Ferrisburg, Vt. -- they retired outside to fight further when the fatalblow to the left side was struck. Assailant escaped to NY.
VERMONT AURORA (Vergennes), 11/13 - 12/11/1828: nothing
VERMONT AMERICAN and GAZETTE (Middlebury), 12/2/1828: not fatal. "a turbulent fellow (his name we do not know) provoked a dispute with Snell, and finally drew a knife."
VERMONT AMERICAN and GAZETTE (Middlebury), 12/17/1828: Mr. Snell dead. "Aaron Bristol, who quarrelled with him, has been arrested, and is one of the persons against whom the grand jury found a bill of indictment for assault and battery. The physicians who examined the deceased, were not at all sure that his death was caused by wounds received in the affray." Verdict: 12/31/1828 issue.
Vt. JOURNAL 12/6/1828: ditto. reports of Snell's death erronious.

Census:
1820C:
Aaron W. Bristol (p. 32): M 16,16 F 0,0,0,26 Ag - 2

Aaron Bristol (p. 32): M 45 F 45 [no occup.]

1830C:
no Snells

Noah Bristol ADD (214) M 0,0,5,10,15,40 F 0,5,20

Mary Bristol ADD (214) M 10 F 0,5,15,20

Genealogy:

Accused: Aaron W. Bristol

Ethnicity: [nb English]

Race: w

Gender: m

Age: adult

Literate:

Marital Status:

Children:

Occupation:

Town: [Panton]

Birthplace:

Religion:

Organizations:

Victim: ___ Snell
Ethnicity: [nb English]

Race: w

Gender: m

Age: adult

Literate:

Marital Status:

Children:

Occupation:

Town: [Panton]

Birthplace:

Religion:

Organizations:

1829, [May] Colchester, CHI

P
Class: probable

Crime: HOM

Rela: UNK [NONDOM]

Motive: UNK

Intox?:

Day of week:

Holiday?:

Time of day:

Days to death: 0

HOM: unk. person m. unk. man

Weapon: unk
Circumstances: body found on shore of Lake Champlain on 6/4; blow to forehead
Inquest: verdict: certain that the blow to the head caused death. Murder.
Indictment:
Term:
Court proceedings:

Source:

Newspaper:

BFP, 6/12/1829: the victim was clothes. $2.07 and a razor in his pocket, no coat, 4 pen knives.
KEENE SENTINEL, 6/26/1829

Census:
not applicable

Genealogy:
Accused: ___
Ethnicity:

Race:

Gender:

Age:

Literate:

Marital Status:

Children:

Occupation:

Town:

Birthplace:

Religion:

Organizations:

Victim: ___
Ethnicity:

Race: w

Gender: m

Age: 45

Literate:

Marital Status:

Children:

Occupation:

Town:

Birthplace:

Religion:

Organizations:

1829, July 3 Pownal, BEN

P
Class: do not count

Crime: HOAX

Rela: HHLD EMPLOYEE by EMPLOYER

Motive: QUARREL over SETTLING ACCOUNTS at end of employment; RACIAL PREJUDICE

Intox?:

Day of week: F

Holiday?:

Time of day:

Days to death: 0

HOM: B. [Boultward] Wright m. Lyman Booth

Weapon: hands tied, skull broken
Circumstances: in the field near his employer's house. According to the erronious story, LB was missing since 7/3 & his body was thought to have been found on 8/24. He was found alive, however, on 8/25. The alleged victim had in fact run away.
Inquest:
Indictment:
Term:
Court proceedings:

Source:

Newspaper:

RH, 8/18 & 25/1829; 6/16/1829

Lansingburgh (NY) Gazette [the source of one of the follow-up stories, including the testimony of Sarah Booth].

The story: BW hired LB to care for a horse for a season that ended 7/3. BW started a quarrel with LB, who refused to enter the house before settling up with BW. BW pulled LB to the door and called a "gang of ruffians" to help him. LB hit BW, the gang beat LB, tied his hands behind his back, carriedhim behind the house where they "watched him," according to BW, "through the night. The next morning, LB was found "missing." BW claimed that LB cut the cord with an axe and fled. [the original story according to the testimony to Sarah Booth]
New Hampshire PATRIOT, 8/17/1829: HOM in VT: Lansingburg GAZETTE, dtn 8/4: Lyman Booth found dead in a field at Pownal, VT, his hands tied behind him & his skull fractured. [the report is confident that his body was found!] Had been employed by a person named Wright, b/w whom & the deceased some dispute occurred, which caused W, with the help of 2 or 3 others, to seize Booth & drag him towards the house. B resisted, the ruffians knocked him down, dragged him into the house & tied his hands--watched him most of the night, as W states. Next morning he was missing; and Wright tells his neighbors that he got an axe, cut the cords from his hands and got away.

Census:
1820C: many Wrights in Pownal, but no B. Wright

widow Sarah Booth ADD 118 Pownal
M 0,0,10,10,16 F 4 Ag - 4
1830C: no Sarah Booth in Pownal; many Wrights
Boultward Wright ADD 053
M 0,5,5,10,20,20,20,30,40,50 F 10,10,20,20

Genealogy:

Accused: B. [Boultward] Wright
Ethnicity:

Race: w

Gender: m

Age: [54]

Literate:

Marital Status: [m]

Children: [yes, several]

Occupation: [farmer] hhld

Town: Pownal

Birthplace:

Religion:

Organizations:

Victim: Lyman Booth
Ethnicity:

Race: b

Gender: m

Age: 23

Literate:

Marital Status: s

Children: no

Occupation: [farm laborer]; no hhld; employee of BW

Town: Pownal

Birthplace:

Religion:

Organizations:

1829 Ira, RUT

P
Class: do not count

Crime: FALSE REPORT of HOM

Rela:

Motive:

Intox?:

Day of week:

Holiday?:

Time of day:

Days to death:

HOM: unk. person suspected of m. unk. man

Weapon:
Circumstances:
Inquest:
Indictment:
Term:
Court proceedings:

Source:

Newspaper:

New Hampshire Sentinel (Keene): 1/14/1830: FALSE REPORT: "The pedler of Navarino bonnets, supposed to have been murdered in Ira, Vermont, now lives in Whitingham, and has no recollection of being murdered at all! Several of the persons missing in New York are missing no longer, and the alarm has subsided."

Census:

Genealogy:
Accused: ___
Ethnicity:

Race:

Gender:

Age:

Literate:

Marital Status:

Children:

Occupation:

Town:

Birthplace:

Religion:

Organizations:

Victim: ___
Ethnicity:

Race:

Gender:

Age:

Literate:

Marital Status:

Children:

Occupation:

Town:

Birthplace:

Religion:

Organizations:

1830, [Aug.] Ira, RUT

P
Class: do not count

Crime: SUS / MISSING/ doubtful -- no body found

Rela: NONDOM

Motive: ROBBERY

Intox?:

Day of week:

Holiday?:

Time of day:

Days to death:

HOM: ___ m. ___

Weapon:
Circumstances: at the house of the accused. The victim's wagon found nearby. Occurred "several months past" from Nov. The suspect had the peddlar's horse and Nazarene bonnets. Claimed that he swapped for the horse and found the bonnets in the road.
Inquest:
Indictment:
Term:
Court proceedings: suspect fled once he was suspected. The Rutland Herald does not give the story "full credit" -- warns readers to doubt it.

Source:

Newspaper:

RH 11/9/1830

Census:
not applicable

Genealogy:
Accused: ___
Ethnicity:

Race: w

Gender: m

Age: adult

Literate:

Marital Status:

Children:

Occupation:

Town: Ira

Birthplace:

Religion:

Organizations:

Victim: ___
Ethnicity:

Race: w

Gender: m

Age: adult

Literate:

Marital Status:

Children:

Occupation: peddlar

Town: transient from Mass.

Birthplace:

Religion:

Organizations:

1831, Apr. 15 Franklin, FRA

P

CT

NOTE: copied to child homicide file
Class: certain

Crime: HOM: 1 child & 1 adult / AIK

Rela: SPOUSE WIFE and RELATIVE CHILD (SON) by FATHER / AIK MOTHER-IN-LAW by SON-IN-LAW & DAUGHTER (CHILD) by FATHER

Motive: MENTAL ILLNESS / FAMILICIDE

Intox?: no

Day of week: F

Holiday?:

Time of day: morning

Days to death: 0

HOM: Josiah Randall m. Asa Randall (his son) and Sarah Randall (his wife) and aik. ___ Randall (his mother) and ___ Randall (his daughter)

Weapon: butcher knife. Initially attacked his mother (who fled), then slashed the throat of his daughter (who survived). Then cut the throat of his wife, severed the head of his son, who d. inst.
Circumstances: "fit of insanity" (according to early newspaper accounts)
Inquest:
Indictment: ind. for murder
Term: 9/1831t
Court proceedings: pNG. hung jury. 4/1833: dropped upon the death of JR.

Source:
Fra. Co. Ct. docket, 9/1831t: 102, 103; 9/1832t; 4/1833t.

J. of Gen. Ass., 1833: 211

Newspaper:
BFP, 4/29/1831
St. Albans REPOSITORY -- promises details [not at VtStLib]
RH, 5/3/1831
Vermont WATCHMAN 5/3/1831: HOM: Randall hom: XEROX: OUTSTANDING ACCOUNT.
NHP 5/9/1831: JR lst attacked his wife's mother, "who was at his house taking care of his wife, then recovering from a fit of sickness), with a large knife, observing to her that he would kill her--the old lady received a slight wound in the arm, but succeeded in escaping from the house, when he immediately with the ferocity of a demon attacke dhis wife, who was in bed in the room with an infant child, and gave her a mortal wound in the neck, but by the interference of his daughter, about 12 years of age, the mother fled to another room. He then attempted to cut the throat of his daughter--she fresisted and preventged the fatal effecgts of the knife by holding her hands around her neck--her hands were badly cut and a severe wound on both sides of her neck. He then attacked his son who had come to the assistance of his little sister, and killed him. The girl with the utmost presence of mind went to another room where two younger children were sleeping and escaped with them to the garden, where she hid them in the current bushes, covering them over with a blanket, in which situation they remained undiscovered and unhurt -- and notwithstanding her severe wounds, she again entered the house, took the infant and fled to the neighbors and gave the alarm. The neighbors immediately repaired to the house where they beheld a most shocking and heart rending spectacle. Randall was seated by the fire, his son's head severed from the body, and burning on the coals -- the body of his wife was lying on the heart and her clothes on fire.

Randall was immediately arrested and committed to prison in St. Albans. He has heretofore been known at times to have been partially deranged, and these deeds of darkness are attributed to a fit of insanity." BURLINGTON SENTINEL

Census:
1830C: FRA
JR M 10,30 F 0,5,5,10,30

Genealogy:

VR - 210: nothing

Accused: Josiah Randall

Ethnicity: [nb English]

Race: w

Gender: m

Age: [36]

Literate:

Marital Status: m. to Sarah

Children: yes, several

Occupation: hhld

Town: Franklin

Birthplace:

Religion:

Organizations:

Victim 1: Asa Randall
Ethnicity: [nb English]

Race: w

Gender: m

Age: 14

Literate:

Marital Status: s

Children: n

Occupation:

Town: Franklin

Birthplace:

Religion:

Organizations:

Victim 2: Sarah Randall
Ethnicity: [nb English]

Race: w

Gender: f

Age: [36]

Literate:

Marital Status: m. to Josiah

Children: yes, several

Occupation:

Town: Franklin

Birthplace:

Religion:

Organizations:

Victim 3: ___ Randall
Ethnicity: [nb English]

Race: w

Gender: f

Age: [61]

Literate:

Marital Status:

Children: [yes]

Occupation:

Town: Franklin

Birthplace:

Religion:

Organizations:

Victim 4: ___ Randall
Ethnicity: [nb English]

Race: w

Gender: f

Age: 12

Literate:

Marital Status: s

Children: n

Occupation:

Town: Franklin

Birthplace:

Religion:

Organizations:

1831, May 12 Wallingford, RUT

P

HIST

Class: certain

Crime: HOM

Rela: NONDOM

Motive: CHIARIVARI

Intox?: prob. victim

Day of week: Th

Holiday?:

Time of day: 1am

Days to death: 0

HOM: Rowland Wheeler m. Isaac Osborn

Weapon: butcher knife to heart. d. inst.
Circumstances: home of the assailant on the Wallingford-Shrewsbury line
Inquest:
Indictment:
Term:
Court proceedings: 5/1831: j.p. hearing. Charges dismissed. Justifiable homicide, self-defense.

NOTE: 6 persons convicted at county court in connection with the affair, 9/1831t.

Source:
Walter Thorpe, History of Wallingford, Vermont (Rutland: Tuttle Co., 1911), 185-188.
"The Patch Hollow Tragedy": on east side of Bear Mountain, runs n-s. On the Patch Hollow Road there were 5 families: Luther Hale (who made wooden plows for farmers in the area), David Patch (who built a substantial house & reared a large family), Simon Patch, Edmund Patch, & Rolon Wheeler (who had built a log house, scene of the tragedy).

Rolon Wheeler m. a daughter of David Patch "and was a man of violent passions and jealous disposition. Report said he was guilty of indiscretion with his wife's sister and the community to show resentment for such conduct, planned to turn out and give him a coat of tar and feathers and perchance ride him on a rail. They were well organized" -- young men from the village, Sugar Hill, & Shrewsbury. "Threats were made so publicly that Wheeler hearing of them swore that if attacked he would defend himself." Visiting the village, went to blksm shop of Thomas Draper & made a large file into a two-edged knife "and fitted it to a handle." Jarvis Learned had been selected to lead the rioters, but he was called away to attend his sister's funeral.

Party set out that night with several jugs of rum, a bucket of tar, & a sack of feathers. "The detachment from Shrewsbury got lost in the woods, either from darkness or too frequent potations, and after wandering about for a time went home and reported they'd had a great time with 'Old Wheeler.'" The other parties joined in a field south of the hollow, disguised themselves, & selected Isaac Osborne (foreman in James Rustin's hat shop) as the leader. Went down the road to RW's house & asked for admission. "They claimed they were going fishing in Shrewsbury Pond and wanted some fire. Wheeler had placed against the door a rail long enough to brace against the opposite wall and feeling secure paid no heed to them. Finding it impossible to force the door, they pried a hole in the gable end of the roof" & IO, James Sherman, & Silas Congdon "sprang into the house." Struggle in the dark. JS got RW by the hair & began to drag him outside when RW "commenced to use his knife with deadly effect." The rail was knocked down & the others rushing in from outside added to the confusion.
Benj. Brownell: stabbed in the side

Silas Congdon: seized the knife, "cutting out the inside of his hand."

Isaac Osborne: "fell across the bed and died without a cry."
"During the struggle Wheeler slipped out of his shirt, dived under the bed, raised some floor board, crawled under the house and made his escape into the woods. Meantime those within the house had got hold of Osborne's body and drew it about the floor thinking it was Wheeler. It was not long before they noticed the man was dead when they dropped the body and hastily left the house." Mrs. Wheeler ran screaming for her father's house. James Sherman made his way to Dr. John Fox's home to have his wounds dressed. JS told JF of what had happened, & JF went to RW's house & found IO's body.
RW fled naked & by daybreak had stolen a shirt from Mrs. Horton's clothes line in the Hartsboro section & spent the day in an "unfrequented barn." Made a straw dress from the 2 bundles of rye in the barn & "made his way across country to his sister's home" in a part of Pawlet known as "Tadmar." Arrested the following day & brought back to Wallingford for trial. Upon hearing the facts, RW was discharged. "His acquittal was unexpected and it tended to intensify the excitement." After RW's release, he & his wife left town & lived near Darby Corners, & from thence went West. As for the rioters: Joseph Hagar & Reuben Woods $60f. each. James Huntoon, James Sherman, & Herman Mighells $40f. each.
The account: from Dr. J. E. Hitt, who researched the incident & wrote an article on it.

Newspaper:

RH, 5/17 & 5/24 & 9/27/1831
9/27: in county court, 6 convicted in connection with the Wallingford affair.
BFP 5/20 & 5/27/1831: ditto. Rioters in masks & blackened faces broke into RW's house & jumped on the bed where RW and his wife & 2 children were sleeping. A short scuffle broke the bed. d. inst.
BFP 5/20/1831 (quoting the Rutland Herald): "The unfortunate person who by engaging in this affair, has lost his life, was a journeyman hatter of decent character and ordinarily of inoffensive deportment. The disasterous end of this ill-advised and wicked adventure will, we hope, for a long time be an effectual check to any like exhibition of folly and madness. We deem it of the utmost importance that every attempt by private and unauthorized individuals to take the administration of justice into their own hands, and to inflict summary punishment upon any offenses, we care not how good the intention or how gross the provocation, should not only be frowned upon, and put down as ignoble and base, by all the respectable community; but should also be severely dealt with by those charged with the execution of the laws. Loss of life is but the natural catastrophe of such plays."
RH, 6/7/1831: the initial report that ___ Brownell had been killed was false. It was planted to cover the fact that he has absconded to avoid trial for assault and riot. // upset letter from Wallingford blames the affair on Shrewsbury roughs and claims only 2 participants were "permanent residents of this village"
RH, 6/14/1831: an upset letter about the upset letter. Claims that rioters from Wallingford, not Shrewsbury, to blame.
NHP 5/30/1831
NHGaz 6/14/1831

Census:
1830C:

RW RUT 184 Shrews. M 20 F 0,20

Martha Osborn BEN 066 Shafts. M 70 F 50,60

Genealogy:
Accused: Rowland Wheeler
Ethnicity: [nb English]

Race: w

Gender: m

Age: adult

Literate:

Marital Status: m. ___ Patch

Children: two

Occupation:

Town: Wallingford

Birthplace:

Religion:

Organizations:

Victim: Isaac Osborn
Ethnicity: [nb English]

Race: w

Gender: m

Age: 23

Literate:

Marital Status: s

Children: n

Occupation: journeyman hatter "of fair character"

Town: Wallingford (for the past year -- originally from Chatauque, NY)

Birthplace:

Religion:

Organizations:

1831, Dec. 2 Hartland, WDS

P
Class: probable

Crime: poss CAS FRO / prob HOM MANSL

Rela: SPOUSE WIFE by HUSBAND

Motive: ABUSE

Intox?: yes, both victim and suspect were often intoxicated

Day of week: F

Holiday?:

Time of day: 2am

Days to death: 0

HOM: John Morgan m. Lucinda Morgan