for the seat of War. Co. I had quite a number of members of the Lodge. On the 2d of August, the Lodge passed the following vote:

"Resolved, That the Lodge, out of respect and brotherly feeling to those of their brethren who have volunteered their services in defence of their country, present each of them with a regulation cap worn by the soldiers of the United States Army."

At the annual communication, Dec., 1863, James Huntington was elected W. M., Geo. Platt Crane, S. W., and Edward F. Nichols, J. W. Fourteen members were added to the Lodge during

the year.

It will be seen, on page 338, that Rising Sun Lodge, No. 27, of Washington, had lost its charter. King Solomon's Lodge received a petition, in Nov., 1864, asking consent to apply for a dispensation to renew the Lodge. Unanimous consent was given, a dispensation was granted by the Grand Master, and also a charter in due form, at the next annual session of the Grand Lodge. Since that time, a very flourishing Lodge has been established there, on a firm foundation.

At the annual meeting, 1864, James Huntington was chosen W. M., George P. Crane, S. W., and Edward F. Nichols, J. W., and six members were added to the Lodge.

At the annual communication in 1865, George P. Crane was appointed W. M., Edward F. Nichols, S. W., and Heman Botsford, J. W. Nine members were admitted this year.

At the annual election in Dec., 1866, George P. Crane was elected W. M, Heman Botsford, S. W., and James R. Thomas, J. W. Nine members were added this year.

At the annual communication held Dec., 1867, Alonzo Norton Lewis was elected W. M., Heman Botsford, S. W., and James S. Stone, J. W. Seven elected men joined the Lodge during the year. It was during this year that the large addition, already spoken of, was made to the Lodge building, new carpets and furniture procured, and it became one of the most attractive Lodge rooms in the "rural districts."

In Dec, 1868, Alonzo N. Lewis was elected W. M, Heman Botsford, S. W., and Edwin Roberts, J. W. Five members were admitted this year.

In Dec., 1869, Heman Botsford was chosen W. M., James Stone,

S. W., and George Brown, J. W. Six members were raised to the "Sublime degree," during this Masonic year.

At the annual communication of this Lodge, Dec., 1870, Heman Botsford was elected W. M., George Brown, S. W, and Thomas Bodycut, J. W. Nine members were admitted during the Masonic year.

At the annual communication held next preceding the Festival of St. John, the Evangelist, Dec. 16, 1871, Thomas Bodycut was chosen W. M., James R Thomas, S. W., and Eli Sperry, J. W. The Lodge is now in a very flourishing condition, and has full work at every communication. It is seven years advanced in the second century of its existence, and well has it performed its benevolent and humanizing work.

We now bring our hurried account of the various town events to a close. We have been minute in detail, believing that how ever trivial they may seem to the present generation, they will be of great interest and curiosity to our descendants, as is each recorded trace of our ancestors to us.

CHAPTER IX.

CIVIL HISTORY

CONTINUED-CRIMES AND CASUALTIES.

MURDER OF BENNET WARD; MURDER OF MATTHEW M. MORRISS; MURDER OF LUCIUS H. FOOT; SUICIDE OF RALPH LINA; SUICIDE OF COLUMBUS W. RANDALL; THEFTS; BURGLARY OF THE FACTORY OF DANIEL CURTISS & SONS, AND THE STORE OF F. A. WALKER & Co.

LL through the ages, life has been a continued struggle for existence. All seek to advance their own interests, and secure their individual happiness. And yet, with a singular fatality, resulting from our fallen nature, there seems to be implanted in the human heart of man a savage instinct, that ever seeks, unless overruled by a kind Providence, and a virtuous and refined culture, to destroy the life which every rational creature desires to preserve, and to impair the happiness which every one pur

sues. Jealousy and ambition reign supreme over all the earth. Where this instinct of destruction does not break out in acts of murder and bloodshed, it takes the scarcely less painful direction of slander, detraction, and little lying. It seems to give the natural heart delight to inflict pain, and the "work of grace" has to be long continued in the heart, to work a radical cure, All the beautiful works of nature teach a different lesson-" only man is vile."

Woodbury, as has been fully shown, was settled by as noble a band of men and women, as poor human nature could produce. The result has been, that in the two centuries of its existence, vio

lence and murder have been remarkably infrequent. The town was 173 years old before the first known murder was committed. An account of those which have occurred in our borders follows:

On the 23d of November, 1846, Bennet Ward went into a store kept by W. B. Lounsbury, then standing near the house of Deacon P. M. Trowbridge. He was somewhat intoxicated, became noisy and violent, threatening to whip several persons who were in the store, and began to throw fire among the dry goods that were disposed about the store. Among those present was George W. Smith. Ward finally proposed to whip him, and Smith seized a stick of wood from the wood-box, and struck him over the left side of the head, causing a fracture in the skull five inches in length. He then kicked him out of the store-and he fell upon the stoop. He got up, however, and wanted to fight, but the door was shut upon him. He then went about a quarter of a mile, to an out-house of David J. Stiles, and staid there two nights, when he went to Mr. Stiles' house, and soon became insensible. In this condidition he remained till his death, which occurred fifty-six hours after the blow was received. A post-mortem examination by Dr. Roswell Abernethy and T. T. Seelye, showed there was concussion and compression of the brain, besides a chronic inflamamtion, resulting from an old injury. Smith was arraigned for murder, Feb. term, 1847. Hon. John H. Hubbard, States Attorney, and Hon. Charles B. Phelps, appeared for the State, and Hons. Leman Church, G. H. Hollister and the writer, appeared for the accused. After an interesting trial, Smith was acquitted, on the ground that he acted in self-defence.

On the 17th of July, 1861, our community was startled by the announcement that another murder had been committed in our peaceful town. Matthew M. Morris, the murdered man, a very respectable citizen, of ample means, and a very peaceable man, called

who could out-mow him, to which statements, successively, Fox

gave the lie. Very soon he left the table, went out on the piazza, and took up his coat, and laid it down again. He returned to the door of the room, where Morris was still sitting and smoking, and told him if he would come to the door, he "would fix him." Morris replied, that he knew he would do nothing to him. Then Fox said if he would come there he would "set his ears up." Morris went towards the door laughing, and Fox commenced striking him on both sides of the head, and almost immediately commenced thrusting at him. Morris then seized Fox, and he fell over a chair on his back. Morris seized and held up his feet so that he could not strike him again; but he sat up and thrust him again with a dirk jack-knife, which he seemed to have had in his hand all the time, (though the witnesses did not see it, it being rather dark at the time,) saying "let me up." At the instant he made the last thrust, saying "let me up." Morris faltered, fell on his face, gasped three or four times, and was dead. The knife, at the last thrust, entirely severed the main artery under the collar bone on the right side, called by the doctors the vena cava. Fox immediately walked out, and hid his knife in the corner of the yard, where it was found the next morning, almost entirely covered with blood. He then took his scythe, and started for Roxbury, but being called back by a neighbor, who had arrived, he remained till Sheriff Minor came and arrested him.

A jury of inquest was immediately called by the writer, who heard the case, and returned to him the following verdict:

"To William Cothren, Esq., Justice of the Peace for Litchfield County, residing in Woodbury:

"You having summoned us as a jury of inquest to inquire into the cause and manner of the death of Matthew M. Morris, late of said Woodbury, which was sudden and untimely, and the manner of which was not known, and we, having examined into the circumstances of the case, do find that the said Matthew M. Morris came to his death by the hand of Charles Fox, of said Woodbury, by the use of a deadly weapon, to wit, a pocket, or dirk knife. "Dated at Woodbury, July 18th, A.D, 1861.