VERMONT-L Archives

Archiver > VERMONT > 1999-05 > 0927697904


From: "Jackie M. Botala" <>
Subject: [VERMONT-L] more old papers...
Date: Tue, 25 May 1999 22:51:44 -0700


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The Terrible McCaffrey Murder

At the end of the Civil War, Matthew McCaffrey, a veteran,
returned to Greenboro, and took unto himself a wife. With
them in the Cotton Brook section of Waterbury lived his
mother. There was a son, a daughter, a set of twins and
possibly other children.
The family lived in a farm house on a brook road with an
apple orchard, brook and millions of feet of standing timber.
McCaffrey carried on lumbering operations.
The neighbors began to suspect all was not well with
McCaffrey when one day he rode horseback to Waterbury
with a chain around the neck of his horses, complaining to
those he met that he feared the animals would kill his family.
A few nights later, Matthew, believing he was hearing
wild animals, took a light into the bedroom, told the older
children they must look after the younger ones. Then he
took an ax and killed his wife and mother. He wrapped
the bodies in blankets, carried them to the cellar for the
night.
The son who was 14 years of age stole out of the house,
and went to the nearest neighbor to report the murder.
The bodies of the victims were buried in Greensboro.
McCaffrey was put in prison, but after trial, was sent to
Brattleboro Retreat for treatment. Later he went to Vermont
State Hospital, spending a total of 29 years in confinement.

(Contributed by Mable Harvey, Waterbury)
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The Alice Meaker Murder

A child's gravestone in Duxbury Corner Cemetery carries
this legend: "Alice Meaker, April 18, 1880, aged nine years,
eight months, nine days; Oh the agony and grief when the
poisonous cup was given, and death came to her relief,
and Alice sleeps in heaven."
Alice lived with her grandmother, Mrs. Meaker, at the
top of Dillon Hill across fromt he present town clerk's office
where the piggery for the Vermont State Hospital stands
today. An Uncle Almon lived in the Meaker home also.
Not much is known of the peddler who came to live with
the family. It was much later believed that the grandmother
fearing the child would talk too freely with the peddler,
decided to remove her from temptation.
Someone gave Alice poison and took her out of the
house by night, carried her in a wagon three miles or so
to the Little River section and buried or placed her body
underground, partially under a sluice and by a wet muddy
swamp, known as Mutton Hollow.
Alice was missed and farmers and woodsmen started
a search. They found her body with evidence that she had
not been dead when buried. Authorities arrested the grand-
mother and Uncle Almon.
The grandmother was convicted of murder, and became
the first and only woman ever hung for murder in the state
of Vermont.
Mr. Meaker wept during the trial and it is reported that
in the courtroom there were those who hissed; "D--- you,
you weep too late."
Uncle Almon was sent to State's Prison at Windsor for
some years, was later pardoned and sent home to live a
usefule life.

(Contributed by Mable J. Harvey, Waterbury)

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