Hayward’s New England Gazetteer (1839) page 481
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NEW ENGLAND GAZETTEER.

the body of the murderer : the law
being silent on the subject, it was
difficult'to determine where decern-
cy required the body should be
placed: many proposed it should
be in an ignominious manner where
four roads met, without any coffin
or insignia of respect, and perfora-
ted by a stake. Upon which, a
question arose, where that place
could be found which might be
unexceptionable to the neighbor-
hood, but no one would consent it.
should be near hi?, .house orland.
After some consultation it was
thought best to place it on the bank
of the riyer betweeh high and low
wajter mark the body was1! handed
out of the window and bound with
cords on a sled, with the clothe^ on
as it .was. found., - and the bloody
knife tied- on his breast, without
coffin or box, and the horse he usu-
ally rode was madefastto'the sled :
the horse, unaccustomed to the
draught, proceeded with great .urn-
steadiness, sometimes running Tull
spe'ed, then stopping, followed fry,'-a
multitude, until arriving at the wa-
ter’s edge, the body was tumbled
into ahoieidug for the, purpose, like
the carcase of a beast.,

, “ On the 13th of ^December, the
bodies of the murdered were in-
terred in a manner much unlike
that of the unnatural murderer.
The remains of the children were
borne by a suitable number of
equal age, attended by a sad pro-
cession of*,’youths of the town, all
bathed in tears; side by side the
hapless- woman’s corpse was car-
ried in solemn procession to the
parish church yard, followed by a
great concourse, who with affec-
tionate concern and every token
of respect were anxious to express
their heartfelt sorrow, in perform.-
'ing the last mournful duties'.

“ The person of Mr. Beadle was
small, his features striking and.full
of expression, with the aspect of
fierceness and determination; his
mind was contemplative; when
once he had formed an opinion, he
was remarkably tenacious:; as a
mferchant-or trader, he was Esteem-
ed a man of strict honor and integ-
rity, and Would’not descend to'any
IdwVqr 'mean artifice 'to-advance,his
fortuneV He' was' turned of 52
years of hige ’wlien'he died.

“ Mrs. JBeadletwas born* at Ply-
mouth ip Massachusetts; of reputa-.
ble parents*/ a cqmely person, of
good address, w^U bred, and unus-
ually' sdfene, sincere, -unaffected
and sensible. Slje died ill the mid-
dle of life,-aged S^yfears.

“The children, (the eldest of
which was a son, aged
12 years,
the other three, daughters, the
youngest aged
6 years).were such
•as cheered the hearts of their par-
ents, wiro were' uncommonly fond
of .displaying their little virtues-arid
excellencies, and seemed to Antici-
pate a continuance of growing Pa-
rental satisfaction : alas, like early.,
tender buds nipped by untimely
frosts, they did but begin.fo liv\e!

'** It is' more than probable, that
this man had for months past desire
ed that some or'all of his children
might be taken out of -the \yorld. by
accident: he removed all means of
security from a Well near his house,
which he was careful heretofore to
keep coveredl His little boy he
often sent to swim in .the river, and
has^heen heard to chide the child
for not tenturing further into deep
water than his fears would suffer
him. He has at times declared it
would give him no pain-or uneasi-
ness to follow his children to the
grave:    his acquaintance knew

these expressions could not arise
from want of /affection or tender-
ness for his children, but rather
imagined him speaking' rashly in
jest. He eveir spoke lightly of
death as a bugbear the world cause-
lessly feared. It appears from his
•-writings, <he at first had doubts
whether it was. just and reasonable
Tor him to deprive his wife of life,
and offers against it only this reason.






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