Rensselaer Gazette, Volume 3, Number 19, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 31 August 1859 — The Norwich Tragedy. [ARTICLE]

The Norwich Trage dy.

\ A Whole Neighborhood Burnt—the Incendiary Slain. ' j From a distance of five miles from the Preston City toll-gate, through Preston City. ( over the hill on the road to North Stonin<f- , ton. and into the borders of the latter town, from eleven o’clock at night until four in the morning, an incendiary's torch was busy with ■ the work of destruction. Stigftnjr.g on ly to • apply the match to the propfjgy of the vicj tims of his cowardly revengajUfcs'^wonld-lio assassin w.-s hastening on all nGgjlive-loiig night, leaving behind him the charred reinnants of the burnt, buildings, and the smoul- . dering ashes of the garnered grain. The incendiary and assassin is a man 'named Henry Chapman, about thirty-two' years old, tall, slender, a >d dark corople.xioned. Soiijie ten years sin.ee he married a ■ daughter of Mr. Eleaxer Wheeler, but his conduct.was such that she was compelled, , l°r her own safety, to have liitn imprisoned in detail It ot bonds, to keep the peace. Since that time she has refused to live with I him, and with her three children, has remained iit her father's house. On S i turd ay last lie e.-.ine to the house and asked to see her, but she relused to meet him. Finding I their second son, lie took him awav to Nor- . wich, and then started on hot for No ink. lie walked all night, draggi ng his bare-to.nod hoy with him, and reached Xoank Sunday lorenoon; and, Irom SaUu’day morning until dinner on Sunday, the brute gave the child not a morsel ot rood to sustain him during his toilsome truifp. He was followed hv his,wile’s friend-, and overtaken at No,ink-? bv . ffieer Chappell, who took the child a war, and at the same time S'-rvcd upon him his i w it e s petition tor divorce. Chapman then returnee to Preston in a per ect Irenzv of rare. lie was last seen before the trugodv. ; about ten o'clock that 1 night, near the tollbridge. At eleven o'clock the barn of Mr. Henry 1 I ii vey, tola-gate keeper, was discovered to be on fire. It was destroyed with all it< cotilents. Other buildings were with dilli ultv saved. N.t long alter, the burn of Russell Fitch, about a mile beyond, was tired and destroyed. About twelve o’clock 11 -nry Haskell's barn, ahoijt a mile and a halt iurtfier on, was fired and destroyed. A little alter twelve, a barn belonging to Mr. M. T. Richards, in the more thickly settled portion of the town called Preston City, was fired. It was destroyed, and the . flames spread first to a carriage house adjoining, and a!terwards to a store occupied ; by Mr. Richardson. A short distance beyond, Mr. Brown’s i barn, filled with crops, was destroyed. Only a few rods beyond was the hart) of Win. 11. i Prentice, which was destroyed also,. The next building fired was the barn of Noyes F. Meecii, fifteen rods off the main | road; the scoundrel going out of Iris wav in ; order to satisfy his old grudge airuin.st "\lr Meech. About three o'clock the barn of Robert G. Latham, on the edge of North Stonington, was destroyed, with a corn house and wamon- | house. Halt a mile beyond stands t.ie house of [ Mr. Lleazer \\ heeler. It was nearly tour | o’clock when the family was awakened by Mr. Latham, « ho came for assistance to ex- | tinguish the fire last mentioned. Mr. Wheel- [ er’s son Charles told his father, as soon as the family were aroused, that this wiis“some | of Henry Chapman’s work, and they had j better not. leave the house unprotected.” ! Before they could get ready to go to the as- ! sistanoe ot their neighbors, they' discoveted | the 11 lines issuing from their own barn | Charles’ suspicions were confirmed by this, ! and while they were endeavoring to extinj guish the flames, Chapman was discovered j endeavoring to set lire to the house. The j alarm was given, and Mr. Wheeler and j (.Maries arrived with an axe and shot-gun, | and met Chapman at the door. Charles fired 1 him, hut tilt' gun missed fire, when Chap- [ man shouted, “Now, by G—. I’ve got yo !” I and drew a pistol on r. Wheeler and snapped it. twice at his head, but it missed fire both times. Mr. Wheeler struck at him with the axe, hut missed him. By this time Charles had primed his gun, and punchiriff out the glass in a second-story window, ho fired, and Chapman staggered and almost’ fell. Ho then fled, probably taking with him a heavy charge of shot. Mr. Wheeler followed, hut he escaped into the woods. LATER. Willi scarcely a single exception, the dwellings and barns in the vicinity of Preston City were watched all Tuesday night with sleepless eyes. It was believed that Chapman having secreted hirmfell in the swamp during the day would sally forth at night and complete his work of vengeance. Mrs. Chapman was removed, as it was beI eved that Chapman w . u |d attempt to murder her. Early on Wednesday morning parties started out. to search the woods. About halt past ii no o clock he was found lying on Ills lurk 11. ar a spring, a few rods fruni'thc road, and about a third of a mile from the house ,>i Mr. Wheeler. The dead body Was si ill warm, so that i: con Id have been dead but a few hours. His ■clothing was stripped down from his legs, evidently lor the purpose of bathing his abdomen, where lie received the charge ol shut tired ty the \\ lieeh'r hoy, oil Tu 'sday tnornmg. No pistol or other weapon was tound upon him. He had probably thrown them au.iy, lor he was known to have a doilhle- ■ harieled pistol and a dirk in his belt on Mon- ;‘ "V U'flh!. A orwi ’i (ConnA Bulletin.