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    1. [VT-Old-News] 1850--Vermonters Murdered in Calif.
    2. Source, The Brandon Vt.Post,-- Thur. Nov.14, 1850. VERMONTERS MURDERED IN CALIFORNIA We copy the following horrible account of the Murder, in California, of James Lawrence of this place, (Vergennes,Vt.) , and Wesley Luther of Addison, Vt., from a slip cut from Marysville Newspaper, and sent by H.Z. Hawkins in a letter to his friends in this city. (Vergennes Vermonter) Editor Herald:--A fiendish murder was committed on Saturday night last, at Nelson Creek. The circumstances as related to me by an eye witness, were mainly as follows : Three men at work on the Nelson Creek, seven miles from its mouth, and half a mile above the forks, had retired to rest, and between the hours of nine and ten, one of the three was awakened by the blows of an axe, or hatchet, upon his companions; he sprang and run, closely pursued by one of them, who slipped upon some smooth stones and fell; by this means he escaped, and gave the alarm to the inmates of the nearest camp, some forty rods distant; a general alarm was sounded, and all the vicinity turned out with torches and lanterns; the bodies of the murdered men were found in the Creek, their heads horribly mangled, and pockets rifled of their contents, supposed to be four hundred dollars. Search was immediately made for the assassins; but owing to the darkness of the night, the were unable to gain any trace of them.--With the earliest dawn of day it was renewed. Small parties started on the trail, in every direction, but up to the time of my leaving the vicinity, had gained no clue. I had the positive assurances that no efforts would be spared to ferret out the murderers, and bring them to punishment, and from the determined character of their pursuers, I have great confidence that they will be caught and punished as they deserve. J. W.Ransom, Marysville, (Calif.) Sept.11,1850.

    01/10/2004 02:13:25