Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1871-03-09
Attempt to shoot a Conductor,
THE OFFENDER ARRESTED AND Bouur

On Saturday night last, as the nigh
express train left Waterbury going South
Frank Sherman, native of Waterbury
who had been stopping for awhile il
Montpelier or vicinity, took the train TO
Montpelier. Having but thirty cents, tn
conductor took only twenty, the fare t,
Middlesex, where he told him he mus
leave the train. Upon reaching the Stow
| ell place, short distance this side O
Middlesex, the conductor found tba
Sherman was riding upon the rear end o
the car, whereupon he stopped the train
and, with the help of the road, put hin
OH. As the train moved off, Sherman fol
lowed, with the evident intention of still
attempting to ride; but as the speed O
the train increased, rendering it impossi
bic for him to overtake it, and when some
twenty or thirty feet away, the conductor
who still remained at the rear of the train
watching the proceeding, saw the pursu
ing man draw pistol and discharge it in
that direction, evidently with the design
to take murderous revenge upon him
Thereupou the train was stopped and
backed up to the spot, when the conductor
and his assistants, passengers and all, en-.
deavored to find the reckless offender
But all search was in vain. Doubtless the
culprit took refuge in some of the out
buildings on the Stowell place. After
running back to the village and searching
for nearly an hour, the train came off.
Joseph W. Howes, Esq, being pas
sengcr on the train, was determined not
to give it up So" On reaching Montpelier,
ND 1nf fnr 49, o41,o
in immediate pursuit, he notified the clerk
at the Pavilion that he might be on the
lookout for such traveller during the
night. And sure enough, not long there
after, Mr.. Sibley of the Pavilion saw a
man pass answering the description, and
following upon his track, traced him d.
rectly to the residence of Mr.. J. Perrin,
on Barre street, who is brother-in-lsw of
Sherman. On Sunday morning, Officer l.
w. Brown started in pursuit, but found
Sherman had left PERKINS, and started for
Berlin, where he had recently worked.
Following on, he overlook and arrested
him near William Cummings Being
charged with the offense, he owned up,
and. returning with the officer, produced
the pistol, carefully secreted in the shed
at Mr.. PERKINS,. It was an ordinary FIVE
shooter, with one of the cartridges dis
charged.
On Monday, Sherman was brought be.
fore Nelson Robinson, Esq, for examina-
ton. Randall 81 Durant appeared for the
State. and Heaton & Reed for the defence
The respondent himself was the principal
witness. He freely acknowledged that he
fired the shot, but denied all murderous
intent. He said he had been spending
the day at Waterbury, and had been
drinking freely, thus reducing his funds
30 low as not to be able to pay his fare to |
He obtained the pistol, he
said, of a certain gentleman of color at
Waterbury. with whom he had been
drinking. The result was, that he was
held for trial in the sum of $500, and |
committed to Jail for want of bail.
Young Sherman is nineteen or twenty
years of age, and served term in the
Reform School at Waterbury some years
Igo. No other cause for the rash act-if
indeed murder was intended-can be as
igned, than liquor and momentary pas
ion.-Montpe!ier Jo.rnal