Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1877-04-11
Tragedy In East MOntpelier.

Arbuckle His mother is sister OF
Howard Bennett of East Montpelier and
good woman. His father, Philander, has
been deemed worthless fellow and when
Mr. Smile was States Attorney was in
Gicted for an assault ON his boy Hiram
with knife and was sent to Jail for six
months. Since then he went away for
some time and a year or two ago made
his temperance in Montpelier Village
pretending to be u tramp. Mrs. Arbuckle
had saved something from what property
she had at marriage, enough to have Il
small place in East Montpelier Village
where she has lived for some years with
her children. Hiram was the eldest of
three sons, his brothers being Howard and
| Bennett.
George Bancroft, one of The victims, was
brother of Aaron Bancroft of this village.
He was fifty-ono years of age, and u broth
er-in-law of the man who killed him. Hav
ing married Ellen Arbuckle. 1t is said
that Bancroft has not been very steady
this winter, and ut any rate there was trou
BILE between him and his wife, and the only
explanation of the shooting by Arbuckle
is that he thought his sister had not been
well treated by her husband. George
Short the wounded man, is very young
being not quite seventeen years old. His
father is Orville w. Short and his mother
II daughter of Orlando Lewis and sister of
Mrs. Willard Martin of Plainield. George
is the only child they have living. 1t was
not known that Arbuckle had any serious
trouble with young Short though George,
in going to fair or horse trot last fall,
had IL collision with Arbuckle's team. Mr..
Short had paid for the damage however.
Arbuckle had been " waiting" on girl
last summer, who afterwards went more
with Short than with him, and it is thought
that jealousy had more to do with the shoot
ing than the affair Of the collision last fall.
The scene of the tragedy was the grist-
mill, blacksmith shop, and dwelling house
of Mrs. Arbuckle in East Montpelier viii
= lage Mrs. Arbuckle lives on the west
side of the street and the grist mill is on
the east side, little south of opposite her
house. Bancrofts blacksmith shop is
farther down in the hollow on the west
/ side of the street, and south of point OPP
posite the grist mill.
Yesterday George Short drove to the
village, left his horse at the blacksmith
shop to be shod, and went into the gris
mill. There were three or four others il
= the mill when Arbuckle came in between
+ one and two o'clock. The latter reached
: over Mr.. Cunningham and with a nav,
/ revolver shot young Short in the body, tn,
bullet entering two or three inches to thu
4 left of the right nipple and passing down
I ward about four inches Short turnet
:. and fled when Arbuckle shot at him again
Il the bullet passing through the arm abou
e half way from the elbow to the shoulder
n but going in front OF and not breaking til
bone Short fell ut this second shot.
|, Arbuckle at once crossed the street IN
s. went into the blacksmith shop where Ban
e croft was shoeing Shorts horse, and fire
le at his brother-in-law. The first bullet en-
st tered Bancroft's back just below tn
81 shoulder blade, passed nearly through tn
n body and lodged near the breast bone, If
Il hictng mortal wound. A second she
NJ passed through the lower part of the viz
+. Tins arm. Bancroft ran and Arbuckl
is pursued him. 1t is not known whether h
re fired again before Bancroft crossed I'll
at street or not. Bancroft after trying to C
lie cape him near the shop, ran across to ii
cr grist mill, pursued by Arbuckle, who
he the door of the mill fired again. The bu
let entered at the base of Bancroft's hea
of Just behind the car, passed through Il
cd neck to the upper and front part of Il
~, throat, when it followed the skin dow
nj ward and lodged in the breast not f
20 from the first bullet. Bancroft went in
ed the mill and died, while Arbuckle went
II. his mothers house.
ON Howard Arbucklc who was working
me shop near the house heard the shots al
ins came out to meet his brother in the var
h. Hiram had revolver in his hand and
all appearance led his brother to ask hi
.be what he had done, Hiram told him n
said " now what shall l 90; shall | L
.o1 and be u stink, or be IN example, or k
49, myself" lie then went into the hoI
:. and while there said he had intended
-. Il month to do what he had done.
-, walked abont the house and after son
~ minutes asked if the constable was COZ
ing. lie was told that he was, AS just
~ that time constable George Rowland W
had been sent for WAS seen approach
u"' the house, Arbucklc then passed out
rip the back door of the kitchen upon Il SIN
hce piazza, barrel his breast and shot him;
ou' through the heart. AS he fired the ia
my shot he threw the revolver from him W
I" OIL such force that although the premi
lore were carefully searched it hed not 1t
y Is found last night. BY the time llowl
Die got into the house ArbuCkle was dead.
tho Meantime Short severely wounded as
was got into his buggy and rode to
co" homo IL mile east of the village.
Woodward of Montpelier was sent for
IT, he attended the boy last evening. In p
H"y inc for the bullet the course of the wo
'le'l is easily tracol about four inches do
. Oh ward from its beginning in the brest "
70 trace of the ball is lost. The wound
WI" v, the arm is not dangerous. 1t is not wi
.no'' uncertain whether the prinoip al woun
'no mortal one or not.
on. -----
the ,.,,
mil Senator Edmunds' health has been IL
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