The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1877-08-23
A NEW ENGLAND TRAGEDY.
Brothers Shot OIL Sunday Under the
Shadow of Church.
NORTH ADAMS, MASS, Aug. 4.


Shadow of Church.
NORTH ADAMS, MASS, Aug. 4.
Sayoy is one of the smallest towns in
Massachusetts,. 1t lies among the noun
tains near the Hoosac tunnel, and the
people are all farmers. but its reputation
is very bad. Many of the people are
Spiritualists and Adventists, and it was in
front of. the Adventist Church that a
tragedy took place last Sunday that reads
like story of Southern or frontier life.
On the greensward by the church door,
while the congregation were standing by,
young and desperate fellow shot two
men and fired his revolver at another,
threatening woman's life, and then
forced the son and nephew of the men
whom he had shot to drive him to place
of safety. The terrified congregation
stood by and let him escape, and as he
disappeared over a hill he turned and
waved his hat. This happened in New
England village on Sunday, under the
shadow of a church.
In Savoy two brothers, Albert and
Francis Starks, live. They are both farm
ers and have the reputation Of being
peaceable men. Francis has family,
including a boy and girl about fifteen
years old, who are twins. The little girl,
Clara, is the innocent cause ofthe tragedy.
Some time ago Herbert E. Blanchard
returned to Savoy from California, and,
according to his own story, he has seen a
good deal of life for man just turning
twenty three. During the four years
that he lived in California he appears to
have learned all that life in the mines can
teach; but there is rather too much bragg-
gadocio about his confessions of bloody
deeds, of shooting scrapes, and other
crimes. Since he returned he has been
at work on different farms in Savoy, and
for the last three weeks has worked for
Philo Tower, and was good farm hand.
"A few weeks ago he, as hesays, formed
an attachment for little Clara Starks, and
was paying her honorable attentions.
Clara appears to have received his ad-
vances favorably, for she met him many
times. Stories, however, reached her
fathers ears about Blanchard's former
life. 1t was said that he already had two
wives, that he had boasted of his conquests
of young girls affections, and that, more
over, he was a bloodthirsty fellow who
went about with revolvers and knives,
which he would not hesitate to use on the
slightest provocatien. This is probably
net true. Blanchard was fond of talking
big" and making the eyes of the Savoy
youth open with astonishment as he told
of his wild adventures, but no authentic
report of his ever before having shown
any violence to any one can be obtained.
He admits having been married twice,
but says that he is divorced from one wife
and that the other is dead. Mr.. Starks,
however, did not wish him to pay any
attentions to little Clara, and told him So.
He also told several people in Savoy that
| 'sHerbert Blanchard could not have his
Clara" Blanchard says that when
Starks told him his visits must cease he
yielded, only writing Clara asking for a
final interview, which was granted, and
that then he confessed his love to her,
and obtained her promise of marriage,
but that this promise she afterward
revoked in the presence Of her father.
At one of their last interviews in a
little pine grove near Savoy, little Clara's
brother being present, somebody in the
grove fred pistol and the bullet whizzed
close by Blanchard's head. He says that
he started to find the assassin but was not
able to catch him, but believes the man
was Leman Blanchard, who is a brother
in-law of Francis Starks. An account of
this shooting appeared in the local paper
a day or two afterwards as follows:
considerable excitement is manifested
over the recent shooting affray, from
which we learn the following facts: Her
bert Blanchard of West Hawley became
enamored of a fair damsel residing in
Savoy, who received his attentions in op-
position to paternal exhortation, conse-
ouently they had to hold their meetings
sub rosa. Wednesday evening, the 18th,
they had their secret meetings, and the
young Adonis was vending his way
home, accompanied by Clarence Starks,
when the stiffness Of the night was
broken by the report of pistol and the
whizzing of bullet uncomfortably near.
Blanchard picked up stone and started
in the direction of the would-be assassin,
who arose from thieket Of brakes and
fired again, but in his haste, the bullet
flew wide of its mark, and before he
could fire again Blanchard was just in the
rear of his flying coat-tails as they He'd
towards the forest, when all trace OF him
was lost.
After this transaction Blanchard seems
to have determined to be revenged. A
few days before the Sunday Of the TRACE
dy he was in the neighboring town OF
West Hawley, and met there VIM. L..
Luce. To Luce he showed a revolver,
and said that he had had some trouble
with Charlie Blanchard and Francis
Starks, and that he was going to shoot
them, adding that his name would ring
louder in Savoy than ever before. He
also told Alfred w. Burnett of Savoy
that he had shot gun, and was then on
his way to shoot Francis Starks, that he
proposed to settle with him with powder
and ball. Starks at that time was away,
which probably prevented Blanchard
from carrying out his threats. He told
Burnett also that the next time he met
Starks one or the other of them would
sleep cold that night. Nothing seems to
have been done by the Savoy people to pre-
vent the execution of these threats.
On Sunday morning, July %, the little
Advent Church was we'll filled. Elder
Sears preached to the congregation, and
dnrinG his sermon Blanchard came in
and stayed little while. Before the ser. :.
vices we're finished Francis Starks left
the chapel. After the morning meeting
the people stood on the church steps talk
ing about the bad weather, the crops, &C.,
while the choir was inside rehearsing tor
the afternoon service. Somebody at this
time showed little Clara the above ac-
count of the shooting, and the girl burst
into tears. Her father was standing near
by, talking with several persons, among
whom was Blanchard's father. Seeing
his daughter in tears, Starks asked her
J IL, y,s