The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1877-08-31
RRJCTOJ.

W A BURGLAR FATALLY SHOT. The resi-
dents of Bristol were shocked, last Tuck
day morning, on learning that burglar
had been shot and killed while IN the
act of robDing the store of Patterson &
Mathewson, and were almost incredu-
lous upon hearing that Mr.. Charles ID.
Brown, an Industrious citizen, in whose
fidelity they had the greatest confidence,
q man who had good family, an estim-
able wife, and who received large
salary, should have died this sad
and disgraceful death. For the past
four years a number of stores in
Bristol have been plundered of various
sums of money and goods; Patterson Il
Mathewson and N. +. Dunshee were the
principal losers. There seems to have
been regular system of doing the bust
ness, the buildings being opened by
means of duplicate keys and small
amounts taken. Sunday night, August
10, fifteen dollars were taken from the
money drawer in the store of Patterson
Il Mathewson, and Wednesday night
following about the same amount. Mr..
Patterson had watched in the store
every night till Monday night, with the
protection of a revolver; he then added
a double-barrel shotgun loaded with
pigeon shot. Mr.. j. A. Bixby also
watched with him. They lay on the
floor i'm the back part of the store, with
their weapons within reach Mr.. Pat
terson did not sleep much, having q sort
of presentiment. About three o'clock i'm
the morning he saw some one come TO
the window and look in and then I'M
lock the door and come in. The thief
moved cautiously on tip-toe about
twenty feet from the door to the counter
opposite where the watchers lay. His
attention was then attracted by a slight
noise occasioned by Mr.. Patterson and
he began n retreat. They told him to
stop, threatening to shoot him if he did
not. AS he did not stop Mr.. Bixby
fired three shots at him from the revoi-
YER, but did not hit him. Mr.. Patter-
son shot him as he was going through
the door. He ran around the east side
of Mr.. Z. ID. Barnes store and fell.
They summoned DR.. Kent as soon as
possible and soon a large number of ex-
cited citizens were there, but not for
some minutes did they identify Mr..
Chas. ID. Brown. He was carried into
DR.. Kents drug store, and although at
tended in few moments by Drs. Kent,
Prime, Wheeler and Hasseltine, nothing
could be done to stop the flow of his
life blood. He was able at times to
speak and seemed to have his full mind.
He called for Mr.. Patterson and told
him he had done just right in shooting
him. lie expressed sorrow for the life
he had led; and died about half-past six,
at his home, begging the forgiveness Of
those whom he had wronged. A post
mortem examination revealed three
shot in the substance of the upper side
of the liver; while thirty or forty shot
went through the wall of the chest, and
merely confusing the lung, were found
loose in the pleural cavity. No shot
entered the substance of the lung,
though the lower lobe was considerably
confused from the blow of spent shot.
A large number entered the right shout
der and arm. Mr.. Patterson takes the
trouble to heart very much, although he
has been justified by the people and
Brown himself, who thought he did his
duty and acted very plucky.
Mr.. Charles ID. Brown was employed
by Howden, Bosworth & Co. in their
furniture mandatory, and was man
of great mechanical ability. He was
industrious, and capable of making
from eighteen to twenty dollars per
week. The people of Bristol had the
greatest confidence in his honesty. He
leaves wife and seven children, four
sons and three daughters, most of whom
are grown up. His wife is very esti-
mable lady, and this is fearful shock
to her and her family.
A coroner's inquest brought in YER
dict of death caused by shock to the
nervous system together with hemor-
rhage produced by gunshot wound.
He was engaged by the firm to put in
a new alarm cash drawer, and it was
from this that he extracted the money.
Although number of persons have
been suspected of the theffs, Mr.. Brown
was never thought of in this connection.
His house was searched, and money
and goods that had been missed before
were found among the rest revolver
taken from Drake Il Farrs two years
before. He confessed before he died to
have been the one whom Mr.. Patterson
had tussle with in his store one night,
two or three years ago, but he escaped
that time.