News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1895-01-03
MURDER AND SUICIDE.
wife Became the First Victim of Hi,
Nrath-Two Sons Interfere and Receive
the Contents of His Pistol,

Wrath-TwO Sons Interfere and Receive
the Contents of His Pistol
Vim. h. Nhiteman of Winooski
shot and killed his wife, severely and
probably fatally wounded his two
boys, aged 10 and Is respectively.
at 8 O'Clock last Wednesday n;pht,
and then going up, t4irs shot him
self dying Instantly. Whiteman was
p man of Incorporate habits, on ac-
count of which his wife refused to
live with him and recently obtained
a divorce When he called at the
house last Wednesday night he ex-
| pressed desire to say goodbye to
th"ir children, of whom there were
six. On being admitted for this pur-
pose be at once began to quarrel
with his wife
Nhiteman's mother. who was very
wealthy, died recently, leaving all her
property to others, the will going
into effect yesterday, and it was over
this matter that he quarreIled with
his wifi. Words led to blows and a
s'ufIlp ensued, during which the lamp
was upset and the house caught fire.
Before much damage was done the
flames were eEtinguished, but the
quarrel was resumed. To prevent
their mother from further injury the
bows interfpred, whereupon the en-
ragged father drew pistol which had
been concealed, and fired first at one
boy and then at the other, the shots
taking effect in the head of each.
Then before Mrs. Whiteman could ps-
cape from the room, he shot her
through the neck. The wounded
woman rushed into the street. The
neig hbOrs, alarmed by the sound
of the shots and by the shrieks,
rushed TO the scene, one of them be-
ing just in time to catch the woman
as she fell. She expired in his arms.
At that instant two more shots
rang out. The neighbOrs ran into
the house and upstairs. Ina chamber
they found that Whiteman had com
plpted his bloody work by firing two
bullets into bis own head. He Law
dead in pool of blood. The boys
were at once removed to a hosp tai,
where it was discovered that the
wounds of the elder would probably
prove fatal, but that there was a
possibility that the other would re-
cover, and a council of physicians
WAS called in the hope of saving his
lite, if not that of the other.
Although Whiteman was drinking
man he was not under the influence
of liquor at he time, and the author
ties assert that the crime was dOubt-
less carefully planned beforehand.
| Mrs. Whiteman was +, garded by those
who knew her as a most estimable
woman.
Nh!teman, who a few years ago was
prosperous man, worth $50 600,
became Z victim Of the liquor habit,
and squanderpd all of his property
and was considered an inpbriatp and
put undo" guardian. Family
troubles had become so serious that
his vile had applied for a divorce, and
| WhitemAn hAd been notified to leave
tine house, Us he had made previous
attempts to Kill his wife. Whiteman
had consented 10 leave his home, and
spent the fatal day picking up bis
clothes. Gong out of the house in
the evening, be returned where
his wife and children we're sit
ting aud the shooting followed. 1t
is ea,d tina Whiteman tried to per-
suade Sheriff Wheeler, who executed
the will over which the quarrel arose,
to accompany him to the house of
his wife, but the sheriff was unable
to do SO. 1t is thought that be may
have escaped similar fate by his
absence.
THE KANSAS FARMERs.-The Gov
ernOr Of Kansas puts the case OF the
farmers very plainly before the pub
lie in the current North American.
The farm mortgage debt of Kansas
aggr' gated $157, 14J,O00 in 1890,
and 5000 farmers are annually dis
possessed Of their homes by the fore
closure of these mortgages. During
the last ten years the people OF Kan
sas have practically lost 5000, 600
through the decline of prices in corn
and wheat They are paying inter
est to money lenders at rates all the
way from & to l 2 per cent, and they
are yearly disposing of their crops at
bare percentage above the cost of
production. What is true Kansas is
true of other western states, and the
unrest and suffering among the peo-
f pie are great.
Appropos of industrial schools, Den
= mark has maintained ono for several
years for instruction in butter max
,, ing And now the little kingdom of
only about 100000 inhabitants
: exports 1O0,000,00O pounds of hut
+, ter per year, an average of fifty lbs.
; per inhabitant. Dairy products are
? almost the only articles the supply
. of which has never yet run ahead OF
the demand There is always a mar
kpt for good butter, and Denmark
! has discovered the fact.