Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1895-02-08
WILLIAM NORTON MURDERED.
Tb. Rody Of the ex-Dartmouth, eN-Nale
aud ~-HrattIeboro Rail- Player Found
ON sloop In the Indian River, Fla.

THE BODY Of the ex-Dartmouth, eN-Nale
and ex-BrattIeboro Ball Player Found
an , sIoop In the Indian River, Fla.
VIM Norton, the ex-Dartmouth and ex-
V,le athlete. who was the second baseman
of tbe champion Brattleboro base ball
taor, of 1S02 is supposed to have been
murdered in Florida about Jan. Is Nor
Ton coached the Brown university foot ball
foam last fall. and was seen by Brattleboro
friends at Springfield the Saturday before
THANKSGIVING. when he umpired the Dart
month Brown foot ball game. lie left
Providence in December, and after a short
stav in New Haven went to Florida, where
he intended to spend the winter hunting
and fishing along the Indian river.
About a month ago he hired sIlop at
Titusville, Fla, and sailed down the In
dian river as far as Sebastian On lhe
returu trim the sloop put i'm at Rock Ledge,
Ian Is Mrs. c. w. Blakeslee of New
Haven. whose winter home is at that place,
saw two men on board. The sloop lay to
for several days, with no signs OF life on
hoard. and this caused Clarence Blakeslee,
ON Monday. Jan. IS to investigate. He
found in the cabin the putrid body of
man. blackened, and the head swollen ter
riblv. No trace Of the other man was
found Foul play is suspected, but no def
mite proof has been obtained. The body
is believed to be that of Norton.
Norton's home was in Waukegan, ILL.,,
suburb OF Chicago. He graduated at
Dartmouth in 1890 He was considered
one of the best athletes that ever attended
that institution. He played second base
on the Dartmouth base ball team and was
also a member of the foot ball eleven He
entered the Yale law school, from which
he graduated in 1898 He was substitute
half back on the Yale foot ball team two
years, and as an end rush was excelled on
ly by Greenway and Hinkey, the two Yale
stars. He played second base on the Yale
base ball team in 1891 and 1892. Bowers
and Murphy of Yale were among the
Brattleboro ball tossers of 81, and when
they came to Brattleboro in '92 for their
second season, Norton accompanied them.
He filled the position of second base here
very acceptably, although not considered a
player of as high rank as Dowd or Stearns.
He had previously been well known in
Brattleboro, having played on the Kear-
sarge team at Greenfield and with the
Claremonts.
He was popular here and made many
friends, but was not favorite like Dowd
or Murphy. He was debarred froma place
on the Yale varsity team in 1913, owing to
a rule adopted that year, and with Bowers,
O'Neil and others he formed the Law
school team, which met with great success.
The Law school and varsity teams com
bined for the Worlds Fair series, and Nor
ton and Bowers were among the players
who won the valuable championship en-
blem for Yale at Chicago
In the fall Of '93, after acting as coach
for the Dartmouth foot ball eleven. Norton
went to California to fill a similar position
at Leland Stanford university. While
there he played base ball on a nine of old
Yale players headed by the redoubtable
Stagg.
Norton was a handsome, dark complex
Toned young man about five feet eight
inches in height. He weighed about 16j
pounds, and his age was 20 to Is years.
His physical development was almost per-
feet, and Bowers and Murphy used to say
he was one of the strongest athletes they
ever met. Pluck and dash were character
istic of his work. He was a bright stu
dent.
He was of rowing disposition and there
was something peculiar about his actions.
His family is said to be wealthy, but he
worked during his college course in various
ways to pay his way. During the sum-
mer, instead of returning home, he would
play base ball for what money he could
get Since his graduation from the Yale
law school he acted as a coach, and devot
ed his time to athletics rather than engage
in the practice of his profession.
A Mysterious Letter---Is Norton Alive!
j. J. O'Neill, who managed the Brattle
boro ball team in '92 and '93, has received
mysterious letter. 1t is dated Stuart
House, Thompsonville, Ga, Jan. 20. and
is postmarked at Thompsonville Feb. 4,
The letter is on a single sheet, is unfnish.
ed and unsigned. 1t begins by saying. ~
thought | would write you these few lines
TO let you know l am not dead" and saws
further, Il looked for you that week in
Springfield" The writer says he has a
JOB as companion for wealthy man and
is going to New Orleans and later to Mex
leo. 1t may be that the letter is from Nor
ton.