Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1895-07-11
ATTEMPTED MURDER.
Q. Cummings OF HOughtonvile Uses Gun
Does not Stand Trial, But Jumps his
Bail-Great Excitement.

fair at Houghtonville, July 4:
The little village of Houghtonville,
about three miles from the town of
| Grafton, was stirred to its depths by a
shooting affair on the morning of July
4. About 2 O'Clock in the morning the
house of D. A. Thomas was fired into
by one of a crowd of drunken men col
lected around the only store in the
place and owned by John @. Cum
mings, who is the chief one implicated
in the shooting. Mrs. Thomas, who is
highly respected woman in the com
munity, tells a very straightforward
story.
During the afternoon of July Cum
mings had collected small company
to the number Of five or SIX around his
store which stands opposite the house
of Mr.. Thomas and only separated by
the road. During the evening and
night this company being the worse
for liquor, became so uprcarous that
Mrs. Thomas and her two grandchil-
dren, Frank and May, did not dare to
go to bed but sat blythe window watch
ing, Frank sitting close to and near the
middle of the window and Mrs
Thomas and May sitting to one side.
They were in the dark but the men
outside had lanterns.
About 2 O'Clock the men began to
load their anvil, which they had been
firing, into wagon preparatory, it
seems, to moving away, when Cum
mings, who had gun, suddenly raised
it to his shoulder and pointing it to the
window at which the watchers were
sitting said, ''d-m, old Thomas, I'm
going to give him hell now" and fired.
Mrs. Thomas, who saw the action said,
"He is going to shoot into this win
dow" Thereupon Frank dropped onto
the floor under the window and the
charge passed over him. Had it not
been for his presence of mind he could
hardly have escaped being hit
The charge shattered the glass and
spent itself on the stove pipe and parti-
ton on the opposite side of the room.
Three of the slugs were found aud pre-
sSrved for future evidence. They are
of the size and shape ofpistol cartridges.
This story is .substantia corrobo-
rated by the grandchildren. States At
torney Fits arrived July 4, and af,er
looking over the ground, appointed the
hearing Tuesday, July 8, at the town
hall Grafton. Constable Clark ARE sted
Cummings Saturday evening, July 6,
and now has him ia charge. Also four
or five others, who were present at the
time of the shooting are under bail to
appear at the hearing. 1t is under
stood the first charge that will be made
against Cummings will be for selling
liquor as he has been suspected for a
long time. Cummings came from the
west to Houghtonville several years
ago and bought the store owned by Mr.
Twitchell. He is about SO years of age
1t is hinted that his life in the west was
not of the best character aud that he
has seen the inside of a Jail more than
once. The trial is awaited with great
interest here as it is expected another
matter will be cleared up, viz, as to
who put Paris green and sulphur into a
spring or well owned by Mr. Thomas.
Public opinion seems to be entirely
against Cummings.
At O'Clock Tuesday the trial began
ON the Houghtonville liquor cases before
Justice c. E. Thompson. The first case
to be taken up was that of John O..
Cummings. He was proved guilty of
intoxication and fined; fine and costs
amounted to S3S. James Buffers pleaded
guilty to being intoxicated and paid
his fine and costs amounting to $3.50.
Ed Blood pleaded guilty and was fined
SIS, five of it being kept back as surety
for his good behavior for two years.
Yesterday morning the cases of Reu-
ben Scott were taken up and he was
fined about $40 including costs. The
cases against Cummings for selling,
etc were set for yesterday morning,
but as Cummings did not show up at
/ the time of the hearing his attorney
pleaded guilty to six offenses for him,
and his fines and costs aggregated 1924.
/ Cummings was under bond for $500
to appear at this hearing, his bonds
man being c. H. Robb. 1t soon leaked
out that Cummings had jumped bail
and made tracks for Iarts unknown.
Several officers were soon on his trail
but last night he had not been over
taken and the probabilities are that he
has made his escape. II is understood
that some very damaging evidence re-
garding the shooting matter would in
cidentally have been brought out in
the liquor cases, and it was beginning
to get very warm for Mr.. Cummings.
so he decided to leave for more een-
genial cline.
As soon as c. II. Robb saw tnat he
was in for the amount of the bail bond,
he attached Cummings stock of goods,
and will proceed to carve 500 out of it.