Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1897-06-12
DUFUR SHOT.
Allen Says It Was Accidental.
His Account.
Previous Record So Did Time for
Murder In Boston.

WHITE RIVER JUNCTION. VT, June 10
II. NJ. Dufur, the collar and elbow wrestler
has been shot by DR.. Samuel j. Allen Of this
place. Their. are conflicting stories con
corning the affair. Dufur was passenger
on the Passumpslc way freight rain and was
sitting In the ciboose which hal stopped
nearly opposite Or. Aliens residence. DR..
Allen claims that be was shooting at
a target, and that he missed the mark.
The bullet passed through the car win
dow and struck Dufur in the right
shoulder, cutting his coat to the lining and
entering his right jaw and knocking out
several teeth. 1t then struck tho inside OF
his left jaw AMI caromed around to the front
part Of the upper jaw, coming out directly
nearly cut Off. and his upper lip was
torn open. He was takea to the Junction
house. where he wa attended by Drs. Daley,
Garland and Worthen, local physicians,
and DR.. W. T. Smith of Hanover,
N. H., Surgeon Henry James OF Water
bury, VT, and DIR. II. l.. Watson of West
Topsham, n. H.. an old friend were sum-
moned The same bullet that struck Mr..
Dufur also grazed the neck of II. II. Seeley,
conductor on the Boston X Maine railroad,
who was in the caboOse with Dufnr. The
position occupied by Dufur and Seeley in
the ear must have been II feet or more
higher than the target at which DR.. Allen
The train hands claim that while the train
was stopped not far from Dr. Aliens house
they protested against his shooting in that
direction whereupon the doctor deliberately
raised his gun and fired the shot which in
fiicted Dufur's wound. The version of the
affair given by Dr. Aliens family is as fol-
lows DR.. Allen and his daughter, Mise
Roxy. about Is years old were practicing
shooting with a small rifle at Il target
tackled to a post OF the railroad fence
east OF DIR. Aliens residence on Maple
street, distant about Sc feet from the car
riage house where they were standing. DR..
Allen called Miss Cecilia st. Celton OF Bos-
ton Mass. who is visiting at DR.. Aliens and
was in the house. to come and see how well
Roxy could shoot. The doctor shot once.
and then Roxy tried her hand at it, after
which the doctor shot again. SOOn after the
last shot was Aired railroad man called to
DIR. Allen. saying that he had shot q man.
DR.. Allen started toward the railroad, hut
seeing the train which had been standing
start he thought that it was joke being
perpetrated upon him and returned to
they thinking also that the doctor
had been guyed. They all went in to
supper and none of the party knew
what had been done until word was sent
over to the house from DR.. Aliens drug
store on Main street. for him to come over
to the store. DR.. Allen returned home later
in the evening. and after midnight was ar
rested by Sheriff Spafrord and was taken to
the jail. Evan Vans, n sOn-in-law of Mr..
Dufur, was summoned here from Randolph,
and Nj. +. Hutchins. brother n-law, and
former business pa tner, came to help care
for the injured man. A civil suit for $4,000
personal damages was instituted in behalf
OF Mr.. Dufur against Dr. Allen and an at
tachment was levied on all of the doctors
visible property. A cha-ge was preferred
against DR.. Allen by conductor Seeley of al
legged assault with intent to kill and
assault. A preliminary hearing was held
before Justice Horace G. Pease, Mt which
DR., Allen waived examination. and was
bound over to the Windsor county court bail
amounting to $4,000 being fixed on the first
named charge. and $1,000 on the second
charge.
DR.. Allen, 1t will be remembered. shot n
man in saloon on Howard ST., Boston.
Mass. in 1884. claiming that he did it in self
defense. while the state charged murder.
Under advice OF counsel the chief of whom
was the late Gen. Benz. f. Butler. he pleaded
guilty OF manslaughter, which plea was nc
copied, and he was sentenced to five years
In state prison. He earned 10 months for
exemplary conduct and was released from
prison April 10. 1889 He Immediately re-
turned home and entered into active prac-
tice with good success. accommodating con-
siderable property. He was born on April
20, 1896 He was educated in Vermont, and
practiced medicine at Windsor. His father
was surgeon. The young man enlisted in
a Massachusetts regiment. Co. b, Captain
Coffin, and served honorably. After his
practice Mt Windsor he was assigned the
rank Of assistant surgeon in a cavalry ragi-
ment and served five years on the frontier
under Custer. He left tho army to be mar
ried. and practiced at this place until 1892
when he removed to SouthIngton, Conn.
After having been there a year his wife died,
his little child was taken with malarial fever,
and he came to White River Junction. where
he has been since. except during the time he
served In the Massachusetts, prison.