Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1899-11-24
VERMONT NEWS.
STABBED TO DEATH.
A Shocking Affair In the Little village
Of Norwich.

Robert EmertOn, a Young Man of Good
Character the VietIm---s. N. BuRbee,
a Fish PeddIer, the AsssIIant---stOry
OF EmertOn's Friend.
Robert Emerton, 80, fireman of the
Dartmouth college heating plant, was stab
bed in the abdomen and killed about 5
o'clock Saturday night at Norwich, by S.
N. Bugbee, fish dealer, of Wilder. G. j.
Linton of STAFFORD, friend of Emerton,
was an eye witness of the affair
According to his story, he and Emerton
had attended an auction sale at Johnson's
stable in West Lebanon, N. H., and had
just returned when the tragedy occurred.
Emerton's father-in-law keeps a little
shop Just north of the bridge across the
Connecticut river between Norwich and
Hanover, N. H. Emerton and Linton
went into the store, and there met Bugbee.
Emerton and Bugbee got into an argument
and had some lively words. Linton in de-
scribing the affair says;
al told Rob to come out and help me put
up my team and not to have a row in there.
took lantern and started, and he fol-
lowed, me out into the street. Bugbee fol-
lowed us, saying something did not under
stand, to Rob. l went along beside the
house to where my team stood.
"As reached my horses head set my
lantern down, and as did so it went out.
looked around and Bugbee was standing
| by his cart In front of the store, talking to
Rob, who was some 10 or 10 feet away.
Just as / looked around, Bugbee stepped
toward Rob and made a threatening re-
mark.
"Rob stood still, and said, You let me
alone Then Bugbee stepped up to Rob as
| if to fight him, but Rob pushed him away,
up against the building. Bugbee sort of
recovered, and came toward Rob again
and they came together.
81 saw a knife in Bugbee's hand, but did
not see what kind of a knife it was, or see
him use it; it was too dark but Rob gave
a little groan, and fell over right beside
me. Bugbee turned away and went to his
cart.
81 tried to lift Rob up. He gasped once
or twice, and saw he was dead. said to
Bugbee: That's a nasty piece of work.
You've killed him And he said, I'm glad
if have Then he got on his cart and
drove away. We carried Emerton into
the house, but he never spoke again"
Bugbee drove to his home in Wilder,
where he was arrested by Officer McCauley
and taken to the lookup at White River
Junction.
His story differs very much from that OF
Linton. His statement is as follows: 81
got off my cart at Niles's to see if they
wanted any fish. Emerton was in the
store and began calling me names. He al
so slapped my face three times.
II went out and climbed on to my fish
cart. He followed me out and jumped on
to the step. pushed him off with a knife
l had in my hand Then drove over to
Hanover, N. H., to get my wife, who was
visiting there. Before | left Hanover /
heard Emerton was dead, and | told my
wife I guessed I'd got into trouble. We
drove home and l was putting up my horse
when McCauley came over and said he had
a warrant for my arrest. let him put on
the handouts and he brought me here"
When asked if Emerton had any reason
to be unfriendly, Bugbee said he once col
lected fish bill the former owed him in
rather foxy way and Emerton had al
ways had a grudge against him.
Emerton was a Woodworking man with
a wife and two children. He had always
borne a very good reputation around Nor
witch and Hanover.
Examination of dead mans body is said
to have revealed five wounds, one of which
pierced corta and another a lung At a
| preliminary nearing monday BugDee
pleaded not guilty, waived examination
and was committed to Jail without bail for
the grand jury. Bugbee's hearing was be-
fore Justice Henry E. Goddard and States
Attorney John G. Sargent prosecuted. The
prisoner will probably be removed to the
state prison at Windsor for safe keeping
until then, as the county Jail at Woodstock
is undergoing repairs.
Sheriff Spafford has possession of the
knife with which S. N. Bugbee killed Rob-
ert Emerton at Norwich Saturday night.
1t was used by Bugbee when peddling fish
1t has a blade six inches long, sharpened tc
point, and attached to wooden handle
about five inches long. The force which
Bugbee used is shown by ten holes in Emer
toms heavy overcoat. Three or four cut
penetrated the body. The indications ar,
that Bugbee stabbed Emerton after he fell
Emerton was a temperate man and there il
nothing to show that he had used liquor OF
the day of the tragedy. Men who saw Bug
bee at 2 o'clock say he was under the in
fluence of liquor, but he was sober wher
| arrested