Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1900-03-15
MURDERED.
Aleck Devino, a Westford Farmer,
Shot and Killed by Cur
tbs Pooler.
SELF.DEFENCE HIS PLEA,
Says That Devino Made a Motion as If
to Shoot Claims Not to RENE ember
the Incidents Following the First
Shot-Drove Nearly All Mon
day Night,

Aeck Devino, young farmer living in
the town OF Westford, about three miles
from the village, was shot down and kill
ed by man named Curtis Pooler about
$50 Monday night. foolcr committed the
act OF murder in the most dast tardy man
ncr possible, shooting his Victim in the
back, the revolver being placed so close to
the murdered mans clothing to black
en- it with the explosion OF the cartridge.
The murderer went to the house Of the
nearest nclghbor of Mr.. Devino, Lucius
Goodrich, and took team. with which he
escaped. The murdered man leaves a wife
and four children.
The news of the murder was not com
muncated TO the States attorney and
sheriff In this city until Tuesday morn
ing. On receiving it states Attorney
X. l.. Brown and Sheriff Reeves started
at once for Essex junction upon the cleo
trio cars and securing n team there drove
10 Westford. They arrived at the scene
cf the tragedy at O'Clock Tuesday af-
tcrnoon and Immediately began an inves-
tSation An autopsy was performed on
their arrival by DR.. G. s. Jcnne of West
ford and Dr. y. T. Arkley of Essex june
ton. who had been summoned
The autopsy showed that Devino, who
is young man about 81 years OF age. had
been shot in the back with a. 3s calbre re-
'piN'I' tAi' bdil ldSSIIlS LllIDu5 iIlt liiN-
die OF the extreme lower portion of his
, vest and entering the spinal column. After
he had fallen the murderer. not content,
sent another bullet through the left
shoulder, breaking tho arm and passing
through the lungs to the other side OF Tie
, body. The man bled profuselY internally.
After the murder the body had evidently
been picked up ana thrown into a horse
, stall, where it had been trod upon. This
resulted in the dislocaton Of one
elbow, the bruisng of the upper portion
of the body, cut upon the head and the
knocking out of some of the teeth.
Pooier's family, 1t is stated. live in the
town of Fairfax, and his sister married
Fay Goodrich Of Westford. lie WAS visit
: ing At the house OF I.ucius Goodrich, who
lives in the house next below that Of
Aleck DeVino and toward West ford Cen
: tre. He had been there about one week
ON Monday afternoon about O'Clock
Pooier went to DevinO : home, arriving
while the family were "a ting their Suppvr
l He entered the house and after supper MI.
= Devino remarked to his eldest son. who is
5 but l2 years of age, that il the son would
I milk the COW he would care for the horses
The son took a milking pail and eft the
t house, to be followed soon after by the
. father.
t The Devino family lived upon what is
A known as the Philo Irish farm. on the
o left side of the road going from the Cen
ter to the farm is the house while on the
: opposite side are located the COW and
= horse barns separated from eaCn other by
; Il barn yard. The horse barn stands close
to the road and the cow barn a short dis
; tance back from the lhoroughfaIc. In the
horse barn are four stalls with narrow
passage way behind them.
As Mr.. DeVno went out OF the rear door
= of the house he remarked to Pooler that
I he would return in a short time. As ho
4 passed around to the front side OF the
= house Pocler arose and followed him out
= of the back door and to the uarn. Mrs
= Dovino, looking from the window. saw
. both men enter the horse barn Poolcr
following Devino and closing the slide
door after him.
= Mrs. Devino busted herself about her
f household duties for perhaps twenty min
5 utcs. when the return Of the son, whose
r task was usually a longer one than that
j. of the father. called attention to the lat
/ ters absence. The boy then Went to look
: for his father.
t Probably the lad will never come upon
Y "A sight more shocking than that whicn
I he found As he entered the horse stable
= and passed to the stalls he saw. beneath
+ the hind feet of the horse in the iirst stall,
= the body Of his father II lay as it had
! been flung face downward, on the rigIt
p. side Of the animal. the side upon which
II a man would not enter stall with a
= horse. The animal, frightened by the
!, smell OF blood and the unusual condition
of the surroundings. was nervous and
moved restlesslY from side to side, each
movement leaving d new mark upon The
: lifeess body of its master.
The terrified hoy rushed from tho barn
:. and, running Ia the farm house, called
n his mother. She went to the barn and
managed to draw the body of her hus-
Il band from underneath the feet of he
i horse Help was sent for and when ii
e arrived the dead man was taken TO the
= house and messenger sent for DR.. (.
h 5. Jennc at Westford Centre. lie arrived
+ in a short time and. aided by Constable
Il T. H. VNhipuic. made a preliminary exam
k ination OF Inc body. Death had resulted
n from the bullet in the spine. When the
$ mark of the bullet was found DR.. Jenre
: onrnunccd that he believed the man had
o heen murdered ana declined ta procec d
f,,,th.r yitI, the examination alone The
u aIothtr.r was rencved and t,krf into tbo
- ,,ossassio, of ConetobIe WINNIE
=, NI-,,u,i,il. tbc r,u,I,r.r w,as maxine
II ,cna Vie nnror,nrltv Cor csconn I'eaNino
# So t,,n '''' ,in,oe, inmediatsly affcr th,
J., Wv, ~r' -, 'h,o,'t, -, ho,nva,I
"'u, 'i ~, - ist,,c r,,il 20 to,, road Hr
q ,, 'uu v.,o,.,sI +, me horsn ~ r,i,i,..