The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1900-05-02
SURROUNDED,

A dispatch from Woodstock on Monday
says Dustin and Frank Shaw, murderers OF
deputy sheriff Hoffman, are in swamp at
| west Rochester, surrounded by 200 armed
men. Their capture is almost certainty.
The blood hounds did not take the trail
effectively, and were really of little assis-
tance in the hunt.
Deputy Sheriff Thomas was but short
distance from Sheriffs Hoffman and Spaf.
ora when the former was shot He heard
Hoffman demand the surrender, when
both fugitives jumped for their rifles. The
old man Shaw said: "Dou't let's shoot
Frank, but Hoffman had hardly called the
second time for their surrender, saving:
Throw down your guns or I'll bore you"
when Frank Shaw fired and Hoffman fell
after quick excha ge OF shots, both officers
having rifles, Thomas saw the men rum
ming through the trees but not knowing
whether they were his own men or not was
afraid to shoot.
The funeral OF Deputy Sheriff Hoffman,
held Sunday afternoon at his late home at
white River Junction, was attended by
great concourse of people, AS secretary
Tor number OF years OF the the State Ag-
rlcultural Fair aud Billings Park Associa.
ton he was we'll known all over Vermont,
and was one OF the best horsemen in the
state. In his profession as a dentist he
stood high and was one of the officers of
the State Dental Society. He had been a
deputy sheriff in Windsor county for ten
age were never questioned. His loss is
deeply felt and the only consolation is that
he fell in the faithful performance of duty.
He leaves wife and two daughters The
body was taken to Lyndon today for burial
Dunston and Frank Shaw spent part of
last nightat the home of George Flanders at
Ripton, nine miles from Middlebury. The
searchers surrounded the house early this
morningbut the Shaws were gone. Flanders
Claimed he was unaware that the Shaws
WI In Irfrf IL.
tlanders' place are being actively secured
this forenoon.
The pursuit OF Dustin and Frank Shaw.
the murderers OF deputy sheriff Hoffman of |
White River junction, still continues but |
without results report from Woodstock |
today says the Shaws have been headed off |
near the New York line, and are turning
back into the Green Mountains where they |
may still defy pursuit for days.
Dan Howe, who has been at the front
since Friday, returned to Woodstock Mon
day night impressed with the difficulty of |
tracking men down in the territory where
the besieged army has been working. He |
went TO West Rochester with Officers Whit |
taker and Fisk Of Rutland and made mid
night reconnoitre of an old lumber camp in |
the mountains where it was thought per-
haps the fugitives might have halted but |
they found it deserted.
The officers orders to the man hunters |
are to take no chances with young Shaw |
but TO shoot first. In the camp where Fri |
days tragedy occurred Sheriff Thomas |
found several packages of black diamond |
dye which accounts for the reported dis |
guise OF the Shaws and the change of the |
older mans sweater stripes to black.
Nearly every town or village within
reasonable distance OF the field of action
has sent its quota of officers and towns
people while every farmer who has gun
keeps it handy. The force of men engaged
in the hunt is increasing and over 200 men
are now in the woods. The question of the
Shaws' chances OF escape is hard to solve.
They are undoubtedly travelling by night
and hiding during the day. Their pursuers
cannot do much searching in the wild
mountain country by night but the ad-
vantage they have is that OF having almost
every way of escape guarded and while the
Shaws can defy an army Of men in the
mountains, when they try to leave GER
tain district they Immediately run into
danger.
The hunt, which has been carried on al
most continuously for eight days, is being
prosecuted with greatly increased numbers,
including county officials from Windsor
and Rutland counties. They seem to have
been only stimulated by the incident in the
Flanders house and the woods in the vcin-
ity were secured this afternoon with re-
newed eayerness. 1t Is reported that the
men are still armed and a hot fight is ex-
pected when they are cornered Deputy
Sheriff p. G. Tinkham OF Rochester is in
charge of the searchers.