Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1900-05-04
SHAWS CAPTURED.
Son Shot by Deputies and the
Father Surrenders.
Taken in a Swamp near Mdd|ebury,
VT, Thursday Noon.
Young Man Badly Wounded Both Lodged il
Jail at MiddIebury.

Mddlebury, VT, May 3.-Dunstan
Shaw and his son, Frank, who escaped
from the Woodstock Jail, April %, and
who for the past 10 days have been
bounded through the woods and noun
tains Of central Vermont by armed Of
iicvrS and citizens, numbering between
200 and 800 at various times, and who
in course of their flight killed Deputy
Sheriff Hoffman of Windsor county,
last Friday. were captured in swamp
| about miles from Middlebury, a noon
today. They resisted the approach Of
| officers and citizens with Winchesters
and II or II shots were exchanged
when Frank Shaw fell with two bullet
wounds in his body and his father sur
rendered.
The young man was seriously wound
"a. Both were very weak from lack
" food and exhaustion. Apparently
they We're not displeased at the pros
pect Of being CHARTERED in jail As soon
as possible the prisoners were brought
to this town and placed in Jail No
one in the searching party were injur-
ed by the shots exchanged with the
two men.
The Shaws had been tracked to the
swamp by searcheTS who start. i from
MiddIcbury. early this morning. upon
receiving news that the men had stop
pod at a farmhouse few miles from
Middlcbury to obtain food. at about .
O'Clock this morning. The trail led to
the west and northwest through the
woods ana ended in Middlcbury swamp.
about miles from where it started.
The fuEitives apparently were taken
by surprise. but were prepared to make
good resistance.
The capture causes mu Il satisflc-
ton among those who have persisted
| in the chase. day and night since early
last week News that the Shaws had
been taken aroused great excitement in
| the town ana hundreds " people wit
| messed the arrival of the officers with
| their prisoners and followed them to
| the jail.
This town, which with some degree
| Of quiet. has been observing from
distance Of from 10 l. miles the
| search III the mountains for the Shaws.
vas considerably upset. early this
morning. when Julius Seeley reported
| to- the authorities that two men We're
at he Secley house near Middlebury.
ut about > o'clock this morning. max
| ing request fnr food. The men claim
| "a 10 b" fishermen and they were given
some salt pork and potatoes. Mr..
| Seclcy's son. who passed the food tn
| the men At the door. says no recognize
| ed one Of them as DunStan Shaw.
Not knowing what else to do. the
visitors We're permitted To depart while
| the Seeley's reported the incident t.
| the authorities as soon as possible.
| The men went westward from the
| Seeley house ana from this it is
| thought that they We're making to-
| wards Lake Champaign and the New
York state line. Deputy Sheriff Cobb
and Special Deputy c. $. Carr, with
large force IF citizens. started on the
| trail. at about o'clock
In spite of the handicap of the later
start. the pursuing party made good
progress. They entered the woods,
| II, ar the Seeley house ana began a sys-
| ,ematic search Of every part for traces
| # the fuGtives. The Shaws were too
good as woodsmen to leave a plain
| trail. 50 the only knowledge possessed
| by the purSuers was the statement that
| they had taken westward course af-
| ter obtaining food.
thought to be traces of the men were
discovered. leading towards the north
west. Following in this direction. some
Of the searchers, with Deputy Sheriff
Tinker at their head. came out into a
pasture Of Middlebury swamp. There
was considerable water in the swamp
and beyond it was a patch Of clear
ground. The two men were slowly as
| cending this patch when the following
party saw them.
Hurrying forward Sheriff Tinkham
shouted to the ShaWs to surrender. In
reply the fuGitives Immediately raised
their guns. Without waiting for further
demonstration the firing was begun.
The SearchCrs. after the shooting Of
Deputy Sheriff Hoffman had been given
orders to shoot on sight if the despara-
does did not surrender. and it was ap-
parent at once that they were ready to
carry out this direction. More than
dozen shots were exchanged when
Frank Shaw fell. This seemed to take
the courage out Of the older man and
he ceased firing Sheriff Tinkham
FASTENED to his side. followed closely by
the others Of the party, and in a mo-
mcnt had handouts on the hands Of
the man.
The young man lay on the ground
with blood marking two wounds. one
near the heart 1t was apparent that
he was seriously hurt and both men
Continued on page 80