Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1901-07-19
Bristol Cried m Shot and Then the Awful Truth Was Known
by Both Of the Young Men,
BECAME UNCONSCIOUS AND DIED WITHIN HALF AN HOUR
Bristol Probably Somnambust WhO While Still Asleep Seized
His Companion
His Companion.

The most shocking tragedy Brattle-
boro has known in years took place
this morning about 2.40 o'clock at the
Western avenue home of Mrs. Farley
Starr, when her grandson. Morton
Starr Cressy of Hartford, Conn. shot
and killed Sidney Bristol of Battle
Creek, Mich. The shooting was un-
doubtedly accidental. Four shots were
fired. One took effect in the shoulder,
but the one which caused death
pierced the abdomen.
The young men graduated from Yale
in the class of 1900, and during the
past year had been classmates in the
Harvard law school. They were good
friends, but not college chums. Bristol
came to Brattleboro yesterday as a
canvasser for The Cottager, a paper
published in Athol. Cressy met him
on the street and invited him to be
his guest. They visited the golf links
during the afternoon, and had supper
together at Mrs. Starr's. Cressy had
an engagement during the evening
and by appointment met Bristol at the
Brooks House at 10 o'clock, and they
went together to Mrs. Starr's house.
Several people have remarked this
morning that they noticed the young
men going along the avenue chatting
and laughing as they recalled events
of their college days.
They went to bed together between
II and IL o'clock and according to
the statement made by Cressy they
talked until a late hour. Cressy was
awakened from his sleep to find one
arm in the grasp of a man who was
attempting to seize him by the other
arm. The man was evidently upon his
knees on the bed. The only thought
that Cressy had was that he was in
the hands of a burglar, and in his
struggles he reached with his right
arm for a revolver which was on the
stand beside the bed. He secured the
revolver and fired one shot while still
in bed. The bullet probably from this
shot was found imbedded in the cell
ing. The two men struggled in the
dark for minute or two, both getting
to their feet, and Cressy evidently
pushed Bristol some six feet or more
away against a bureau. All this time
Cressy was screaming for help, and
during the struggle fired three shots
more.
When the fourth shot was fired Bris-
tol exclaimed II am shot" Cressy
said, "Is it you. Sid" and realizing
what an awful mistake had been made,
said something expressing his sorrow.
He says that Bristol replied, saying in
effect that it was too bad that such
a mistake had been made.
After the last shot was fired.
Bristol staggered back against the bed,
and. as soon as Cressy realized that
his friend was wounded, he placed him
on the bed, lighted the gas, put a
pillow under the head of the wounded
man, and then called to his grand
mother and to the housekeeper. Bris-
tol was bleeding profusely from his
wounds, and was unconscious before
Mrs. Starr reached the room. Cressy
ran across the street to the house of
H. p Wellman to give the alarm. and
Mr.. Wellman, as soon as possible,
summoned physicians, Chairman Vim
ton of the board of selectmen, R. c.
Bacon, village attorney, Lawyer c. c.
Fits, and Chief-of-Police Hall. Bristol
died in 20 to 80 minutes. His heart