Semi-weekly Windham County reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1897-1901, 1901-10-11

With Companion at NOrthneld-Live
Over rwO Hours With Broken Jaw an,
Half His Face shot Away-They Hat
Been Out Hunting and Imbibing.
Stephen Ellis, 80, for a quarter of =;
century u well known barber in town
met y ith horrible death Wednesday
another result OF carel4ssness will
firearms. He and Hiram Livingston
an iceman in the employ of Brattlebor,
Ice &c, went hunting for 81 irrels OIL
Wantastiquet in the morning, leaving
about half past O'Clock and Ellis IL
tending to return to work in his shoI
by half past or 9. They came off tn,
mountain about half past and stoppe
on the Island, where all purposes o
work were soon washed away, ard Liv
ingston came over and got team q
Stockwell's and drove to Northfelj
Just bow tue tragedy occurred car
never be knoWn certainly, as it was
seen by no one outside the tAo uer
ard Livingston sitting in the buggy
all the time piteously taking on ano
unable even tc tell who the victim wa.
just after it occurred, and S w Edgett,
who was there with the Christian En-
deavor excursionists, had to be called
on to identify him. 1t took place be
tFeen , and 3 O'Clock in North field
street just about opposite the Moody
place, and as near as it can be made
out from the circumstances and ap
pearances aud what Information can
be- gathered, the two men were riding
along, the CUR, q hammerless one, be
tween Ellis knees, or perhaps between
the two men. As repeated tests have
shnun that no jal, however strong, is
sufficient to explode the gUD. the best
theory seems to be that the lacing ot
Ellis shoes got entangled with the
trigger and as he moved bis foot, fired
the piece.
1t was the right barrel that went of
and the shot striking just under the
center OF the chin, tore out bis jaw and
half his tongue, circling out little.-to
the left and under the nose, plough b ed a
fursoS four inches wide, then to the
right across under the right eye, lay
ing il sll out, and part of the cheek
bone also. 1t was a horrible, gaping
wound tearing away practically one
side Of the face. Livingston had one
hand hlRckened and burned. apparently
in putting ont the fire which caught on
the hunting shirt. The wounded man
was taken to the Norman cottage
nearby and DR. Newton sum
moned, and doing what be could, ac-
the injured man to Brsttle
boro, where he was taken directly TO
DR. Lyuch's hospital, oying 10 or 20
minutes after arriving there or at 3. 30.
One of the reports states that ny
stauder picked up the gun from the
wagon after the accident and the other
barrel went off. Apparently thers was
such an occurrence, but it was some
other gun for Ellis gun was cleaned
yesterday by his fellow barber, Chas
M Oakes, and the left barrel was un
discharged
Mr. Ellis was native OF Brattleboro,
the son of William " and Cynthia
Hall Ellis, and except for brief inter
vals of work at Westmoreland and some
other places has spent all his life
here. He was first employed in the
finishing rooms at the Estey shops,
md about % years ago went to bar
oering, first 10 the employ of Byron
. Colby, and then under different
until 10 the last years he
las had 40 interest 10 the Main
street shop He was good workman,
much liked by patrons, and a jovial,
hearty fellow. lie was twice mar
led, first to Miss Fisher,
md second to Lucy Wood
# Westmorsland who survives
lin with two daughters, Della and
leila, besides one son by the former
Cliud Fisher, the famous
Joy violirist. He is also survived by
40 brothers, Chas Ii ahd William
ellis, of this place.
The funeral will be held tomorrow
It p m from the house, Rev r X Mar.
lin officiating. During the funeral hour
IL the barber shops will be closed and
he BARRIERS will attend in body.