Daily Kennebec journal., 1901-07-20
SHOT HIS FRIEND.
Terrible Mistake of a Brattle-
boro, VT. Young Man.
Grapplcd While Asleep by Man, He
Shoots Him Twice.
Is Horriiicd 10 Find II Is Friend Stopping
With Him.

Brattlehoro. VI, July 19.-Awakening
between and O'Clock Friday morn
ing, to find himself in the grasp of 4
man. Merton Starr tressy, Harvard
Law School student, vino is spending
the summer here, struggled till free
and snatChing Il revolver from
bureau. nc fired four shots at his as
saiant.
on lighting his lamp he WAS Mortified
to find t!at he had shot his friend and
classnate. Srdney Bristol of Battle
Creek. Mich. who came here. Wcdnes-
day. as i canvasscr and was invited by
Crc%scy to stay over night.
Bristol was killed almost instantly.
He lived only long enough TO gasp:
You have shot your friend
1t is believed that Bristol, while in
d nightmare, took hold of Cressey.
,'rcssey said. Friday forenoon. that he
thought he was being attacked 10y Il
burglar and fired as soon as he was
free. The young men We're each about
"A years Of age. They were graduated
from Yalc in 1900 ana entered the Har-
ward Law school last fall
Chcsscy saw Bristol in town, Wednes-
day. canvassing for periodical and
liz grandmother. Mrs. Starr, where
Crcssoy Was staying. After a pleasant
evening. the men retired at about 10
o'clock.
Crcsseys slumbcrs was disturbed 1T
2.4O A. NJ. when he awokc to find a
man whom he supposed to be burg
lar holding him down in bed.
Being Il powerful young man he
= h.. ,ln
Of the other person. lcaped from the
bed. snatchcd up Il revolver from tt"
bureau ana fired four quick shots. His
supposed assalant fell with a groan.
Then the room was quiet for an in
Stant
Hastily Crcssey lighted 4 lamp and
as the rings Of powder smoke rolled
aside. he saw Bristol lying on the floor.
Cresscy staggered. For Il moment he
seemed I,aralyzcd.
As hc stood with senses bcnumbed at
the horrible sight he heard the faint
words: On. YOU have shot me. You
have shot your friend
CrcsScy dropped down beside the
man. but effort to revive him was in
vain Life was almost gone when
Bristol spoke ana he died a few min
utes later.
The other occupants of tn" house,
aroused BY the sounds of the shots
came to til" room quickly. Several
physicians were summoned. 1t was
found that two shots had taken effect.
one striking Bristol'S shoulder. Will"
the other passed through his abdomen.
Finding th., man was dead a doctor
notified the local authorities and at :
o'clocl; Friday morning, JuStIr" 'ui-
worth as coroner, summoned jury.
Stat" Attorney Weston of Bellows
Falls. appeared later in the forenoon
ANA an investigation was ut once nc
gun CreSsoy. who was deeply affected
hv the occurrence. told what he could
of the affair. He declared that he had
no trouble whatever with HriStol thdl
they had passed 4 particularly pleas
ant evening ana that Ii" could NOT pos
&ibly account for the action Of his
friend save that he VAS dreaming on
in a II Of sleep walking when he lay
hold uf crrsG"Y.
Although Crcssy refused to be inter
viewed. this morning. his lawyer. MT.
e. e. Fitts said that tn" young man
.1yrk, to find his arm in the grasp "i
The man who at me time seemed 7" y"
.udca lurin- tn 50 eur" the other. 'r"SSA
struggled to set away and managed L.
reach his revnlvnr which lay ON tn,
bureau by the side of tn" bed.
The fir.t shot went M int" tn c"iI-
int.. ana then the Two men f"lI On th'
floor They struggled back and forth
aver ., en2co of several feet until
,,cssv succeeded in getting his right
,, r,,, v.b.,, IN. thrro other shots
,,. ava ,rt.r III, Iuat s,I.t I.ristn
,,.i..+n,,i. ..I.ii sh,t."
,..,....,. s.jd in,r,.d:,t.Iy- rs thai
.,i,,.;p... ,..,Iiyfr.. rn,. thc (irsf tina,