Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1901-04-26
VERMONT NEWS.
WAS CAMPBELL MURDERED?

Mysterious Shooting ARRAY in Wal.
Inoford Which Caused Death Of a
Bookkeeper.
Charles f. Campbell, SO, boOkkeeper
for Barden Brothers, manufacturers OF
edge tools, was shot in the company
office in Wallingford about 10 o'clock
Friday night, the wound causing ms
death early Monday afternoon. l ne
bullet struck two inches below the
heart and lodged in the lungs. Inc
affair is shrouded in mystery, but 1t
is generally believed that CampDell
was murdered.
Campbell left Wallingford hotel
about 8 o'clock Friday night to go TO
the company's Office half mile away.
Two young men who walked with MN
a part of the distance left him at the
factory. while they went to a house
80 rods distant. About 10 O'Clock
Campbell staggered into the hotel bad
" wounded Physicians were sum
moned, and as it was seen at once
that the wound was fatal Campbell
was asked to make a statement OF the
affair The stories differ as to what
he said but it seems clear that Camp
while he was at work in the office;
that he put out his light and left the
office; that he returned, opened the
door into the shop and fired his revol-
yer at three men whom he saw there;
that these men had a stepladder
mounted on a saw frame and that one
of them was standing on it and had
opened a trap door in the ceiling;
that the men returned his fire and
wounded him, and that one of them
tried to pour some whiskey down his
throat after he was shot. Campbell
was not clear about the number OF
shots fired. He said he thought
he fired two, possibly three. He was
not sure how many the others fired.
Campbell said he thought he recog-
nized Charles Chappell as one of his
assailants. Chappell is 29 years old,
has wife and three children. He
has been employed in the Barden fac
tory. He was arrested and taken to
Rutland, and after hearing held un-
der $4,000 bail. He tells a straight
story as to his whereabouts during
the evening, and his statements are
Corroborated up to the time when he
says he went home, about o'clock.
Campbell'S hat was found on the
Office floor four feet from the door
leading into the shop. Besides it were
signs of vomiting. This was the
place where Campbell probably fell.
His revolver was found inside the
shop at the left of the office door. 1t
was a 81 calibre, five shooter, and
three chambers had been dis
charged. Another cartridge had been
snapped, but apparently had failed to
go off. One bullet hole was found in
the floor and another in the office
door. Both bullets were 80 calibre.
Campbell came from New York
state to Wallingford over a year ago
He was a very popular man. He is
survived by two sisters and half
brother. 1t is said that brother
who died recently left to the other
members of the family good estate
including $4,000 in insurance poll
CleS.
Campbell expected to leave Walling
ford Saturday 10 go TO New York to
be married to Mrs. Edith Gobartz OF
Staten Island. His tinancee and hel
brother arrived in Wallingford Mon
day morning, but Campbell was toe
far gone to recognize them.
One Wallingford man, who holds tC
the theory of suicide, thinks the stain
on Campbells vest was made by pow
der. Sheriff Peabody is convinced
that only three shots were fired. II
this be true and Campbell did moi
commit suicide the revolver must have
been wrenched from his hand by one
of his assailants and then turned
against him.