Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1901-12-06
TRAGEDY AT HARDWIck
Mrs. James Buck Murdered-shot
Twice and Skull crushed-Her Hus.
hand in Jail

a frightful tragedy occurred at tbe
home of James Buck. about IL r,iie
from Hardwck village Monday nigbt IN
which 1t is supposed Buck fatally Injured
his wife.
The first news of the deed was brougbt
by Buck himself who came to the botaI
in Hardwick about II O'Clock Monday
night and informed his daughter. who is
employed at the hotel, that her motber
was i'll and that she ought to go to her a
once. He gave his daughter some money
and told her to keep her mouth sbut -
The daughter was hurriedly taken to
the house by livery man. When she on
tered her parents bedroom she found her
mother in bed unconscious and blood
stains spattered about the floor, wall and
furniture.
There was one terrible cash in her fore
head another in her cheek and her fac
was badly bruised The weapon with
which the deed was done was a vice grin
about is inches long. made of three quar-
ter inch iron wound with red flannel
Buck, who is a farmer about As years
old, lived alone with his wife about a mile
and half from Hardwick. 1t has been
commonly understood hereabouts that
they were in the habit of uuarreling Vio-
lently. Nobody knows just what led up
to the crime. The couple have three
children from IL to % years old
I ueSudN physicians maze an eNamt01-
ton and found two bullet holes in the
skull of Mrs. Buck, showing that she was
shot twice either before or after the
wounds were inflicted with the vice grip.
Buck formerly lived in Wolcott moving
to Hardwick about a year ago. He was
known to many in this town. He had a
bad reputation while in Wolcott. and is
said to have been troublesome in his fam
lily and often brutal
Buck was seen in the wlds near Crafts
bury at about o'clock Tuesday morning.
He went from Hardwick to Wolcott,
where Ernest Brown son of his wife
by a former husband, lives and told the
son that his mother was desperately i'll
and that he ought to go to see her at
once When he came out to take the
team to go to Hardwick, Buck had dis
appeared.
officers were notified in several towns
and posses were organized to hunt for
Buck. 1t was supposed that he would
attempt to make his way into Canada.
Mrs. Buck died Wednesday without
having regained consciousness.
Buck was captured near Greensboro
Bend yesterday morning. Ernest Brown
who was staying at the farmhouse with
the body of his mother Wednesday night
was attracted by a noise outside. and saw
Buck skulking near the house. Buck
evidently wished to know whether his
wife had died
1t was later learned that Buck stopped
at a house near Greensboro Bend for
breakfast yesterday morning with Mr.
Fonda, with whom Bucks aged father
boarded. Knowing the circumstances OF
the crime and considering Buck dan
gerous man the family dared not give
an alarm until his departure, but lost ne
time i'm doing so when he took his leave
A posse Of fully fifty men was at once
organized and Buck was found ut ]
o'clock in a swamp near that place anC
made no resistance when taken 10y
Deputy Sheriff II. c. Libbey of Crafts
bury.
To the officers Buck said that he knew
what he was wanted for and confessed
to having struck his wife but did not re
member shooting her. He said that III
had purchased liquor the afternoon pre-
cedng the trouble at the Greensboro
town agency.
Buck is now locked up in the Jail await
ing a preliminary hearing.