Barre evening telegram. (Barre, Vt.) 1898-19??, 1902-04-16

Informer's Narrative Of the Murder
of Peter Hallenbeck.
CROSS M BY OADY
Witness Declares That the Victim
GSappIed with Burton Van WOr-
mel and That . Fierce strug-
gle at Once Hnsued.


Hudson, N. Y, April 16.-When court
was opened in the trial Of Willis, Bur-
ton and Frederick Van Wormer for
the murder Of their uncle. Peter A. Hal
lenbeck, on Christmas eve, Harvey
Bruce took the witness stand. Former
Judge Cady conducted the cross exam
ination. Bruce said he was born at
Stuyvesant Falls twenty years ago. He
lived in New Jersey for some time up
to last August. He had cared for horses
at different times. Last fall he went
to the Van Wormers' to make his home.
In telling his story Of the events on
the night Of the murder Bruce said that
when the party approached Hallen-
beck's house Burton Van Wormer led,
and the witness said he followed close
behind. Fred was third and Willis
last. Continuing, Bruce said:
when we went to the kitchen door,
I saw Willis standing still on the
ground. l was on the stoop at the side
Of Burton, and Frederick was at my
side. Willis was on the ground at the
foot Of the stairs. Burton knocked on
the door at once. 1t was bright moon
light. I stood nearest to the latch. Mr..
Hallenbeck came to the door, and Bur-
ton went in first. He rushed Hallen-
beck with his right hand against the
old mans face. Hallenbeck had hold
Of Burton when I got in the room.
"They were graphing each other.
Hallenbeck had Burton by the collar.
1t looked as though he had Burton by
the throat. I said in my confession
and later to my counsel, Mr.. Daley.
that Hallenbeck had Burton by the
throat, and I have no doubt Of it now.
While that struggle was going on Will
lis came in the room. Fred was in the
room. l pushed the door open SO that
l could get in.
THE struggle was then going on. 1t
lasted half a minute and was violent.
This struggle was the first thing that
happened after the door was opened.
I heard a shot fired from Burton's pis-
tol while the struggle was going on. 1
fred a shot in the ceiling while the
struggle was going on. The next shot l
fred was at right angles into the wall.
Confusion Was Great.
1.-THE smoke was quite thick then,
and there was much confusion. I had
not seen Mrs. Hallenbeck up to that
time. I did not see her until I got in
the center of the kitchen. l was stand
ing looking in the sitting room. Willis
was standing to the left of the kitchen
door. The smoke in the room was dense
then. I was the second man in the
sitting and the last man out. l
cannot tell who first fired the shot in
the sitting room ceiling and the kitchen
door.
1.-THE struggle was over before Hal
lenbeck walked across the room toward
the stairs where his gun was. 1 did not
see him take the gun down, but 1 heard
Burton then say: For Gods. sake, get
out of here. He is after his shotgun!
I then ran out of the house. All of the
boys had run out before me. Hallen-
beck was then getting his gun. I ran
as fast as I could for fear of being shot.
l slowed up on the steps and saw some
thing shining. 1t was my pistol.
Says Pistol Was Taken From Him.
my pistol had been taken away from
me while I was in the center of the
sitting room. l had it firmly in my
hand. 1 don't know who knocked it
out of my hand. l was in the house
half a minute when the pistol was tax
en- from me. The struggle was then
going on. Willis was then standing
alongside the kitchen door.
"After leaving the house ! RAJ to-
ward the barn. We all got in the wag-
| on and drove toward Catskill station at
a fast trot. We stopped on the main
road among the trees. There we chang
| ed our coats and removed the masks
On redirect examination the witness
| said: "My revolver gave a very loud re-
port. After it was taken from me !
| heard a loud report. When Hallenbeck
| started to 60 for his gun, Willis and
Fred shot him. 1 heard Burton say
when in the woods that he shot at Mrs,
| Hallenbeck's back when she was run
| ming away. He also said, Before any
of you fellows got in the room made
a Czolgosz shot. | shot him in the
stomach
Former Judge Cady asked that as il
had been proved a worn signed state
ment existed it be produced before
the court for the purpose of cross exam
nation. Objection was made by the
prosecution, which declined to surren'
der the paper without an order of the
court. The objection was sustained.
Battle With Outlaws Expected.
Gate City. Va. April 16. large
force of heavily armed men is Oh the
trail of the Wright and Templeton
gang of outlaws for the purpose OF
driving them to their mountain strong,