Windham County reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1901-1906, 1902-10-31
SHOT AND KILLED
HIS YOUNGER BROTHER.
l5-YEAR-OLD LONDONDERRY LAD ACCI-
DENTALLY DISCHARGES FATHERS
REVOLVER WITH FATAL CON-
SEQUENCES.


Fratricide Leaps From Second Story VIII
dow and Flees to the Woods Found After
Days Search at Work in Manchester De
tails OF Tragedy Which Occurred at Farr
House in Londonderry Sunday Morning.
Standing over his brother with
loaded revolver and playfully threaten
ing to shoot, Melvin Johnson, the u
years old son of Mr.. and Mrs. John F
johnson, who live about IL mile
north of South Londonderry, dis
! charged the weapon and sent a bulle
through the brain of his brother Cliff
ford. aged l3 years, killing him almos
instantly. Crazed with fear and grie
the lad then jumped from the window
( to the ground and tied without giving
! the slightest warning to his parents.
/ These are the facts, in brief, concern
/ ing the shooting incident which
aroused the people in the towns of Lon
donderry, Landgroye and Peru Sunday
morning and caused nearly 200 of them
to scour the woods all day in search of
the youthful perpetrator. The boy was
found Monday morning in Manchester
where he mad begun work under an as
sumed name. He was brought back to
South Londonderry in the afternoon
and an inquest was held in the even
ing, the jury. consisting of two men.
bringing IN NeFdlcl OF death from ac-
cidental causes.
The case is one of the strangest that
mas taken place III "lhaham county re-
Gently, ana many points about u seem
almost uneNplalhable. Mr. ana Mrs
Johnson the parents OF ihe boEs' are
intelligent and Well educated people,
ana the boys themselves always had
been considered well behaved Mr.,
Johnson was lor ~ year tlthntF OF
the SomerylIle. Mass police force
ne Is "a h"'iNe OF L4hoohnfrrH ana fe
turned there ABOUT III years ago TO rear
ms chlldrth on larh. b"th ne ana
Mrs. Johnson We're members OF the
SCUM LohaonlerrS hapIist chufch ana
'helF sons had pttu regular atlthdahlS
at ,he SUNDAY school'
Mr. Johnson spent last week III l1ne-
ton, returning nome saturday, Inc
family spent the evening listening 10
MS experiences IN the Guy ana dIu not
retire until lale' Mr. johnson tetIinR
u / l. III
The boys lhht ne would 40 the milking
next morning. Mhtn ne had nnlshed
ms morning WORK SUNDAY lhe lalheF
went to the foot of the stairs and awak-
ened the boys. telling Melvin that the
mix was ready TO 60 10 the creamery.
Mr.. johnson says that the boy ,nsWer-
ed readily and seemed perfectly Will
ing TO get NJ. y few minutes later
Mrs. johnson who was at work IN the
kltcheh Ieafa morse IKE something
nehN! lhlilug ana calico upstairs TO
ma OUT "ha' was the iilaller' She re-
celVed no answer ana lhouehI holhih@
OF the noise nntll IA lew minutes later
the sound OF heaVy breathing reached
her.
ihrrEing up 10 lhe no!s room Sht
saw the younger son lEins on lhe neu
on ms ohck IN pooi on pIooo' lie
made some effort to speak hut was un-
able to 90 so ana seemed to be suiltr,
ing terrltly' lhinklng at hrst the LAD
was suffering from a helnorrhage MIS-.
Johnson attempted 10 wipe the bIood
from ms face, ana II was then that she
discovered a bullet hole IN the rlght
temple. Running down stairs she told
her husband TO get doctor as soon as
possible and then went back to the
boy. Mr.. johnson rode his horse TO the
home Of his nearest neighbor, Henry
Collins, who started at once for a ply
slclan. Mhtn Mr.. johnson rtaChed
home again he went Immediately up
stairs but 10y that time ms son was
lead. The wound was bleeding pro- /
iusely and the wall at the side of the
bed was covered with blood as if the