Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1902-11-20
NEWS OF VERMONT.
More Important Events Grouped for
Free Press Readers Some Further
Light on FRANK Shaw's Plea for
Communication of Sentence.

COm MUTATION or sentence.
According to n statement at the recent
hearing before the judiciary committee OF
the state Senate and House at Montpelier
in the case of Frank Shaw, now in States
prison awaiting execution for the murder
of Deputy Sheriff DR.. George w. Hof-
man of White River Juncnon. a commu-
tation of sentence was urged on the
ground Of newly discovered evidence. One
feature Of ..is evidence is the alleged
finding, since the trial. of an empty shell
in the rife that DR.. Hoffman carried at
the time he was shot. If this finding can
be established it might raise the presump-
ton that DR.. Hoffman fired first at Frank
Shaw and that the latter returned the
lire in self-deience. To n representative
of the Messenger ex-Sherif Roman A.
Spaflord, who was sheriff of Windsor
county at the time. and who was with Or.
| Hoffman when the latter was shot. most
positively and emphatically denied that
| Dr. Hoffman fired first at young SHAW. or
that any exchange Of shots between these
| two took place. His statement about the
shooting is as follows owl hen the doc
| tor and myself were nearing the spot
where we suspected that the Shaws were,
| cautioned the doctor to keep cool. When
the Shaws Dustin and Frank, discovered
us they were sitting or lying down behind
| some bushes. They Immediately sprang
1
| cred me- with his gun, and Frank covered
he doctor. There is no use of mention
| ing ali that followed as II was given at
| the trial, but / called on Dustin Shaw TO
surrender and he very soon dropped his
gun. DR. Hoffman made the same demand
of Frank Shaw but was answered by
ball from Franks gun. and fell. AS the
Shaws were retreating Frank and | eN-
changed shots several times. The rest OF
the story you know. There is not one
word of truth in any statement that Dr.
| Hoffman hrcd al Frank Shaw at the time
! he UIoffmam was shot or before 1t.
What rife did Dr. Hoffman have at the
| time and where is it now?" asked the re-
porter. Just before we left the Junction,
replied Mr.. Spanord, the doctor borrow
| ed DR. George Stephenss Marlin rifle and
he took it along. Dr. Hoffman carried it
until he was shot. 1t was afterward given
over to another deputy sheriff, Paul Tink-
ham of Rochester. | think. Before the
| trial of the Shaws at Woodstock the rifle
was discharged and cleaned. and was eX-
hibited at that trial. l take very little
stock in that story about an empty shell
being found in ii since the trial. The gun
was returned to Dr. stephens. who still
has it," a call over the telephone to Dr.
Stephens was answered by him, and the
| information given that 1t is now in his
possession. Any claim that rifle in the
hands Of some one else is the one carried
death must necessarily be a great mistake
ESSEN COUNTY SCHOOL
CONNEN rION.
The seventh annual convention Of the
Essex County Sunday School association
was held in Essex Tuesday and Nodnes-
dav. IT proved to be- one OF the most Sue
ccssful gatherings in hchistory of the as
ISOLATION. The closing session of the con-
Vention was held in the Congregational
church Wednesday morning. After the
usual devotional services. the secretary.
| T.. u. Hale, read "A report giving the sta
tistics of the various Sunday-schOOls of
the county. Mr.. Hale also read his re-
port as treasurer. After paying all bills
a small sum remained in the treasury.
Mrs l.. ~ Granger Of West Concord gave
her report as superintendent of the home
department, and urged that more atten-
ton be given this feature of the work.
The election OF officers for the ensuing
year then took place, resulting as follows;
President. y. W. Bosworth, Jr; secretary
and treasurer II. W. Blake. assistant sec
rotary. Miss Leta j. Eaton, executive
committee j. *. Hovey, Mrs. Henry
Fuller. John Cole; superintendent Of home
department, Mrs. Thomas Hall; vice-pr's-
dents, Bloomdeld Mrs. Henry stevens;
Brighton, Mrs Leonard, Jones; Canaan,
Mrs John Carhee; Concord Fred Cush-
man; East Haven, Mrs. Walter; Guildhall'
Mrs. Lowrey; Lunenburgh, Bert a. TaN-
lor, Norton. Mrs. Nelson Victory, Mrs.
Lunnie Granny, the Rev. William {. IL,
Moe.
NEW MARBLE MILL STARTED.
The entire new plant of The Rutland
Florence Marble company at the village OF
Florence in Pittsford has begun opera
lions with force OF about 100 men, sew
cral gangs of workmen having been
brought from the company's old mills in
Brandon West Rutland and Beldens. The
force of mon will be greatly augumentcd
within a few weeks, or as soon as ac-
commodations in the way OF houses for
the families of the men can be erected
Several of those arc now in process of
construction Investigations which have
been made within the past few days by
marble experts have revealed the fact that
the company has more extensive and more
valuable deposits Of marble than even the
officials OF the company expected and II
is believed that the veins are the finest ir
the state. The officials state that the sup
ply is practically ineXhaustibe.
THIEF BROUGHT BACK TO YER,
MONT
Sheriff c. C. Graves has returned &c
Moncpolicr from Lowell, Mass, where he
went to take charge of Charles Lamera
who is wanted i'm this State on charge
of grand larceny. Lsmera was arrested
Ncdn, sday night by the police at Lowell
When first arrested he said that they had
secured the wrong man. Later he broke
down completely and acknowledged the
theft of $50 from Richard Ticrney OF
Woodbury.. Lamcra is now in the Wash
incton county Jail His wife was with hin
al the time he was arrested. and accom-
panied him to Montpelier.
WORKMAN e RNED BY PREMA
TJRE BLAST.
Sam Smith, while employed at the A. ID
Hopkins quarry in Sod 1m, Friday morn
ing. met with an accident in which E
charge of powder which had been placed
i'm one Of the drilled holes for blasting, eN
ploded prematurely and the particles were
blown INTO his face. Fortunately 1t Wa'
not a heavy charge, for II ii had been il
would have killed the man, as II was his
nose lips and chccHs We're badly burned
Smith was unconscious for a short time
lie WAS taken to the Hcaton hospital aut
gwen ether and particles of powder re
moved from his face.
CHOICE SPECIMENS OF STALAC-
TlTES SHOWN AT ST JOHNS
BURY MUSEUM.
Visitors at the museum in st. JohnsburS
are interested in the exhibit of minerals
| which has recently been secured. For q
few weeks the minerals may he seen in III,
directors room and it is hoped That al