Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1903-09-10
FOUL MURDER,
Peter Vorron Shot from Ambush
near His Home in East
Montpelier.
NEAR NEI|z OR ARRESTED.
Bad Blood Exi between Dead Man
and BarthOlo q CrOtO--YOung Son
with vorro, e We Alarm of the
Tragedy but Cannot Idcn
tify the Murderer.

Barre, Sept o-Peter Vorron, the father
Of eight children. the youngest only four
Hays old. was murdered last night at 1890
p'olock only short distance from his
home at East Montpelier in a particularly
dblooded manner. Suspicion having
pointed to bartholomew Croto. his nearest
1eighhor the latter was placed under ar
rest this forenoon shortly after ten
o'clock by Deputy Sheriff Martin titzger-
Id of Montpelier who came to this city
o look him up. When arrested Croto was
Engaged in collecting garbage on Brook
Street. He neither admitted nor denied
he accuse tion, simply asking the officer
What he was charged with and saying
hat he would so to Jail He was lodged
n Jail at Montpelier He has engaged NJ.
M Gordon of Barre as counsel.
The body of the murdered man lies in
he undertaking rooms of b. w. Hooker
& Co in this city, where an autopsy was
performed this afternoon.
With his 12-year-old son, Peter the
elder Norrcn had started out last evening,
after going home from his work in this
city. to carry home a load OF wood from
h lot which he had recently bought and
located four miles from his home. On
the return trip, while they were ascending
n hill within a quarter OF a mile from
home, the shot was fired. The father mad
jumped from the load to make the horses
work easier while the son remained on
the wagon.
On the left side of the road il clump
of raspberry bushes and small elm trees.
Just before they reached this clump of
bushes "A shot rang out. The little boy
saw his father put his hand to his left
shoulder and fall. The horse frightened
by the report of the gun, started to run,
and the boy jumped from the load as
quickly as possible. AS he did so he
looked in the direction from which the
shot fired and saw a man running
from the bushes, across a pasture, into
some woods 80 yards beyond. The boy
describes the man as short and thick set.
He had a gun in his hand.
Meanwhile Norron staggered to his
feet and started to run. He ran several
rods, getting head of the team. and
then fell face downward in the roadside.
One wheel of the cart passed over his
right foot. The boy ran and stopped
the horse and then went back to help his
father. Being unable to raise the pros
trate man he drove with all speed possi-
ble to his home a quarter of mile
away.
On reaching there he notified his moth
er who had not recovered from the ef-
fccts of confinement. Mrs. Norron start
ed from her bed to go to her husband
but fell exhausted before she had reach
cd the door of the mouse. Meanwhile
the neighbors had been acquainted with
the tragedy by the other children, Fred
Robbins, Dr. c. \. Barber. George and
Elmer Rowland, Philip Batchelder and
James Rogers. The latter was the first
to arrive at the scene Of the murder He
found the man lying face downward in
pool of blood with one hand doubled
under him and the other at one side.
Seloctman George kelton and Constable
Charles Little of East Montpelier We're
notified and after considerable delay
they were on the spot. The former or
dered the body removed to the undertake
ing rooms of i. w. Hooker & Co. in this
city, it being brought here at four O clock
this morning. Then the party investi-
gated the surroundings. They found a
place freshly trampled in the bushes
where the murderer had laid in wait for
his victim. \ board had also been newly
broken from the fence leading into the
pasture making an aperature large
enough for a man to go through. They
also picked up bits of newspapers when
had evidently been used as waddinS Tor
muzzc c-loading gun.
The only other possible trace was the
track of a man in the woods off the road.
When Norron was shot he was holding
the reins over his neck. These were nearly
cut in two by the shot which made holes
a bout the size of buckShot The mans left
shoulder was completely riddled with bull
let's and the fact that no holes could be
found in the wagon or wood on 1t, the
authorities. shows that the gun was fired
at very close range.
THE BOYS STORY.
The little boy VINO mad bcen the only
witness of the terrible tragedy, tod the
Free Press cprresponreil' - t"ar ae,na [ne nrS. s
when he heard the shot fired. 1t was a
moonlight night so that the murderer was
easily able to distinguish his victim, al
though he would not himself be seen in
the underbrush
The neighbors say that there has been
a Understanding difficulty between the
murdered man and the man under ar
rest. The latter accused Norron of put
ting acid in his well, and even went sc
far as to consult the States attorney,
Those who know the men state that
Norron was not of a quarrelsome dispo-
siton. He had worked so industriously
that he had succeeded in nearly paying
for the home in which he lived. He was
born in COOpersVille, n. Y, 4f years age
last May and had lived in this vicinity
for about l6 years Besides his wife anC
eight children he leaves a mother and
brother al Ausablc Forks, y. Y.
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