The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1903-09-10
n NIGHT MURDER

ate murders in the history of thi
vicinity occurred in the town of East
Montpelier, near the Montpelier and
Wells River Railroad station OF that
name, about 1876 Tuesday night,
when Peter Vorron a resident of that
section was shot and killed from am.
bush, by an assassin now supposed to
be his near neighbor, Bartholomew
Croteau, who lies in the county Jail
in this city charged with the crime.
A Watchman reporter visited scene
of the crime ON Wednesday and from
the neighbors of the murdered man
and the supposed murderer heard the
details of the affair so far as they are
known. The deed was committed on
the main road leading from East
Montpelier to Barre, about three
fourths of mile from the East Mont
pelier station toward Barre and about
one fourth of a mile from George
Howland's residence. Vorron lived
about a fourth of a mile from the spot
also toward Barre, and Croteau was
his nearest neighbor, living only
few rods distant The murdered man
was employed as Jumper by William
Barclay at Barre and drove to and
from his home each day, distance of
about four miles. He had worked as
usual on Tuesday and in the evening
went to the Lyman Ormsbee place
near East Montpelier Center for a load
of wood, taking his twelve-year- old
boy Peter with him. He had nearly
reached home and was walking by
the side of the load when the fatal
shot came. The scene is on a slight
hill and from appearances and from
what can be learned from the boy the
assassin was concealed in the bushes
at the road side. This is evident
from the fact that the bushes are
broken there and and it is plain that
some one had lain down in them. The
weapon used was shot gun and the
shot was fired when the victim was
about fifteen feet distant The
| Oioi NOOh OllOSt Ill tnO ltSiOu VI tllb
heart and about the left shoulder,
! He fell, the marks showing that one
! knee and one hand touched the
| ground. He arose almost Immediately
and started up the hill toward home,
| but when about a hundred feet distant
he fell directly on his face and evil
IDENTIFY did not move again. The boy
drove the horse to his home and told
! what had happened and his sister,
| aged fifteen years, aroused j. f. Rob-
bins and James Rogers, nearby neigh
bors. Mr. Rogers and the boy hur-
ried to the body and then went and
aroused George Rowland and his son,
M. E. Rowland Others were no titled
of the crime and soon quite company
had gathered at the scene. Selectman
| George Kelton and Constable Little of
East Montpelier arrived at about 80
O'Clock and authorized the removal
of the body to Barre. B. w. Hooker
Co.'S ambulance had been teephoned
! for and about 3 O'Clock the body was
| taken TO tnat city
AS soon as the crime was known
the neighbors began to suspect Gro
teau as the murderer. There has been
a feud between the two men for some
time and it came to the surface IN
many ways. They quarreled about
children, pigs and other subjects and
Croteau had gone so far as to make
informal complaints aginst Vorron to
States Attorney Bailey, and it is
said had threatened at various times
to kill him. Peter VorroD, Jr,, who
was riding on the load of wood at the
time the shot was fired, saws he saw
man leave the bushes from whence
the shot came and run tn the woods, q
distance of arout ten rods. The
night was clear and the description
given by the boy tallies we'll with
the man who is under arrest for the
crime. 1t is said in the neig bbor-
hood that Croteau accused Vorron of
putting ashes in his we'll and various
other things are limited at.
Cro1eau is swill gatherer and
visits Barre regularly. He went as
usual Wednesday but his trip termin.
ated by the appearance of Deputy
Fitzgerald of this city. States At
torney Bailey was notified of the
crime inthe morning and warrant was
made out for Croteau, charging him
with murder. Armed with this,
Deputy Fitzgerald and Attorney B. E.