Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1903-01-29
SHOT BY R0BBER.
Bridge Builder on Railroad As
saulted Near City of
Rutland.
WAS MOTIVE ROBBERY
Other Members Of the Bridge Gang
with Guns aud Torches Are Chasing
the Supposed Aesailant through
the Woods Expected Wound
ed Man Will Recover.

Rutlond. Jan. 2,.-With two bullet holes
through his body Louis A. Morse of South
AcWurth y. H., a builder for the Amcri
can Bridge company. is lying at the city
hospital tonight as the result OF Il most
dastardlv attempt by an unknown man
% hold up and rob him in broad daylight
almost within the city limits.
Tie last news of his assailant tonight
was that he WAS being chased with guns
and torches through the woods of cold
river bv the infuriatcd members Of the
bridge gang with which Morse is con-
ncctcd. The lattcrs wounds will not
prove fatal unless unexpected complica-
tons arise.
Tho attempted hiehwaS robbery occurred
about . o'clock near tho Mead farm Just
outside tho city limits. Mors", who had
been working on Rutland railroad bridge
ri North Clarendon. took the afternoon off
and came II the city to purchase some
r"cessarios. Iio had a good sized wad Of
bills on his person.
NS Morse tells the story, while returning
along the railroad track to North Clarou-
don he was overtaker by an unknown man
near the fair grounds and they proceeded
tocothc". Tho unknown said hc was John
Smith of Rutland ana told a pitifu story
Of dcstitutiou, saying H. was "bro!ie, in
poor health and unable to got either food
or work.
Morse touched by the story invited the
tramp to accompany him to his lodgings
at Mr.. ThompSons in North Clarendon,
where he would give him supper lodging (
and "a place to work the next day.
The other meanwhile asked the time
and Morse told him from tho gold watch
which ne carried. As hc was ropla cling
the watch, the tramp suddenly pulled a
- calibrc revolver and said: "iInd over
that watch and what money You have
.,ot. quick" | thought h" was trying to
-oII h 1i,,a
be must have been reading Dcadwood
Dick stories" The trampS only answer
vas tho demand repeated when Morse
saw the other was in earnest he made a
/ lunge at him and got tho butt of the ro-
volVor over the head a couple Of times.
/ He continued his efforts to reach the
tramp and finally the latter started shoot
ing. Morse says he fired five times. two
of the bullets taking effect. ono struck
/ tho bridge hlilder in the thigh from tho
rear. tho bill passing between the hin
homes ana penetrating Il inches, lodged
Just under the skin Of the groin at IL,
front. The other lall passed through the
thigh outside tn" bone and Waa found i'm
the victim trousers.
The tramp after emptyinE lis revolver
turned and ran. Morse vrawicd to the
Mead farm and was taken in carriage
first to his boarding house ard later to
/ the hospital Tho bullet I'm his groin was
removed Tonight. His mead is badly
/ bruised Whcr" the revolver butt hit him.
/ Deputy Shorir Whitaker went ut once
! to the sccnc of the affraY and tracked
/ the tramp for some distance east of the
city. At a late hour Tonight the report
/ reached here that the hrfge gang who
arc none too gentle a crowd are greatly
enragod over the assault and are chasing
a man supposed To- be Smith through the
woods at Cold river.
]