Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1903-09-17
MURDER IN EAST MONTPELIER.
Peter vorron Shot from Ambush Near
His Home.

His Home.
One of the most wilful and deliber.
ate murders occurred in the town OF
East Montpelier, near the Montpelier
and Wells River railroad station OF
| that name, about 1880 o'clock the
night OF Sept s, when Peter Norron, a
resident Of that section, was shot ami
killed from ambush by an assassin
supposed 10 be his near neighbor,
Bartholomew Croteau.
The deed was committed on the
main road leading from East Mont
pelier to Barre, about three-fourths of
mile from the East Montpelier sta
ton. Norron lived about a fourth of
a mile from the spot, also toward
Barre, and Croteau was his nearest
neighbor living only a few rods dis
tant. The murdered man was en-
plbyed as a Jumper by William Bar
clay at Barre and drove to and from
his home each day. a 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 12-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
tact that the bushes are broken there
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 dis /
tant The charge took effect in the
region OF the heart and about the left
shoulder. He fell, the marks showing
that one knee and one hand touched
the ground He arose almost imme-
diately and started up the hill toward
home. but when about hundred feet
distant ne fell directly on his face and
evidently did not move again.
The boy drove the horse 10 his home
and told what had happened and his
sister. aged Is years. aroused j. +.
and James Rogers. nearby
neighbors. Others were notified or the
crime and soon quite a company had
As soon as the crime was known the
neighbOrs began TO suspect CrOteau as
the murderer. There had been q ieud |
between the two men for some time
and il came to the surface in many
ways. They quarreled about children,
pigs and other subjects and Croteau
lad gone so far as 10 make informal
against Norron TO States
Attorney Bailey, and il is said had
threatened at various times 10 kill /
him. Peter NorrOn, Jr., who was
'iding on the load Of wood at the time /
he shot was fired, says he saw man /
cave the bushes from whence the I
,hot came and run TO the woods, a dis {
ance of about ten rods. The night I
vas clear and the description given by |
he boy tallies well with the man who I
5 under arrest for the crime. 1t is
aid in the neighborhood that Croteau I
.ccused Vorron of putting ashes in his In
veil and various other things are I
tinted at [
Croteau is a swill gatherer and visits [
Barre regularly. He went as usual i
he 9th but his trip was terminated by 4
he appearance OF Deputy Fitzgerald '
i Montpelier. When arrested Cro- i
eau was willing to 20 with the OIL {
ers, and asked what it was for. When I
old murder was the charge he pro- fl
essed not 10 understand. D
The murdered man was As years old :
nd left wife and eight children, all
mt two ofwhom live at home. The
ldest child is p and the youngest
vas born Saturday night. Sept 8. Z
'orron had lived in the neighborhood e
or about five years, coming there
rom South Barre. He is OF French
descent. Croteau, who is
ccused OF the crime, is also a French d
lan and he has a wife and several n
hildren by a former wife. {
Deputy Sheriff Fitzgerald and Bur n
on +. Bailey visited the scene of the v
rime Wednesday afternoon, the 9th, &
nd. armed with a warrant, they q
earched the house OF Bartholomew v
'roteau. who is held on the charge OF n
the murder. This revealed a
hat II was quite an arsenal as the Off b
ers brought away three guns and V
eyOlver One was a double-barrel,
loading shot gun, one barrel d
4 which was loaded and the other
mpty. and il IS stated that the shot in {
he barrel tailed with those taken /
rom the murdered mans body. It is j
lso said that the wads used were of S
be same sort that were picked up at o
he scene of the shooting Wednesday | O