Windham County reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1901-1906, 1904-06-10
KILLED HIS WIFE INSTANTLY
THE TERRIBLE MISTAKE OF A
PUTNEY FARMER.
Thought a Burglar Was in the House
and Fired at Moving Figure in
Adjoining Room-charse Of Shot
Entered Wife's Head and Neck.

ana FIRED NJ MOVING Figure u
II Adjoining Room-charse Of sho
II Entered Wife's Head and Neck.
II Awaking about midnight last Fri
day night with the idea that bur.
glar was In the house Sidney Bailey
aged 80 snatched his shotgun from
its accustomed place at the head oi
his bed and fired al moving figur,
scarcely discernibe In the next
room. The charge Of shot entered the
face and neck of his wife, who is
supposed 10 have been walking In her
sleep killing her Instantly. The hor-
rible accident occurred in the house
on the Nelson Newcomb farm. two
miles north of Putney village. where
Mr.. and Mrs. Bailey have been liv-
ing for the past two years. The af-
fair caused great excitement in Put
ney and Bailey was Immediately taken
into custody by Sheriff A. w. ]. Will
kins. A thorough investigation was
held Tuesday resulting in Bailey's re-
lease not a particle of evidence being
presented TO show that the matter
was anything but q terrible mistake.
Mr. and Mrs, Bailey retired at
about the usual time Friday evening.
A short time previous they were seen
together by Mrs. a. A. Langley,
near neighbor, who says they We're
apparently perfectly happy, Before
going to sleep Mr.. and Mrs. Bailey
discussed an incident which occurred
on Wednesday of Hast week when an
Italian peddlar, who was given dinner
at the Bailey farm objected TO the
/ price he was charged fer his meal
and threatened to make trouble. After
talking about the matter for a few
minutes Mr. Bailey arose and locked
all the windows on the ground floor
with the exception OF two Just be-
fore midnight he was awakened by
the barking Of his dog, tied to the
veranda The thought of the ped
dlar at once shot across his mind |
lie Jumped out of bed. grabbed his !
gun and started toward the sitting !
room where he could Just discern a |
moving figure. Calling out Who's /
there2" and receiving no answer, |
Bailey brought the gun halfway to |
his shoulder and fired Hearing moth
ing he ran through the sitting room
to the door which leads into the
kitchen closed H. placing a chair be-
meath the knob and then called for
his wife 10 light lamp. He re-
ceived no answer so went back 10
the bedroom and found by feeling
that his wife was not in bed. Think
ing she might have been frightened
by the report OF the gun he struck
match and looked beneath the bed
but saw nothing of her. Then he
lighted a lamp and went into the sit
ting room There within a few feet
of the door lay the body Of his wife.
The face and neck We're badly torn by
the shot and she apparently had not
moved after falling. Ii
1t took Mr.. Bailey but second to
realize what he had done. Putting on /
4 few clothes and his boots he rushed I
10 the home of n. w. Locke, who 7
lives about a half-mile away and :
awakened the household, crying in an {
igonized voice. My God, I've killed {
ny wife" Mr.. Locke sent his son to /
get physician and then returned to t
he scene of the tragedy with Mr.. 7
Bailey. 1t was apparent that Mrs. \
Bailey had been instantly killed. In .
few minutes Dr. George f. Foster :
,rrived and the dead woman was a
fitted from her position on the floor I
md placed on the bed in the bed r
oom. Her grief stricken husband \
vas almost crazy and had to be n
watched carefully to prevent his TAX a
ng his own life. On Sunday Mr. f,
Bailey told an intimate friend that Y
ad it not been for the appearance of a
ba |
uicide at once.
States Attorney Schwenk was not
led of the matter on Saturday morn
1g and went at once to Putney TO p
egin an investigation. He found the m
acts as above stated but ordered ST
;ailey kept in charge of the sheriff T
ntil after the inquest which took es
lace Tuesday morning before Justice II
/. d. Whitman States Attorney 10
chwenk appeared for the state and In
ttorney james F. Hooker for the de- I'll
,ndant. The states witnesses were n,
. w. Locke, who described the posi- of
on of the body when he arrived on
le scene; DIR. George Foster, who fir
Id of the nature of the wound, say wi
g that the jugular vein had been WI
,vered which caused immediate an
,ath: f. d. Knight. the local under "
ker; Mrs. Ila Kingsley, Mrs. Sydney W,
acas, Harry Locke, Harlan Farr and bu
enry StockWell. At the close of the nj
ate's evidence Attorney Hooker on
ked that the defendant be dis tir
issed on the ground of insufficient
-idence and Justice Whitman COM
led with his request. Mr.. Bailey
,peared overcome with grief during
e proceedings and was hardly able tn,
rise when he received his dis We
arge About Is witnesses had been ins
mmoned by the defence but their cal
rvices were not needed. One of 80
em. relative of Mrs. Bailey. would SCI
We testified that she frequently Low
liked in her sleep when a young Blu
Il. The appearance of the house net
owed that Mrs. Bailey must have Yo
en- up for some little time for the ma
ntry door in the kitchen and the
or leading from the sitting room
the piazza We're both open. :
Mr. and Mrs. Bailey were married $40
Chester about two years ago, her Soi
Iiden name being Eunice Dickinson. aee
of the states witnesses testified An
the hearing that the couple had sta
yays seemed perfectly congenial. we
Bailey is well known hunter wh
! trapper and had always kept his as
\ at the head of his bed. Since the mar
.ident he has been beside himself Ter
n oriaf and on Tuesday went to VIII