Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1904-04-07
SAYS BRONSON SHOT LYONS.
Brother of Murdered Man at Bloomheld
on Witness Stand-BrOnson Re-
fuses to Plead.

Bloomfield April 3.--Whcn the hearing
of Edison and Reuben Bronson, who are
charged with the murder of Charles Lyon
Thursday night, was resumed before Mag
istrate Beattie in the town hall yesterday
morning, a large crowd was in attendance.
All the chairs and settees were occpied.
while two or three sturdy lumber1nen
were perchcd upon the piano
At the opening OF court, states Attorney
Lund read the complaint against Reuben
Bronson and called upon tho latter to
plead. Acting upon the advice Of Attorney
Amey, the prisoner declined to plead. and
the court ordered a plea of not guilty en-
tered.
DR.. Evans was recalled as the first wit
ness and told of examining the body OF
the murdered man again Saturday morn
ing He had found is distinct wounds.
caused evidently by similar missiles. He
had probed several of the wounds for sew
eral inches, but did not succeed in locating
the shot.
The witness presented and described
chart which illustrated the position on the
left side Of the head and face OF all OF the
wounds All the wounds were at a similar
angle.
Tnen Frank Lyon brother OF the muir
dered man, was called TO the stand,
and an intense silence prevailed while he
told the graphic story Of his brothers kill
ing lie manifested feeling at times and
none OF his evidence was shaken upon
REORGANIZATION. He said that at about
$50 Thursday night he and his brother
heard the noise Of half dozen men
Chewing the rag in the highway near
their house.
Frank went out and found party or
Frenchmen, two of whom were clinch-
led. Frank separated them. They show
ed no evidence of intoxication' just
then the door of the Bronson house,
close by, opened, and Reuben appeared
L Coll rot n
| or will blow your id brains out.
The night was very light and clear
and witness saw Reuben distinctly. At
| that moment Reuben had no weapon
At once, however. he called into the
house for his gun. and witness started
back to his own house.
| Just as he reached there he heard
shot, and said to his brother he guessed
Bronson had shot some one.
with Moses King. who was In the
house the Lyons boys started toward
| the Bronson house. The Bronsons were
on the platform in front of the door.
| Reuben had gun and Edison had II
pistol Edison fired four shots toward
| the road; then Reuben raised and lev
' elled the gun and fired directly at
Charles Lyon.
MY brother fell dead across my
feet" said the witness, in trembling
voice, and then paused to recover him
self before proceeding. lie tried TO
Iraise the wounded man and found he
was dead. The dying man made one
Iinarticulate attempt to speak but never
| stirred again.
Frank Lyon ran home, ono shot being
| fred as he fed, and no heard the bullet
whistling over his head. He told Mrs
| Charles Lyon that her husband was dead.
and then he and King went out and
| dragged the body into the house.
As soon as this was accomplished Frank
started for the selectmen. He saw no one
| as he passed the Bronson house. but as
he went by he heard the door opened.
| Crosse xamined by MIR. Amey. the wit
| ness said three men only called at his
home the fatal night Moses King came
after a puppy. Dan Conroy to pay
Charles some money, and man called
Fat. who was going on thu rivAr drive,
came to lssve bis watch and morey with
Mr.. Lyon for safe keeping.
An attempt to get the witness to admit
his brother ran 4 roadhouse was I'M
successful witness denied drinking any
thing Thursday. and was emphatic in his
denial that his brother had a gun in his
| hands when he went toward the Bronson