St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1908-01-08
Praising the Officers,

Not since the "Vershire war" has there
been such a display of official and
volunteer bravery as was shown at the
scene of the Sutton tragedy the other
day, where man shot his mother in-law
and then committed suicide.
The sheriff, backed by'a posse, broke
down door and was the first man to
enter the house But no doubt the rest
of the party merely gave him the pre-
cedence his official position seemed to
require. The second man in was St.
Johnsbury's best looking banker, Col.
Charles W. Ruiter, who on this occasion
gallantly indicated his military title,
tor it was he who discovered the
murderer. The latter, however, was
cold in death, no doubt to Col. Ruiters
bitter disappointment, and further dis
play of prowess was out of the
question: Burlington News.
Discussions in the Hypothetical of the
general subject of bravery and what one
would and would not do in such and
such an emergency taper off into nothing
ness when compared with real example
of danger and the way it is handled by
those thereby confronted, Up in the
northern part of Vermont, they had one
of those real Illustrations the other day
when a murderer barricaded himself in
his domicle and dehed the authorities,
at the same time making threats of in
fiicting injury on whomsoever attempted
to capture him. There was reason to
believe, too, that a manin his distraught
condition, and heavily armed, as he was,
would make good his threats.
Such was the condition that confront
ed the sheriff, George f. Winch of
Mclndoes and his posse, to whom fell
the duty of representing the law in the
capture of the murderer. Just how the
officer put all academic discussions of
the subject of bravery into the back
ground is put in the following words by
the editor of the St. Johnsbury GALE
DOMAIN, who was on the spot: I'VE
take off our hat to the bravery of Sheriff
George F. Winch of McIndoes and his
posse, who entered the Butterheld house
at Sutton, Sunday morning, expecting to
meet face to face a heavily armed
murderer waiting to kill anyone in
sight. 1t takes real courage at such a
time, and the dozen men that did it,
including officers and private citizens,
fully expected that some of their number
would be killed before the murderer was
captured"
That they found a suicide instead of a
living murderer when they forced an
entrance to the house does not lessen
the display of courage by the posse, for
the prisoners successful attempt at self
destruction was not, of course known to
them at the time. What the contem-
pory has to say Of their work is entirely
deserved.-[ Barre Times.
The whole state can afford to admire
the pluck of Sheriff George F. Winch of
Caledonia county, as manifested when
he beat down with an axe the barricaded
door of house in which he expected to
find murderer armed to the teeth and
prepared to sell his life at a fearful price.
1t is this kind of nerve in a public servant
who deliberately calculates the risks and
the chances that helps to keep up the
best ideals OF American manliness in an
hour of public need. This is the kind of
courage that would face a lynching mob
and save prisoner from them, or die
DNlOlN iN ulut II ID SOlHElHlllS more
than mere physical bravado and deserves
to be exalted accordingly. And the best
part of it is that all over the land today
brave policemen and brave fremen and
other similar servants of the people will
show just this same kind of resolution
and grit as occasion demands it. We
cannot afford to ignore it, however, even
fit is common.-[St. Adams Messenger.
Speaking of quiet, unadulterated nerve,
just reflect for an instant on the act OF
Sheriff Winch of McIndoe Falls, who
broke into the house of the Sutton muir
derer and suicide, knowing full well that
the latter was barricaded therein with a
formidable arsenal of guns, revolvers and
other dangerous weapons. Despite this
and despite the unquestioned insanity OF
the murderer, the sheriff and his men
seem to have made nothing of the oc-
casion, but broke into the door, only to
find their man wetering in blood and as
dead as his victim. 1t was fine, cour-
ageous exhibition and placed the intrepid
officer under test such as few would
care to undertake - Montpelier Journal.