The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1909-08-30
VERMONT YOUNG MAN
ENDS WILD CAREER
Arrested in Hartford, Conn, For Pass
ing Forged Check, He Shot Him
self in Police Station,

Hartford, Conn, Aug. a0.--Clarence
Q. Bell, 81 years old, Of Halifax, VT,
whose father was related to Ex.Gor.
Bell Of Vermont, took his life N sen.
sational manner in this city at ai45
o'clock Sunday morning after his arrest
Since the young man reached bis ma
iority last April he had squandered his
inheritance Of several thousand dollars
in attempting TO follow the pace that
kills When detective William Welt
ner was escorting him into the police
station. having arrested him on charges
Of passing worthless checks and larceny,
he pressed a revolver to his head, fired,
and his troubles we're al an end.
Sunday afternoon Bell went To Jo.
seph August at bis place Of business
in Boston and hired an automobile for
a three-days' trip 10 New Haven and
return, the price agreed upon being
Sf05. Bell next visited the store Of
Post 4 Lester at Is Park square. Bos-
ton, and purchased an automobile coat,
gauntlets, gloves and cap, and paid for
them with q check drawn upon the First
National bank Of Hartford.
He then returned to Mr. August's gar.
age and prepared to start on bis jour.
ney. Mr. August was suspicious Of Bell,
and decided to SO along with him as
passenger.
The car was in charge of G. F. Kappa.
port, a chauffeur in the employ Of Mr.
August. The party left Boston in the
automobile and arrived in Hartford at
1920 o'clock Sunday morning. The au.
tomobile was loft at q local garage, and
the men went TO the New Dom hotel,
where Bell engaged three rooms and a
bath for himself Az breakfast yester-
day morning Bell drew a check for Si05
on the First National bank Of Hartford
for Mr. August
When Bell passed the check to Mr..
August he told him that be could ret
along without his company, and advised
him TO return to Boston and leave him
to make the trip alone with the ehauf.
feur.
Mr. August left the hotel, but went
directly to the police station and talked
with Chief Of Police Butler, showing
him his cheek. Chief Bntler at once
recognized the signature on the check
and said he had d warrant for the man
who drew a similar cheek and passed It
some days previous.
The warrant charged the author Of
the earlier check with forgery Chief
Butler told August to return TO the gar
age where Bell and the chauffeur We're
to leave the city, and 10 en-
gage Bell IN conversation until a detec-
tive could get there and arrest him.
August did as instructed, and detec-
tive Weltner soon put IN his appearance
with the warrant and invited Bell 70
accompany him to police headquarters.
Bell declared that Weltuer was making
q big mistake and for which he would
soon be very sorry Bell talked so we'll
that detective Weltner went with him
to the New Dom hotel to give Bell an
to prove bis identity, and to-
show the mistake, i there was any.
When the hotel clerk was asked what
name Bell registered under, and lie re
piled that it was Clarence G. Bell. de-
tective Weltner told his prisoner 70
come along to the station house. They
walked to police headquarters with Bell
chatting merrily and laughing. When
within 50 yards Of the police station
Bell dropped his handkerchief, stopped
casually, picked it mp, wiped his brow
and put his handkerchief back inside
his automobile coat pocket with a
laugh.
Fired Bullet Through Head.
They walked leisurely up the steps
to the door Of the police station. and
just as Bell put his right foot over the
threshold his right arm went to his
head with a quick move, and then fol
lowed a flash and loud report Bell drop.
ped unconscious TO the hoor half inside
and half outside the station house,
In a second 81 time Bell had taken
32-calibre revolver out Of his pocket Of
bis automobile coat, pressed it to the
side Of his head Just above the right
ear and fired. The bullet lodged IN the
flesh over the left ear and was easily
removed by the surgeons later at the
hospital
II he had used high-class revolver
the police are satisfied that from the
course taken BY the bullet il would have
passed through Bells head and into De-
tective Weltuer's head and probably
killed him. AS It was the bullet passed
through Belts head and was imbedded
in tie flesh above the left ear Bell was
removed to the Hartford hospital where
be died upon his arrival five minutes
after the shooting.
Bell was born in Halifax. VT. His
father was Charles Bell, one of the
and most influential men Of
the community The father died when
the boy was five or six years old, and
ever since then the ypung man had be N
on incomigible He became such ter
rihle care to his mother that he WIS
sent away to boarding school for boys
ia East Hartford File remained but
short time, and had since been "a sew
eral other schools in the hope of correct I
ing his waywardness.
When be was 81 years Of age last
April he fell heir TO SIS 600 OF $4,000
Since that time he II said to have
squandered nearly all his money in fast
living. a Mr.. Preston of Halifax, W.,
Is his guardian, and he holds some pro-
perty which belonged to the young man.
The southbomd train No. 40 came
near being ditched at Brattleboro on
Tuesday night when the tender Of the
engine left the rails With the aid OF
shoes the car was got On the track apain
The accident was caused by spreading
rails. This is the third accident which
has occurred on the same section in the
past two weeks.