The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1910-06-16
MURDERER PHELPS
CAPTURED NEAR
MONROE BRIDGE
Driven to Surrender by Thirst
and Exhaustion
SURROUNDED IN A THICKET
No Difficulty Experienced in Taking
the Man After He Had Been Def
nitely Located

Silas Phelps, the murderer and sup
posed desperate, was captured at 1870
o'clock yesterday afternoon in a dense
thicket in the woods only a mile and
a half from his home here at Monroe
Bridge, where early Sunday morning
he shot down Deputy Sheriff Emmett
/ Haskins of Charlemont. Thirst and
| hunger, more than an army of deputy
/ sherifs and militiamen. caused his
capture. Not a shot was fired, and
/ in spite Of the tense excitement
/ Phelps apparently had no idea OF
/ shooting anybody, though he undoubt-
I eddy could have killed several if he
wanted to as they stalked him in the
woods. He had been suffering for
days, and he would not have been
captured at this time If he had not
called to farmer working in a near
, by field and demanded water. The
/ farmer sent his son running to the
militia headquarters to give word
that Phelps had been located but it
was nearly two hours before the piece
of woods In which he was hiding had
been surrounded and the lines gradu-
ally drawn inward until he was seen
and captured, his cries for water
meanwhile having been heard by
many Of his pursuers The capture
was made by d. f. Shea Of Ware, a
deputy game warden, who was order
ed into the hunt by District Attorney
X. w Irwin of Northampton. Phelps
was weak from lack of food when he
was captured, and was so nearly
crazed by thirst that he had dug a
hole in the ground in an attempt to
get water
Deputy Warden Shea was the real
hero Of the day. but he was followed
closely and supported in case OF any
shooting by Deputy Sheriff r. ].
Pratt of Millers Falls and by Charles
NJ Thompson. private In Co. NJ, who
walked over to the scene Of the hunt
from North Adams a distance Of some
~ miles. When the lines had been
drawn quite closely about the spot
where it was known that Phelps must
be-, Mr. Shea volunteered TO go in
and get him If another man would
go with him. His plan was TO dodge
forward under cover as much as pos
sible until he should come 10 a spot
where he could see the murdered. He
wanted another man with him so thai
II Phelps saw him first and shot the
other man would be able to get
Phelps.
Thompson went forward with him
and ii happened that Deputy Sheriff
Pratt was advancing toward Phelps
e hiding place from another direction
@ Phelps was so busy digging for waite
n with his big iacknife that he did no
!. notice Shea's approach. The it'll,
lrishman from Ware covered hin
d with his rife. and after watching hin
d moment called upon him TO surren
e der. Phelps made no motion of OF
IS Tense. and Shea sprang forward ant
\. upon him. Phelps offered no resist
q ance when Shea jumped upon him
o and Thompson rushed forward an
" seized the rifle and shotgun, whic
were leaning against a tree near IN
hole. Deputy Sheriff Pratt ais
n sprang forward at about the sam
y. time that Shea and Thompson di,
a. Phelps took his capture passivel!
.. when they handcuffed him
Or Phelps said: Il tell you it's bee
n. pretty tough. | amt had anythin
c. but a piece OF bread to eat since Sa
o. urday night. and all the water | &,
ID In that hole was so muddy | had
he strain II through cloth" Rell,
To- az being captured at last seemed
work an Improvement In the man
manner and appearance, even befol
at he had reached a brook where IN,
he let him have n drink. After that
he was vislbly refreshed and meal
CO pork and beans and bread and cal
en- at the home OF Schuyler Tower ma,
ID. n new man OF him. Some one pr
IN vidcd him with cigar, which
n. smoked with relish and seemed fair
os content with the world again.
be When Phelps was searched Il W
IN. found that, although his guns h
been unloadod when he was captur,
yet he had n pocket full OF cartridg
no for his ii-i0 Colt rife and about
Ike rounds for his double.harreled sh
ct. gun. The shotgun cartridges were
oy. loaded with huokshot and were
my actly like the empty shell which "
ter picked up In Phelps home by Doug
,is. Blair soon after the shooting OF Sh
try IN Hasklns. Phelps also had {
me large iackknives. One was practiC
the ly new and he said that Il was
slo. weapon he had used on Superint
on dent Penman Saturday night when
ave perpetrated the assault that led to
ire. his present troubles He said d
he had bought this knife to give
let. one OF his boys. The other knife v
ing older and was the one that he
my used to dig for water.
,eo. The most significant thing found
tier Phelps possession was letter "
, is ten by himself with lead pencil