The Brattleboro reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1907-1912, 1911-11-03
SHOT HIS WIFE,
KILLED HIMSELF
Winfield Whitney of Halifax q
Suicide.
TRAGEDY IN HALIFAX SATURDAY
Man Had Not Been in His Right Mind
for Several Months and Wife Was
Preparing to Leave When Shooting
Took Place-Her Condition is Serious.


Winfield W, Whitney, As, eommitte,
suicide at his home in Halifax about
~ o'clock Saturday morning, shooting
himself in the right temple with 3.
ealibre revolver after seriously wound
ing his wife with the same weapon. II
is believed that Mrs. Whitney will re-
cover. Mr.. Whitney lived about fouI
hours after the shooting, He had been
subject to violent fits OF insanity for a
long time and had several times threat.
ened to kill his wife. The shooting
took place at Harris Mills. about three
miles from West Halifax. as Mrs. Whit
ney was standing on the piazza Of her
house short distance from the home
of Albert Thurber For several months
| Mr.. Whitney 5 mental condition had
| been such that his wife did not dare to
| 1--we with him and for several days pre-
vlous to the shooting he had acted IN
such manner as to cause Mrs.. W hitney
to keep away from him. Recently lie
mad been placed under the guardianship
of Francis I. Miner OF halifax. Mrs
Whitney had been making her home
with her brother, Charles Miner, Of
West Brattleboro and her husband hau
been living with his sister, Mrs. Ashton
Taylor, OF BrattlebOro. Both Mr.. ana
Mrs. Whitney went to Halifax Friday
TO attend an auction of their personal
property Several times during the auc-
ton lie displayed an inclination to do
Mrs. Whitney violence but she managed
to elude him. Both stayed at Halifax
Friday evening, Mrs. Whitney with a
nelghbor and Mr.. Whitney in his own
home. On Saturday morning Mrs. Whit. |
ney was getting ready to leave for Mon |
roe Bridge, Mass, with her son.in-law, |
Floyd Ozark, with whom she intended |
to spend the winter. Mr.. Clark had re.
moved several bundles from the piazza |
OF the Ihurber house and placed them
IN his buggy when his mOther.inlaw,
accompanied by Mrs. Thurber, started |
for the Whitney house to get another
bundle. Mr.. Whitney, who had been
obliged to 20 on crutches for some time,
hobbled after his wife and urged her
not to 20 away, She paid no attention
to him and did not see him as he sud
denly drew revolver from his pocket
Mrs. Whitney had reached the piazza OF
her own home and was about to remove
some clothing from line when her hus
y
let struck her right temple, fracturing
he skull and bedding itself in the bone.
Mrs. Whitney sprang OIL the piazza and I
ran toward her sOn.ln-law into whose
arms she fell. Almost at the same in
slant her husband, who had assembled
10 his piazza, fired twice at his right !
temple and fell. I
Word was sent at once to Selectman q
William Warren and to DIR. h. II. Lynch {
II Brattleboro. Mr.. Whitney lived I'M
ii about o'clock in the afternoon but q
vas beyond medical assistance. lie new
n regalned consciousness. The shot o
Which killed him passed through, his a
,raln and rested against the skull on Il
he left side of the head Mrs. Whitney {
vas Immediately taken to the home of f
lrs. Thurber where she is now resting :
comfortably. The bullet was extracted .
rom her skull Saturday afternoon. 7
shortly after II O'Clock news of the n
hooting was sent to Mrs. Whitney S I;
rother, Charles Miner, of West Brat h
leboro. Mr.. Miner and his daughter, h
race, were on Main street when inform. il
d and G. o. Abbott took them in his d
ar to Halifax.
Though the affairs of the Whitneys >,
ere known to the people of Halifax i,
nd Monroe Bridge Mr.. Whitney had a
~
and his rash deed aroused y
lie neighborhood. lie has been about | =
lie streets of Brattleboro this summer
nd showed no inclination to take his
fe nor did he talk in way to indicate
lat he had designs upon his wife. The
,yolver with which he shot her belong
to Town Constable +. 4. Miner with
HON Whitney had been living recently.
ow he secured possession of it is not
lown.
Winfield Whitney was son of Mar.
n Whitney and was born in Halifax.
e attended the schools of his native
wn and practically all of his life had
zen spent in this county. Besides his
lfe he leaves daughter, Mrs. Floyd
ark, and a son, Willard Whitney both
Monroe Bridge. He is also survived
three brothers, Mervin and Philip of
'attleboro and Emory of Halifax, and
% sisters, Mrs. Ashton Taylor and Mrs.
Il. Stacy, both of Brattleboro. Funer-
services were held in Halifax Tuesday
renoon at 10 clock. Rev. w. NJ.
tchcock olficiated and burial was in
est Halifax.