Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1911-12-29
FINED $500 FOR SHOOTING DEER.
George r. Tucker of Brattleboro Found
Guilty by Judge DaIey-lnterestlng
Hearing in Townshend Inn.

on the evidence introduced in the trial
of the case of the state against George
r. Tucker of B~rattleboro, which occu-
pied a large part of the day Friday in
the Townshend Inn, Townshend, Judge
William r. Daley of the Brattleboro
municipal court decided Saturday that
Mr.. Tucker was guilty of violating the
statutes relative to killing deer and i'm
posed a fine of 500 and costs. Mr..
Tucker appealed to the county court
through his counsel, r.. c. Bacon. The
case for the state was conducted by
States Attorney Frank L. Barber of
this town. 1t aroused much interest,
both here and in Townshend. The Of
flee in the hotel was crowded with inter
ested spectators.
Mr.. Tucker was charged by the state
with killing a deer in Townshend, not
far from West TOwnshend station, Nov.
IS, already having killed one. Mr..
Tucker admitted having killed a deer
previous to Nov. IS, and he admitted
also having fired the shot which finally
ended the life of the deer upon whose
death the suit was predicated. He
claimed, however, that the deer already
had been MORALLY wounded and that
therefor he did not violate the statute,
the law allowing any person to kill a
wild animal, which, by a mortal wound,
has been taken out of the ownership of
the state by those in quest of it. There
was no dispute as to that law point.
The facts concerning which there was
no controversy are that Mr.. Tucker,
Casper n, Moran and f, M, Applin, all
of Brattleboro, went hunting in Mr..
fuckers automobile and after hunting in
West Wardsboro, where Mr.. Tucker shot
a deer, started home. When on elevated
land near West Townshend station they
saw a deer across West river. about 60
rods away, and some member of the
party shot it, woundlng 1t so that 1t was
unable to go more than a short distance.
Mr.. Tucker ending its life after crossing
the river.
Testimony was given by Mr.. Tucker
and Mr.. Moran, corroborated by a depo-
sition by Mr.. Applin, who was unable
to attend the hearing, that as they were
riding toward West Townshend Mr.. Mo-
ran, who rode on the back seat, saw the
deer across the river and called the at
tention of the others to it; that the car
was stopped and that Mr.. Moran got
out of the car and fired the first shot,
bringing the deer down; that Mr.. Tuck
er started down the bank toward the
river, firing two shots as he went,
whlch did not take effect, and that on
reaching the other side of the river he
fired the final shot, after which the deer
was taken to Game Warden G. w. Had
lock to whom Mr.. Moran certified that
he killed the animal.
one OF the states principal witnesses
was A. w. Kidder of West Townshend
a prominent citizen of the town. He tes-
titled that he was driving along the
same road as that traversed by the au-
tomobtle and that he saw the first shot
fired, being but a few feet away He
was impressed by the excellence OF the
shot and after Mr.. Tucker had gone
down the bank he asked who the man
was who fired it. He testified that Mr..
Applin told him 1t was Mr.. Tucker. the
man who drove the car. He pointed ont
Mr.. Tucker in court as the man whom
he saw shoot the deer. Mr.. Kidder said
he drove along and arrived at the game
warden's just as the party were certi
flying and was surprised to hear Mr..
Moran's name given. Being suspicious,
he made a little investigation and en-
tered a complaint with States Attorney
Barber.
A. w. Jenison, E.. C. Deikamper and
H.. T. Burroughs of West Townshend
testified that after the shooting Mr.. Mo
ran came up the road where they Were
and that when they asked him who shot
the deer he told them that he first saw
II but that the man who shot 1t wa.
Mr., Tucker, That was before the rive
had been crossed.
Judge Daley took the case under con
Iteration and announced his decision
Saturday.