The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1913-10-17
Is L. A. Fosters V of
Staying Oss' - ,uty
Las .llng
BAD BLOOD BETWEEN
THEM FOR TWO YEARS
Foster, a Windham County
Game Warden, Caused
Prouty's Arrest o

Brattleboro, Oct III. A. Foster,
aged As years, a former minister, later a
book agent and for the last six years
owner of farm in Halifax, shot and
inA family killed 0ssie Prouty, aged "a,
La neighbor, at 6:45 o'clock last night in
the Rad in front of Fosters house.
Foster, with one eye completely closed
and partially stunned from the blow re-
ceived. he says from Prouty's hand,
mounted his horse, galloped two miles
to the home of Constable Green L. Wor-
den of Marlboro and gase himself up
He was brought to- the lookup in Brat
tleboro in the automobile of w. b.
Houghton, where he was interviewed and
retained Ernest W. Gibson as his eoun-
sci. He was later taken to the Wind
ham county Jail at Newfane by Sheriff
/ c. Il. Mann and Deputy Chauncey l
Knapp.
Mrs Cummings, housekeeper for Fos-
| ter said that she heard an alienation
| in the yard and three shots. Foster
rushed into the house and asked her to
90 out and see how badly "the poor
man was hurt She found that Prouty
was dead.
| DR.. George A. Anderson, who an
swered a telephone call for medica AID,
confirmed Mrs. Cummings statement.
He found the body lying in the road 3 IN
front of the Foster house with a bull,eA
hole through the head He found in his
hurried examination no other wounds,
indicating that the other two shots fired
by Foster must have missed their mark.
Foster Had Been Threatened.
Seated on his cot in cell in the
police station and holding cold com
press over his left eye, which was black
and completely closed, Foster told this
story:
"f do not know what time, it was
but it was getting dark. Prouty had
driven by and had started to get mt Of
his wagon, but went on. When he
came back ] was picking up apples at
the side of the road. He stopped and
got out of his wagon saying now
you | have got You where | want. you.
] have been planning to kill you for two
or three years and / am going to do it
now.
Il was backing up in the yard, keep
ing away from him. NV life had been
and | am a game warden and have had
a permit to carry gun from a justice
for some time. often have it with me.
! had it tonight. He struck me in the
eye and knocked me down. ! drew nv
gun and fired at him and saw the poor
man fall over backwards.
"My God, it is awful. This is the
worst thing that ever happened to me.
that ever could happen to me. ] knew
that some time | should have trouble
with him. His dog has chased the chill
dren at my house and | have had other
trouble with him. | picked myself up
and hurried into the house and told my
housekeeper for Gods sake to go out
and see ii she could save the poor mans
life. Then / got on my horse and rode
as fast as | could to the home of Con-
stable Worden where l gave myself up
and here | am
Mr.. Foster said that he had no re-
membrane of how many shots he fired
and had no idea of where he might have
wounded Prouty. Mr. Foster was asked
if this affair had any reference to deer
case in which Foster as game warden
caused Prouty to be arrested for having
deer meat in his possession out of sea-
son, and which caused considerable bad
blood in his neighborhood.
He replied. after a moments hesita-
tion to collect his thoughts. mo ! don't
remember that it did. | don't remem-
Der much that he said to me except that
he proposed to kjll me. Then | defended
myself"
Foster rode up to my house on horse
back said Constable G.. L. Worden,
and said that he had shot 0ssie Prouty
md wanted to give himself up. He
handed me a revolver saying that it was
'ully loaded as he had emptied it once
md then reloaded it, | sent to Select
nan w. b. Warren and had him send
or a doctor and the sheriff. We got w. :.
B. Houghton's automobile and | brought
Foster here at once"
Asked what Foster said to him on the
way, Worden replied that he said
lumber of things but would tell them
'nly to the states attorney The
Weapon that the constable had in his
,ossesion was a 3S-calibre six-shot re-
oliver in excellent condition.
There had been ill-feeling between the
wo men for over two years since Foster
s game warden complained against
'routy for having deer meat in his pos
ession in February, l9ll The case was
ried two or three times, the jury dis
greeing the first time and finally a
ounty court jury gave a verdict for the
efendant.
Prouty had been to w. r. Warren's
nth load OF cider apples and on his
'ay. according to Mrs. Cummings, tried
0 run over Fosters dog. Ii was when
e returned from Warren's on his way
ack to his own home that the alterca-
ion took place.
Prouty was "a years of age, married
nd had three young children, Foster is
bout As, is a man of considerable ediI-
alton and lived with his housekeeper
nd her two small children on his farm.
The shooting took place mile from
he scene of the murder of Mr. and Mrs.
ialter H. Nichols last Thursday.