The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1913-10-13
GUILFORD MURDER
CASE CLEARED
BY SUICIDE
WrIsIcy Shot Himself After
Double Murder
SOME FEATURES ARE STRANGE
Appears to Have Killed Mrs. Nichols
Because She Did Not Re
turn Affection
SOME FEATURES ARE STRANGE

Brattleboro, Oct. 13.-The murde'
of Walter Nichols of West Guilford,
VT, whose body was found Friday
afternoon about $50 rods from hi'.
home, with the back side oil his
head beaten in with q common nail
hammer, was solved about $50 sat
urday morning when searching
party made up Of the neighbo.s OF
that community, in company with
Deputy Sheriff George =. Miller OF
Gulford, found the body of Mrs.
Nichols with the left side OF her
head blown off and later that OF lir.
vim Wrisley, farmland in the Mic
hols home. Her body was found IN
a small orchard IN secluded spot
about $50 eods from the Nichols
home. with her apron over her
face. The body had cyidenly been
dragged about seven rods from the
spot where she was shot. and where
there was public Of blood and
parts OF her skull. Three sidecombs
were found in the same vicinity.
The first clew to lead the party
to this place was secured by Rod
man Bridge of Halifax, whose farm
adJons the outfarm OF Walter Mic
hols, and who was going cross lots
from his home to the Nichols home
TO join the searching party. He
passed near the orchard in 4 ravine,
and upon hearing horse whinny
he noticed the missing animal hitch
ed to q maple tree standing near the
stone wall Without further inspect
ing these premises he FASTENED To
the Nichols home, and the party
which was about read5 10 start their
search returned to Investigate abou.
the horse. When Bride went to get
Owe the fence few rods distant
from the horse, he discovered the
body Of Mrs. Ni2hols.
The finding cf the horse and tn,
Information from Mrs. Willard Fish
er OF Halifax that ono shot was
heard after the Other two on the
day OF the tragedy led the patty 10
START search in the adjoining pas.
iure for Erwin whitley the man who
| had worked at the Nichols home
stead since last spring. and who il
| was expected had committed the
double murder.
The party which had spread out
| had MOI gone more than 75 rods
| from the orchard where Mrs. Mic
hols was found when G. j. Merriled
of Guilford discovered doublebar.
relied shot sun tied to small
| maple tree standing nca large
! tcck. Mrisley's body was lying in q
hollow near the tree with indications
that he had tied the trigger OF the
| gun 20 the tree and then pulled the
| barrel of the gun toward him so as
| TO discharge it, The charge entered
! near the heart and came out through
his hack.
Tie only thing to help unravel the
! mysterious tragedy is what was seen
from the Fesscnden place by Mr. and
Mrs. Willard Fisher and hired girl
who state that on Thursday after
noon about o'clock they saw one
man chasing another man dowg
from the abandoned buildings on
the farm whe q both murders wer,
committed. but supposed that The,
were fooling. They saw one fall ant
the other appear to be striking som,
thing lying down. One man LET
this spot and started toward thu
Nichols home. but on his way h,
stopped and looked back. lie ran
quite portion of the way over Il
the Nichols house. A little later the
noticed a man going up over The hil
from the Nichols home toward IN
small o-chard where the horse an,
the body of Mrs. Nichols were found
The orchard was not Nm sight iron
the Fisher home. Sho Thy after thi
, they hoard the report of gun twlc
and Mrs. Fisher thinks that a Will
later she hea-d the report Of gu
! again.
b But The theory that Wrisley con
mi,ted suicide soon after shootin
Mrs. Nichols Is complicated by IN
Tact that he was scca go the Nichoi
T home about $50 on Thursday by NJ
/, u. boughton. Rev y. 4. Slacl
+, Charles liough00n and Joseph Joh,
e son of West Braiileborn. who wer
r hunting in that section and had ie
thcir automobile at thc Nicho
They remarked at the time cnncrri
! ing how strangely the man who
they describe as being Wrislcy. nc
cd when they were starring ID
home with their car. he stood
'front.' Of the car for some time. a
;, parently intently gazing at The IN
r chine. but he did not have any co
. rersation al an with the huntir
party. Wrisley's bed was famhi,
5 when found Friday. and This !,
. Sheriff G. r. Mann 10 believe IN
perhaps Wrisley did NO. comm
suicide until the next morning an
Tie murder was committed
d IS thought that Mr. aud Nj
Nichols and Wrisley went 10 Ii
farm in Halifax, 10 pick apples