Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1913-06-12
A. Staten of Vernon Had
Aided in His Conviction
for IntOxicatiOn.
COLLINS ADMITS SHOOTING
Injured Man Taken to Hospital
at BrattlebOro with Bad
Wound in Right Hip
Assailant in Jail.

Brattleboro, June s.-Hugh Collins. "a
years of age, substitute station agent
at Vernon on the Central Vermont rail-
way five miles south of here, shot
this morning with a borrowed rife Rem
resentative Herbert A.. Staten, who had
been a witness against him yestorda V
when he was tried for intoxication and
fined So and costs. amounting In all to
1902. No one witnessed the shooting but
Collins admitted il. The circumstances
were peculiar.
Mrs. NJ. |. Recu Of Brattlcboro had
been visiting in Vernon and intended
to take the n%orthbound train from that
station which brings the Sunday morn
Ing papers and reaches Briti'eboro at
$3.50. Mr. Staten. knowing OF the con.
dition of Collins the day before. sa!1
he would 20 to the station with her
md flag the train as re did not believe
that Collins would be on duty.
Mrs. Reed said that thcy went to
the station and found the door locked.
The flag was lying on the station plat
form and Mr.. Staten picked it Up and
placed 1t in position to flag the train.
Mrs. Reed sat down or a bench in
front of the window of the telegraph
office and Mr.. Staten stood some dis
tance to one side.
Collins, who was in the Office. walked
to the window and said good morning
to Mrs. Reed. She responded in kind
and Collins asked won't you come in?'
Mrs. Reed declined and as she did so
noticed that Collins rested a rife against
the window sill.
Mr.. Staten remarked that as the train
was about due and the flag was up, he
thought he would go home and, saying
goodbye to Mrs. Reed, started along the
platform to his home only a few rods
from the station. A minute later Mrs.
Reed and George Petteplace, a news
boy who was waiting for the train to get
his sunday papers, heard two shots. They
had not seen Collins since his converse
ton through the closed window of the
ticket office with Mrs. Reed.
\ minute later Collins appeared from
the direction in which Mr.. Staten had
walked, carrying a rife. He rested the
gun against the bench upon which Mrs.
Reed was seated and said: 'Ive just
shot Staten. Here is the gun" With
that he turned and walked away.
Mrs. Reed and young Petteplace hurried
along the platform and found Represen-
tative staten lying under a tree. He was
conscious and called to his wife, who
was hurrying towards the spot, to go and
get John Wright. Mrs. Reed ran to the
house and summoned DR.. George r. An
| derson of Brattleboro, the family physi-
clan, and others called officers from Brat
tleboro. DR. Anderson ordered the ambu-
| lance and Representative Staten was re-
moved to Memorial hospital In Brattle-
horo suffering from a bad wound in his
right hin and another in the right fore
arm.
Collins. during this excitement, walked
to the home of Oscar Thayer, where he
had been boarding, and remarked, i
guess I'm crazy. I've just shot Staten
It was at this house that Deputy Sherlfl
C. I. Knapp and other officers found Col
Inns when they arrived by automobile a
little later. They brought him to Brattle-
boro and locked him IN.
Collins. when arrested upon a complaint
, for drunkenness made out by states At
torney A. V. D.. Piper, appeared before
Municipal Judge +. f. l.. Barber, who mo-
tored to Vernon Yesterday to hear the
case, declined to engage counsel and con-
Quoted his own case. Upon the evidence
given by Representative staten. c. f
Davis and A. c.. Barnes, he was found
guilty and the fine imposed which Collins
paid. Tho testimony was to the erect tina
Collins was asleep on the table when thu
witnesses, with others, went for theil
mali, and that he was so drunk that hi
was incapable of conducting the bushes:
of the railroad. Last evening Collins wa
heard to declare at several different times
that he would have the witnesses who haC
testified against him arrested. The gun
he used he borrowed this morning o
George Thayer. son of Oscar with whom
he boarded. he obtained the weapon b!
saying that he was going hunting.
Herbert A. Staten, the victim. is a ma
tive of Beverly. Mass. 81 years of age, {
IA rmer and a resident of Vernon since 1894
He is a republican and was elected to tn
present Legislature.