Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1913-10-24
FOSTER INDICTED.
% CONTINUED from Page ~ d't

5000 Gusa B. ,etI ~ T. uI' yutY
bft1n the afternoon Prouty dcliber,
ately drove his team into our yard and
ran over doll belonging to my little
girl At about the same time Prouty s
dog, which had been hanging around
our house, came into the kitchen and
bit the child on one hand. Foster told
prouty the child had been bitten and
Prouty called him liar.
Foster was putting apples into the
cellar when Prouty appeared on his
return from the mill the second time.
was in the kitchen at the time, and
as | heard loud words ! sneaked into
the woodshed where | could watch the
trouble, although it was getting dark
at the time. Foster was calling Prouty
a criminal vile wretch and other
names, and | heard" Prouty tell him TO
shut up his head or he would kill him.
Then saw Prouty step out Of his wa
gon and step toward Foster who step
ped back, saying Damn YOU, if YOU
want to fight II fight. Prouty struck
him twice in the face and Foster
struck back, at the same timc making
the remark that he would fill Prouty
full of hot lead. Foster was always
making that remark. Then they cinch-
eel and it looked to me as if Prouty
was trying to grab a wagon stake
when | heard Foster say, You see
that eun9' and then heard the revolver
90 off three times just as fast as it
could be fired.
8" thought first that Foster had just
fred to scare Prouty and that the lat
ter jumped into his wagon and drove
off, but it must have been that Foster
started the horses | started out of
the house and met Foster in the door
way. what in the world do you think
you re doing with that gun ex-
claimed. Mabel, he said, 4 We shot
and killed Prouty. Then | ran over to
where the man lay and tried to make
him speak. but not a sound did he
make. Is he aivc?' Foster called to
me, and | replied, He s gone.
"Thcn Foster ran toward the barn
and | was afraid that he was going
to commit suicide so ran after him
and shouted, Foster don t you dare
take your own life. He was excited,
but replied, No, Mabel, m going TO
give myself up to the authorities. !
tried to make him give me the revoI-
yer, but he said it was empty, although
| understand it was loaded when the
officer took it. He throw the bride
onto his horse and rode away, telling
me to 90 for help in every direction.
Both my children were crying at the
time, but ] put them on separate beds
so they would not get hurt and then
rushed toward the Fisher farm, yelling
murder. -
Mrs. Cumming said further that
times in leather case, but more often
without any covering He was good
shot, she said. and frequently gave
demonstrations of his workmanship.
She also said that the trouble between
Foster and Prouty was apparently of
long standing and that she had heard
them threaten each other when at work
in adjoining fields Mrs. Cumming has
been mt the Foster farm i'll the capacity
of housekceper since September, 1912,
with the exception of few weeks
when she was in Fitchburg, Mass, ut
the time of the birth of her younger
child. Her mother was at one time
bousekeeper for Sidney Coleman in
West GuiltordD and that issirltow oshe d
learned that there was an opportunity
to work for Mr.. Foster She is . |
years old and her husband $ name- is |
Robert Cumming. She made the remark |
that he was brought into court in |
Springfield, Mass, in May, 1912, for |
nonsuppOrt and ordered to pay her
$lj week, but that she never had
received any money. She said he had
served in the United States navy and
that he was now chef in some big
city hotel.
TO DR.. G. r. Anderson, who was
called to see Prouty immediately af
ter the accident happened, Mrs Cum
ming said that Foster had abused her
on frequent occasions and that she
wouldn't have stayed with him if
she could g., have found anyone who
would dare to take her and her chill !
dren away. She also stated that one
night Foster told her that he once kill.
ed man in Virginia and showed her
newspaper clipping Offering re-
ward for his capture.
Foster is about 81 years old and has
lived in Halifax for about six years.
He was born in Pawlet, VT, and pre-
pared for the ministry at Troy Confer
ence academy in Poultney where he
was at one time in the publishing bust
ness under the firm name of L. A.
Foster Co. His name appears as
reviser on the title page of volume
entitled Standard American Business
Guide. Whether he ever entered the
ministry is not known, although he
acted as book agent for some time
and is said to have lived in various
localities between the time he left
Poultney and went to Halifax. He has
a mother living in Rutland county. one
sister and several brothers, one in
Randolph Vt. Foster has been active
in church work recently and has been
reading his Bible every day.
q His victim, Ossie Elmer Prouty, was
2S years old and had always lived in
Halifax. He was son of Elmer Elias
and Alice (Smith) Prouty, and his
mother is now wife of Forrest Wood