The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1913-10-17
ANOTHER MURDER
COMMITTED IN
HALIFAX
One Man Shot in Quarrel Over
a Dog
SELF DEFENCE is CLAIMED
Homicide Thursday Not Over Mile
From Where Nichols Murder
Took Place.

Brattleboro, Oct 17.-One man
dead and another lying in the coun-
ty jail at Newfane, is the result of
an alteration which took place in
front of the home of l.. A, Foster in
the southeast corner of Halifax,
about a mile from the scene OF the
triple tragedy which took place just
week ago yesterday. The dead
man is Orson Prouty of that town. a
near neighbor of Fosters. Mrs. Cum
mings, who keeps house for Mr.. Fos-
ter stated last night that Prouty
went down by the house in the after
noon on his way to w. b. Warren's
cider mill and that he tried TO run
over Fosters dog which was lying
in the dooryard. Words followed
between Foster and Prouty. Her
story further is TO the effect that
Prouty returned about Gas and an ar
gument ensued between Foster and
Prouty, which was followed by three
shots. She rushed to the scene of
the alteration and found that Prou-
ty was dead in the road DR.. George
r. Anderson of Brattleboro was call
ed and he found that one bullet had
entered the forehead of the dead
man, causing instant death.
Foster went on horseback about
two miles to the nearest officer, Con
stable Green l.. Worden of Marlboro
and surrendered himself. Constable
Worden Immediately notified Select
man w. b. Warren of Halifax and
then secured W. b. Houghton's auto
mobile to take the prisoner to Brat
tleboro. When asked what Foster
told him on the way he replied that
he said lot, but declined to talk fur
Their with newspaper men. The con
stable has 32-caliber Smith & Yves
son revolver in excellent condition
which Foster turned over to him
when he surrendered. The weapon
was fully loaded
Foster when interviewed in his cell
in the Brattleboro police station, rose
up from his cot with a bandage over
his left eye, which was blackened all
around and completely closed, and
told The following story:
II do not know what time it did
happen Prouty went down past in
the afternoon and we had some
words about The dog. When he came
back tonight he stopped and got out
of his wagon. saying with a curse:
4 have you where | want you. have
been planning to kill you for some
time | backed up into my yard try.
ing to get away. He struck me with
his hand, ! suppose. / fell and then
shot with Il revolver which | carry
as game warden and which | secured
permission to carry from a Justice
some time ago. | saw the poor man
fall backward. 1t is awful. This is
the worst thing that ever happened.
picked myself up and rushed to my
house, telling my housekeeper to so
out and do all she could TO save the
poor mans life. got my horse and
FASTENED TO Constable Worden's.
where | gave myself up
He had no idea of where he wound
ed Prouty, but thought the bullet had
passed through his body. Foster said
that his life had been threatened Tor
some time. When asked If this al
fair had any connection with his be-
ing instrumental in having Prouty
arrested two years ago for shooting
a deer out of season. which resulted
in two trials in the Brattleboro court
and one in county court and which
stirred the entire neighborhood. Eos
ter replied after a little hesitatiJn:
no, ] don't remember that it did.
! was merely defending myself"
Foster. after being treated by Dr.
G b. Hunter. was taken to Newfane
Jail by Sheriff G.. f. Mann and Depu-
~ Sheriff c. ]. Knapp. and the sher-
iff sent two of his deputies. F. l..
Wellman of Guilford and John A. Nc
Donald OF Newfane. TO the scene of
the shooting. The selectmen OF Hal
fax took charge OF Prouty's body.
Inch had been left in the road un.
III. they arrived.
Prouty who was about 80 years old
& survived BY a widow and three
small children. We was farmer.
Tcster. who is well-educated man.
unmarried. is about 81 years old ana
L. also farming at the present time.
The men we're neighhors. II is gen
orally known that there was a 10. q
bad blood between the two men at
the time Of the prosecution OF Prcu-