The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1913-12-31
EDWARD REED JR..
ADMITS He SHOT
JOHN WEST
Boy Hunter MistoOk Peru Man
for a Bird
ACCIDENT HAPPENED NOV. "a
Confession was Secured After hives
tigation by Morgan 6 Wood
Detective from Boston

Edward Reed. Jr.. 14-year-old Pc
ru boy, has confessed that he fired
the bullet that ended the life of
John Wait of Peru on the afternoon
Of November "a. The death OF Wait
has been something OF mystery ey-
Ell since his body was found beside
pile of wood from which he was load
ing sticks en- wagon at the time OF
the shooting.
Last Saturday representative OF
the Morgan-Wood detective agency,
mt the instance Of States Attorney w.
J. Meagher. went to Peru and began
an investigation. Monday night he
had unraveied the mystery and had
secured confession from young
Reed, who said he had fred the fatal
shot, believing that ne was shooting
at bird
NJ Morgan and Charles II.
Stearns, his assistant, who secured
the confession from young Reed. ar
rived in town yesterday afternoon.
bringing with them the old fashioned
Springfield rifle with which Wait was
killed. Between 4 and O'Clock yes
terday afternoon Sheriff Frederick
Godfrey. with warrant for the boys
arrest, was taken IN Deputy Sheriff
Perry d. Gardnee's automobile TO
Manchester, whence he was to drive
to Peru and arrest the lad Up 10
1870 o'clock this afternoon no word
had been received from The she itf
and the impression is gaining that
the Reed boy may have attempted to
leave the country and that the officer
is in pursuit.
The young man, who was a mem.
her of deer hunting party, consist
ing of himself, his father, Frank Cobb
and George Reed, was boarding dur
ing the hunting season at the home
of Charles Reed, who is not reia-
tive. The young man states, 1t is al
legged, that the hunte' s took dinner at
the Charles Reed homo about 1886
on the afternoon of Nov. "a, and that
shortly after the meal was finished
he took his gun, a 1870 calbei
Springfield army rifle, and went into
the woods.
He claims, according to the state
ment OF the detective, that he came
to a clearing in the woods and saw
what he supposed was a bird. He
SAYS that he did not see Wait, nor
the latter's pai' of horses attached. tc
the wood wagon. Ae he fred at the
supposed bird the young man. It is
claimed. says he saw pair OF horses
take fright and run.
Becoming frightened the young
man hurried back to the Charles
Reed house, but upon his arrival
made no reference 10 any fears he
may have entertained concerning the
effect of his shot
Shortly after the young man reach
ed the boarding place OF the camping
party Asa Wait, the aged father OF
John Wait, came 10 the Charles Reed
homo and told OF finding his son dead
In the woods beside a pile OF WOOD
from which the latter had been load
ing his wagon. Mr.. Wait explained
how his sons team had come home
alone and that becoming alarmed h,
had gone into the woods and fount
his sen dead. evidently sho; by hui
let from the rife of deer hunter.
States Attorney w. J. Meagher o
Bennington was notified of the shoot
ms and detectives were hired to in
yestigate the affair. by a process o
elimination suspicion pointed to tn,
Reed boy though he had insisted tina
nc knew nothing of the shooting unit
today when he confessed to n de;ec
tive.