The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1913-10-17
ANOTHER HALIFAX SHOOTING.
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and threatening lust like a pair Of
sehoolboys When Proutv went bv the
house the first time this morning ]
heard Foster tell him to keep his dog
at home because il had been worrying
Foster 5 cattle. Prouty said he would
do rs he -- -- pleased and when
Foster said he would shoot the dog, re-
piled: Hou kill that dog and ! II kill
YOU Foster then came into the house
and left Prouty talking. They had
more words when Prouty came by the
house again on his return trip from the
mill but | didn L hear what was said.
50 I'm the afternoon Prouty deliber-
atelv 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 a liar.
Foster was putting apples into the
collar when Prouty appeared on his
return from the mill tho second time.
] was in the kitchen at the time, and
rs ] heard loud words | sneaked into
the woodshcd where | could watch the
trouble, although it was getting dark
at the time. Foster was calling Prouty
criminal a vile wretch and other
names. aud | heard proutv tell him to
shut up his head or he would kill him.
Then ! saw prouty step ont of his wa
gou 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
~. !. ,...
the remark that he would fill Prouty
full OF hot lead. Foster was always
making that remark. Then they clinch
ed aud it looked to me as if Prouty
was trying TO grab Il wagon stake
when / heard Foster say, You see
that gum and then heard the revolver
20 off three times Just as fast as II
could be fired.
/ thought first that Foster had just
fired to scare Prouty and that the lat
ter jumped into his wagon and drove
Off but il must have been that Foster
started the horses | started out oil
the house and met Foster in the door
way 'What in the world do YOU thin.
you re doing with that gun, ! cX
claimed. Mabel, he said, i We sho
and killed Prouty' Then | ran over t.
where the man lay and tried to maxi
him speak, hut not a sound did 1t
make. is he alive2' Foster called t
me. aud ! replied, He 5 gone.
'.Thcn Foster ran toward the bar
and / was afraid that he was goin
to commit suicide so | ran after hil
and shoutcd, Foster. don t YOU d5r
take vour own life. lie was excite,
but replied. no. Mabel. ! m going +
give myself up to the authorities.
tried to make him give me the revo
Yer, but he said it was empty, althoug
/ understand il was loaded when tn
officer took it. He threw the hridI
onto his horse and rode away, telln
me to 20 for help in every direction
Both my children were crying at tl
time, but / put them on separate bee
so they would not get hurt and the
rushed toward the Fisher farm, yelliu
murder -
Mrs. Cumming said further tn;
Foster always carried revolver, som
times i'm leather ease, but more oft,
without any covering. He was GOO
shot, she said. and frequently "a,
demonstrations Of his markmaushi
She also said That the trouble bctwe'
Foster and Prouty was apparently
long standing and that She had hea1
them threaten each other when at VOL
in adjoining fields. Mrs. Cumming b
been at the Foster farm in the capaci
of housckeeper since September, l9l
with the exception of few wee
when she was in Fitchburg, Mass,
the time Of the birth Of her young
child. Her mother was at one Tin
housekcopcr for Sidney Coleman
West Gulford and that is how $
learned that there WAS avn ouuortuni
to work for Mr.. Foster. She IS
years old and her husband $ name
Robert Cumming. Ste said last Mo
that nc was brought into court
Springfield, Mass in May, 1912,
uon-suppcrt and ordered "a pay /
SIS q week, but that she never !,
received amy money. She said hc !
served i'm the United States navy a
that hc was now a chef in some J
city hotel.
To Dr G.. Il. Anderson. who y
called to see rroutv Immediately
ter the accident happened, Mrs. Gu
ming said that Foster had abused
on frequent occasions and that
wouldn t have stayed with him
she could have found anyone v