The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1914-08-03
DRIVER OF FATEO
AUTO CAR ENDS
HIS OWN LIFE
Grief Crazed John Widders
Shoots Himself
FRIENDS FEARED TRAGEDY
Was Greatly Attached to Family of
A. c. Houshton and Fatal Acct
dent Preycd Upon His Mind

A regrettable sequel TO the auto
mobile accident in which Mrs. Rob
ert Hutton of New York and Miss
Mary Houghton Of North Adams lost
their lives Saturday morning, oc-
cured yesterday morning in North
Adams when John Widders, chauf-
feur of the car in which the women
were riding shot and killed himself.
Widders had been in the employ of
the Houghton family as coachman
for the past AZ years and during the
early part of the present season he
learned to drive their touring car
He had been much attached to the
family because of his long service
and was disconsolate after the acct
dent Saturday morning. Noticing his
condition some of his friends thought
it advisable to have him watched dur
ing the night in order to prevent him
from doing injury to himself. Accord
jngly James Hynes the Iloughton
gardener spent the night with Wild
ders who refused to go to bed and
could not be comforted.
The mon were in the Houghton
stable together and about O'Clock
yesterday morning Widders said he
guessed he would so outside the barn
for smoke. The men went out to-
gethcr and in a short time the chauf-
four said he would go into the stable
again for u moment. That was the
last seen of him alive. When he did
not return Hynos became uneasy and
summoning assistance went to the
stable to look for Widders. The po-
lice were notified and Officer Cavan
augh came to aid in the search and
found Widders' body in the basement
OF the barn with revolver lying be-
side It. Widders had sent bullet
completely through his head. 1t en-
tered at tho right temple and passed
out in front of the left ear. Death
is supposed to have been instantane-
GUS
Although the dead man had lieved
in North Adams for the past A years
nothing is known of his birthplace,
early history or relatives. He had
never told anyone much about him
self previous to his coming to North
Adams. It is thought that he was
about "a years old. When about 20
he came to North Adams as the driv-
er of a tip.cart for a contractor
named Frank Chase, who had hired
him when engaged in building the
Lebanon Springs railroad. A short
time after going TO North Adams
Widders entered the employ of the
late ]. II. Flagg. and worked there
for two years. During his employ
ment in the livery stable he was fire.
quently called upon to drive A. c.
Houghton, the head of the Arnold
print works, over the mountain to
take the train to Boston, Hoosac tun-
mel not having been built at that
Houghton engaged Widders to look
after his horses, and he had worked
for the family continuously since
that time. He was one of the best
known characters in the vicinity Of
North Adams and was considered an
expert judge and handler of horses.
AS far as is known he has no relar
tives living. He did say at one time
that he came originally from New
Hampshire and that he ran away
from home when a small boy to Join
a circus.
Now that the excitement attending
the accident has abated and it is
possible TO give the incidents that led
up to il careful consideration, il is
all the more apparent that Widders'
own statement that he did not have the
car in control is correct and that to
this fact the tragedy is primarily
due.
There had been but little. if any.
work done on the highway at the
point where the car went over the
bank and an examination Of the
earth shows that there had been no
change other than that which would
result from the removal of the fence.
The edge OF the road is, apparently
in the same condition as it was be-
fore the repairs on the highway
we're begun.
There we're at least half a dozen
men at work with the team which
was standing in the highway facing
down the hill and the testimony OF
these eye-witnesses is that the car