The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1914-02-06
Body Found Lying in Pool
of Blood at st. Adams
This Morning
SKULL FRACTURED
BY HEAVY WEAPON
Chin Kim, Chinese Second
Hand Store Man,
the Victim

Kim was found lying in pool OF blood
crime street this morning by Sheriff &C.
Holmes, who had been called to the place
by reports that conditions did not seem
right since the store was not open. The
Chinaman probably had been murdered
BY a blow on the head from some heavy,
blunt instrument, there being COM
pound fracture Of the skull near the
base.
Sheriff Holmes and Chief Of Police ].
f. Mahoney are at work on the case,
and DIR. b. II. Stone of the state labora-
tory OF hygiene arrived here about noon
to hold an autopsy on the body. States
Attorney Gaylord f. Ladd of Riehford,
who happened TO be in the city, was
notified OF the crime, and he and Assist
ant Judge Ellis w. Foster are examining
persons who may know something about
the murder.
The body was found at 9 o'clock, after
L. NJ. Neiburg had reported to the au-
thorities that something apparently was
wrong at Chin's store and that they had
better 20 and see. Neiburg reported
that be was in Richford yesterday and
that on returning to st. Adams last
evening he went TO Chin's store to pay
visit as had been his custom for some
time 1t was little after Q o'clock,
and he found the door of the store
locked and some articles of clothing
which usually were taken in for the
night were still hanging outside the door.
Locked Door Attracted Attention.
Again this morning Neiburg went to
the store, he told the authorities, and
finding the door still locked he became
more suspicious than ever that some
thing was wrong. So he notified the
sheriff's department.
When Sheriff Holmes gained entrance
to the store he found the body of Chin
on the floor, the head resting near a
pail and the feet near a stove in the
middle of the room. Under the body
was a fur coat, which was the property
OF the murdered man. One showcase
was found to have been broken into and
tray, probably OF watches, had been
removed. However, the mans keys still
were in his pocket and on going TO the
safe the sheriff found $50 in money
there.
There were no signs of struggle in
the room, and there was no blood in
any other part of the room except for
some clots few feet away from the
foot of the corpse. Near the body was
a quantity of blood. A large round piece
of iron, weighing several pounds, prob
ably part of coupling equipment on
a freight car, was found in the room,
but there were no traces of blood or
hair on it. Nevertheless, there is sus-
pcion that the piece of iron was used
as weapon in killing the merchant.
Neighbor Heard Groan.
The family of Jack Thibault occupy
the tenement next door and are sep
arated from Chin's store only by thin
partition. They reported to-day that |
they heard groaning in Chin's apartment |
about midnight but as they had heard |
groans coming from there before they !
thought nothing of the matter, especially |
since the groans ceased presently
DIR. G. A. LOTUS. who made super |
fetal examination Of the body shortly |
after il was found by the sheriff, said |
il was still warm and that he should |
Judge the man had been dead for four to 1
=
eight hours.
So far as known, no suspicious char |
aeters have been seen about the store |
Of late. Policeman Robert Walker re-
ports that 1t w1s Chin's custom nearly |
every evening to go to one of the res
for his supper, but last night /
Chin was not seen by him or by any
one in a restaurant.
Chin Never in Trouble With Police.
According to the police, Chin had new
er been in trouble with the local author
tiles. For many years he kept a laun
dry but recently he had been engaged
in the secondhand store business. II
is said that he had the Chinese pas
sion for cards, and one OF the murder
theories advanced was that he was killed
in an alteration at a game. Another
theory is that he was murdered for re-
renge. Chin was the first Chinaman in
Worcester, Mass, to cut off his queue.
md it is said that because of his act
be gained the disapproval of his coun-
.rymen at that time.
A few years ago Chin was held up
md his naturalization papers were tax
IN away from him. Otherwise his life
lere had seemed uneventful, and all his
lcquaintanees had kindly word to say
% him.
While still resident of China. Chin
was married, but his wife never came
o this country, and she died there sew
raj years ago.
WOMAN BURNED TO DEATH.