The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1914-01-19
WOMAN SHOT DEAD
WHILE COMbING
CH|LO'S HAIR
Stray Bullet Caused Shocking
Tragedy at Agawan
ITALIAN WILL Be ARRESTED
Believed to Have Fired Big Slug That
Killed Mrs. Cornelius
Vanderhoef


Pitts6eld Jan. l9l-The bullet
which came through kitchen Win
! dow and killed Mrs. Cornelius Van
dorhoef of Agawam Saturday morning
IS she was brushing her sons hair
was fred by an Italian from shot
gun at point 500 feet from the
Vanderhoef home. according TO the
declarations of Thomas +. Bligh of
the state police and Edward S. Con
ncr of the Agawam police. The of.
fcers by simple piece OF detective
work, yeste day located what they
believe to be the spot where the
shooting was done and from there
traced the footsteps OF the man they
suspect TO his home. They promise
an arrest this morning.
Medical Examiner S. j. Russell
yesterday held an autopsy over the
body of the woman who came to sc
mysterious death and removed
IfOUl TIC UdSc vi me III an q l'%t'
slug such as is used in hunting deel
with shotgun. Il is ball abou
half an inch in diameter and was
found to have penetrated the base
Of the brain breaking the vertebrae
at tho top of the spine. State De
tective Blight with the aid of Office
Conner yesterday moning began
effective work on the case with tina
much knowledge, plus a telltale holc
in the kitchen window near which
Mrs. Vanderhoef had been standing
at the time of her sudden death. TIL
hole they found to be feet IL in
ches from the floor or on leve
with the wound which it inflicted
This indicated that the bullet wa
not a spent one, when ii entered IN
home, bu. had been travelling viii
considerable force.
Estimating the general line o
fight which the bullet probably took
the officers began t.acing 1t TOWARD
probable source and found small
hole piercing a piece Of screening
which hung on the porch of Arthu
Gatchell across the street. Stand
ing in the Nanderhoef kitchen anC
liuing up the two holes, the course
Of 'he bullet was evident, and the of
ficers followed it toward the river
which is ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS OF o mil,
away But 500 feet from the hole il
the kitchen window they fount
5'acks in the light snow which lndi
Gated that man had stopped there
% take 2 firing position. Tracing
carefully r series of footprints in The
snow. the policemen soon fount
themselves at q house whose loca
ton they viii not disclose, and whicl
they regard as the home OF the mar
who did the shooting
Learning The name OF the house
holder they proceeded further npoi
the case, and found two young men
James Burke and Edward Hoksick
both of whom said they had hcart
the rcpV { OF gun in the neighhor
hood a. about $50 saturday morning
The 'Imc Of the tragedy Burke sale
ho looked a~ound when he heard the
shot aud saw the Italian whom tho
:, lic4 suSpec, with a sun in hi.
h~ads. lI1k,ick said he die
r1' SEQ the italian a
.he Sine OF the gunshoi but,
bad lint morning seen him with r
sh, ;Ga. This evidence SATISFIED The
chiCera, and Biiyh las, nigh, hasten
CD 90 ritts6ald 10 discuss with his
trici ~ orncy Csllsban The question
Of ~ cst'ng 'hc suspcc a, once.
The death % Mrs. Nanderhoef oc
Cured Sstr lay morning at $50
shc WIS iu ncc kitchen q. the time
nd with noightcr. AIRS. Elton 4
GaicheN. sitting nearby. was ce.tine
hrr adopted sen. Stanton. AGED six
read, 20 visi 3Irs NanderhocCs sis
'.-, d.. tilr.cc !. Parsons Ct 90.
c''y Wi'hon, ut.csing sound
Ms. .anderhcef suddenly COLLAPSE,
oven ihc hoc and lied instantly
Or. Fsrsons WIS called and %; frs
/ Thought de7th Vac due o. Bs'.5-t
a.sets". with which her sister was
Sliced L-llr iae buill hole +,
'Ae window w2g 80; ced anu q hi1o,
less wound was discovered in IN,
bach e. Mrs Wand -h3ers head
81. ksn0eIioef. aho was az the time
working on p nsw home nearby. vas
the discoverer OF the hole in the vii
dow glass, Which eventually led tc
the present status o. the case.