The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1915-01-07
Leon Roddy Said to Be in
Precarious Condition; His
Wife Was Shot Twice
ROBERT MORRISON,
EMPLOYE, ARRESTED
Trouble Said to Have Start
ed over Roddy's Refusal of
Permission to Go Hunting

Fairfield. Jan. r.. Robert Morrison,
a farmland, was arrested early this
morning and removed to the county jail
at ST. Albans where he viii await
hearing on a charge Of shooting with
intent to kill MIR and Mrs, Leon Roddy,
bv whom he has been employed for the
past SIX weeks on the farm one and one-
half miles from this village owned by
Mrs. James Howrigau Nothing that
has happened here in some time has so
startled the community. Roddy, pros
porous young farmer OF 26 years, IS in
4 precarious condition, and his wife Is
suffering with bullet wounds in the neck
and shoulder, The couple have three
children the eldest of whom is tiye-years
old, and the youngest being an infant
born two months ago.
A chain of circumstances which ended
in the arrest OF Morrison in barn on
the Joseph Bovar farm after midnight,
began in the early afternoon yesterday,
when Morrison asked his employers per
mission to 60 hunting. 1t appears that
Roddy's refusal did not carry much
weight with the hired man, for Morrison
was soon on his way to the woods. Near
tine supper hour Morrison, or "Shank-
ers, 'eas he is known hereabouts, returned
to find Mr. Roddy in the barn milking.
The pair were soon engaged in an alter
cation, Roddy fighting desperately 70
gain possession Of the gun when he
sensed the mans purpose in attacking
him. In the confusion, Roddy is said
TO have received two gunshot wounds
in the head and neck
Still fighting to overmaster his as.
sailant. the farmer carried the struggle
from tae barn to the house where Mrs.
Roddy was preparing supper. II was
Willie the two men were struggling over
the gun in the house that Mr., Roddy
gained possession of the weapon, but not
before Morrison, according to the ale
CATION, mad fired two effective shots at
his wife. He is said to have made his
escape from the Roddy farm as soon As
his employer had wrested the gun away
from him.
Later Morrison is said to have called
at the Bovar place and begged the farm
er to let him sleep in the barn, with
the cows as he phrased il. Apparently
he went TO the barn and fell asleep in
the hay Ii was sometime afterward
that business carried Mr., Bovar TO the
Roddy neighborhood and suspecting that
something had happened. he called at the
house. For the first time he heard OF
the alleged shooting and learned Why
Morrison had applied to him for sleeping
quarters, Mrs Roddy was confined to
the bed and her husband was about
The house trying TO minister TO the WON.
an as best he could
Having ascertained the facts OF the
affair, Boyar gave the alarm and Archie.
Tague and H. Allen Soule went 10 Bo-
var. barn and "shadowed' the sleeping
farmland while an officer was sum
moned Morning had arrived when Con
table Arthur T.. Finn Of this village ar
rived 10 arrest Morrison The latter
showed no opposition 70 accompanying
the constable To the jail in II. Albans.
Meanwhile physicians were dispatched
20 the Roddy home DR. D. X Patton
OF Fairfield and Drs Arthur Morton and
Nv. j. Upton OF - Albans made a min.
ute examination nf injuries received BY
the man aud his wife They found Rod.
dy in very serious condition, il was
said.