The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1915-06-19
DRINK-CRAZED MAN
HELD CROWD AT BAY
After Shooting Three Fatally, He Him
self Was Slain BY Officers, Who
Took UP Their Stand in an
Opposite House.

Jamestown, n. ", June l9.-Fred
Shaver shot his father, Hudson Shaver
and his stepmother dead here yesterday
afternoon, fatally wounded Policeman
George Kendall, who has since died, and
held police at bay until shot dead
through window by an officer.
The sons anger over the marriage of
his father is believed to have led to the
shooting. The father, who is man
of 81 years and well to do, was married
on June to Ruth Campbell, who was
80 years his junior.
When the father returned to his apart
ments yesterday afternoon at 3 o'clock
his son engaged Nj quarrel with him.
Their loud talking attracted the atten-
tion of woman in another apartment
Just as she opened her door she saw tho
elder Shaver run out into the hall. A
shot rang out and he fell to the floor.
Officer Kendall, who heard the shot,
rushed up the stairway. He was only
half way up the stairs when Fred Shaver
opened fire.
Kendall was wounded in the right
chest and on the hip. He died an hour
and half later The shooting of the
young wife of Fl. A. Shaver must have
followed Immediately after Shaver bar
ricaded himself in his room on the Sec
ond floor of his fathers block
Shaver frequently appeared before the
window with his rife, holding the officers
at bay. Brooklyn square was crowded.
He calmly surveyed the crowd and would
from time to time engage in converse
tion with friends who called to him to
give himself up. He would occasionally
take drink from bottle of whiskey. |
He appeared absolutely Nnconcerned,
standing there in front of the window
by the dead body of his stepmother. He |
did not seem in the least disturbed when |
the undertaker's wagon carried off the
corpse of his father, Finally he threw |
down note addressed to local news
paper. The note follows:
This is a proposition that have con-
ever since that | have been
drinking; they don't give me anything
and curse my drinking; that is what
drink leads to; so give my regards to
all and be good, for that has been my
Take good care of the chief
Of police and his officials. | tried to
spare my father, but he grappled with
me and, under the impulse of the mo-
ment / got him too. Goodbye,
IF. w. s."
A deputy sheriff called up to him to
Ln
ip," the officer said no, sir" replied
Shaver. "You come up and I'll shoot
'ou"
In few minutes he threw down an
'ther note addressed to the police: I
You send the right man up here and S
will surrender" Shaver wrote "He &
Fill have to come up a ladder though" /
Shortly afterward he threatened to fire O
nto the great crowd of spectators. The )
fficers then decided TO take no further r
hances with the desperate man. An I
our had already elapsed since the begin h
ing OF the tragedy. +
The next time Shaver appeared in the !,
'indow shot rang out from the hotel
'indow across the street, where two po- {
cemen were stationed with rifles. Two a
lore followed in quick succession. SHAY. :
r fell back to the floor IL full view of .
he crowd.
The officers rushed up the stairs and +
roke down the barricaded door. Young !
haver lay in the center OF the room !,
tih the right side of his head blown =:
ltirely off. Near the window lay the y
sad body OF his stepmother. Tho ofii- v
rs had not known until they entered ~
le room that Mrs. Shaver had been shot. ~