The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1915-07-19
Sumner Brown Almost In.
stantly Killed in ST. Johns
bury Last Night
POLICE SEARCHING
FOR HARLOW HATCH
He Ran Away After Shooting Took
Piace-Physicians Say Wound Was
Not Self Infictcd-Both Had Been
Drinking Hard Cider.

ST. JOIINSBURY, July 10. = Sum
ner Brown, 26, was shot and almost in
stantly killed with 32-caliber reyol-
Yer in the pool and billiard room of
Harlow Hatch on Eastern avenue at
S.25 last evening.
A squad of 20 officers and deputy
sheriffs has been searching with no
success since then for Hatch, Brown s
2l-year-old employer, who is alleged to
havo been the only other person in the
pool room at the time of the shooting.
Three physicians have declared that
the death wound, a bullet hole piercing
the lungs, was not self-inflieted, and
today DIR. +. II. Stone of Burlington,
state pathologist, will perform an au-
topsy.
Nearly 100 persons who were standing
about Courthouse square, opposite the
scene of the tragedy, heard the single
shot fred and saw Brown as he came
/ staggering out of the pool room, crying:
I'I We been shot. - In the excitement
| Hatch disappeared.
| Brown. who is a native of jefferson,
| N. IT,, came here with his wife and
three-y ear-old daughter about three
months ago, and at first found employ
ment as a house painter. He had
worked at intervals for young Hatch III
/ the poolroom. --.--....-..---
| According to the police, Brown and
| Hatch had a dispute Saturday. Charles
| Kirk. with whom both were motoring
yesterday, has assured the police that
the two were friendly while with him.
| In the afternoon Kirk brought his
automobile to the poolroom and both
/ 70 hp
three men drove to Danville, returning
at SIS. On the way they secured q
Jug of hard cider. Kirk says that they
were by no means intoxicated, but were
feeling "pretty good Kirk went into
the poolroom with Brown and Hatch
and was paid 1925 for the trip. Then
he left
Not more than 10 minutes later
Brown staggered out of the room, cry
inc that he had been shot, and fell face
downward on the sidewalk.
He was picked up and carried bach
into the poolroom. boy found lyinl
on the floor revolver and started
carrying it in his hand, to notify the
police.
Hatch, who now appeared, coatless
accompanied the boy around the corner
as far as the New England Telephone
company bulldlng on MAN street
Here Hatch directed the boy to the tel
ephone office, and the boy mounted tht
stairs. still carrying the revolver, anC
summoned Drs. Fitch, Allen and Tiern
cy, who hurried to the poolroon
to find Brown dead. They declared thu
man had been shot bv some one othe
than himself and turned the case owe
to Sheriff n H. Worthen.
In the meantime Hatch S course ha
been traced to Mrs. Clifford S boarding
house on Main street. where he roomet
he did not live with his father, vii
liam Hatch, who has a house on Mail
} street near the poolroom and iron
there to the house of Mrs t. II. Mea
: der on Eastern avenue. Mrs. Meade
,, said that he appeared very nervous
. Brown s BODY was removed to an un
dertaking establishment. His wife wa
: in Concord, VT, where the child ha
!. been kept since the family came here
: Mrs. Brown is employed rs a domesti
: in the family of l.. W. Hastings, VIII
. lives at Is Summer street. Brown ais
: roomed there.