The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1916-02-28
JohnMcLaughlin Is, in Seri-
Gus Condition in Hospi-
tai in Rutland
CALVIN RICH is
ALLEGED ASSAILANT
Trouble Took Place in Mendon After
Three Men Had Been Drinking Al
cohol-Cuts in Back Made with a
Big Hunting Knife

RUTLAND, Feb. 2S.-John Me
Laughlin of the town of Rutland, a
iumberjack, is in the Rutland hospital
IN critical condition from Knife
wounds in his back, and Calvin Rich,
Civil War veteran. and Harvey Ran
ger, both of Mendon, are locked up in
the county jail as result Of a drunk
en- row in Rich home late Friday
night. About 3 clock SATURDAY. morn
ing Sheriff Henry r. Adams received
telephone call from the house of Ser
Feil Ranger III MendOn, quarter of
q mile from the cottage where Rich
lVed alone, saying that a man had
bHen stabbed. Adams, accompanied BY
other officers, drove to the scene. At
hleh 5 they found everything IN d s
order
The floor of the principal room
was covered with blood, and McLaugh-
IN, ms clothing saturated with blood
winch was still oozing from his cuts,
lay on the floor, conscious but so weak
1nat he tainted when he tried TO talk.
The officers obtained statement from
the other two men and State Attor-
ney Poulin took possession of the long
hunting knife, its seven-inch blade be-
ing still bloody, with which Rich adj
mltted he stabbed Mclaughlin.
With difficulty the officers cot the
injured man into a sleigh and, with
zach and Ranger, drove to Rutland
taking them to the county Jail. Dir. F,
II. Gebhardt and DIR. William Stick
ney were called TO attend Mclaughlin.
his condition was seen at once to be
SO serious that he was moved to the
hospital in the Stearns ambulance.
According to the story of Rich. re
lated when he was not yet sober. Nc
Laughlln and Ranger were in Rutland
Friday night and took to Mendon with
them quart of alcohol. They reached
Rich $ house in due time and the trio
at once proceeded to consume the ..olo
king All were soon under the influ.
ence of liquor and about midnight
| Harvey Ranger went to bed. A little
Later +McLaughin and Rich got into
| an argument when Mclaughlin refused
to go to bed and Rich began prod
ding Mclaughlin with the keer
edged knife which was part of :
hunting equipment, which also inelud
ed several rifles and shotguns.
i Soon Mclaughlin, who was too veal
when the officers found him to tell an,
thing of what happened, was cut O.
commission. Then, even in his drunken
/ condition, Rich realized to certain
degree what he had done and he wen
INTO the bedroom and told Range
who Went to the house of Serren Ran
i ger and asked that word of the atfai
| be sent TO Rutland
The aged knife wielder SATURDAY.
told the authorities that he stable,
| Mclaughlin because the younger MAJ
attacked him. He guessed he had go
himself in a mess.
! Rlch is a survivor of the Fifth Yer
mont infantry. He has been a residen
of Mendon some years.
The physicians found three Ions
cuts IN Mclaughlin s back, located be
tween the hips and the shoulders. TIL,
biggest is four and half inches Ion,
and IS situated nearly between tn,
shoulder blades. There is another in
clsion little below this and to tbe
aght which is two and half inche,
IN length and the flesh is laid open a
q point just over the hips for one am
a half inches. 1t is not probable tina,
the knife penetrated to any of the in
ternal organs but the shock from los
Of blood and the danger of blood poi
/ sonlng makes the case a critical one.
Mclaughlin 5 home is on the Glaa
son road, about two miles east of Rut
land. He is unmarried Harvey Ranges
IS son of the late James Ranger
Rich IS one Of the listers of Mend0n.