Norwich bulletin., 1916-05-03
ATROCIOUS CRIME
 OF FARM HAND
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be driven He also has dynaunife in his possession, to use as circumstances may dictate to his maniacal mind. He is familiar with the country through which he was engaged Tuesday ir1 making his escape-a country that has miles of woodland and rough and sparsely settled territory-so his chances for getting away were better than even, withstanding that auto mobiles, motorcycles and other vehi- cles were covering every road and that a number of police dogs from Henri I. Baerss kennels at East Kfl- ingly were seeking to pick up his trial. Telephone messages sent out in all directions were the means of put ting officers in many Rhode Island and him.
 UnrequIted Love Inspired Crime.
 EHiott's crime was hideous one. It was inspired by unrequited love. His advances were not received with Favor by Miss PettiS, and, it has de- veloped since the crime was commit ted, he deliberately set out to take her life and, as it proved, that of any other person or persons who in terfered with his plans.
 Elliott Lying Tn Wait
 At 4.30 Tuesday morning Mir Pet tis, aged 56. came down from his sleeping apartment on the second floor
  in the midst of fine farming country and went out into a wood house. at tached to the dwelling, to get some kindlings with which to start the kit chen fire.
 Exactly what happened there will never be known, but the theory as pieced together from later develop ments and investigations makes it ap- pear reasonable that Elliott was lying in wait. The back door of the shed, | Tl0u %rNwrwr locked and it is believed that Elliott either waited inside the shed, where he may have been all night, or came in through that door when he heard MT. Pettis coming down stairs.
 immediately Opened Fire.
 In any event, Elliott immediately opened fire, using two automatic re- volvers. MT. Pettis, who was first and almost immediately wounded in the right arm, beat a hasty retreat, slam ming shut behind him a door leading into little room where there is a cream separator. He either tried to hold this door or to hook it against J1lliott,s entrance, for it shows the holes made by four bullets He did not succeed in hooking it. however, and from there retreated through oth- CT doorways and into the kitchen. He was wounded at the time, it is shown by blood fecks on one of the doors,
 
 to allow Elliott to rush out of the rear door of the shed and around to the north side of the house, from where he again peppered Mir. Pettis with bullets, fired at him through the kitchen window, as the wounded man was making his way toward the stairs leading to his room, where he kept his gun, which he was intending to get, and did get, to defend himself against the mad man attempting to murder him.
 Wife Begged for Husbands Life.
 Failing to kill Pettis with the ten or a dozen shots fired at him from the she dand through the kitchen window, Elliott, again returned to the rear of the shed, entered and followed MT PettiS through the house and upstairs The sequence of happenings there ar' difficult of detailed arrangement. but, from what Mrs. Pettis afterwards told Coroner A. G. Bill of Danielson, her husband came in, staggering. and said that John Elliott had shot him. MT. Elliott, who was by that time ascend-k ing the stairs. What might have hap pened had not Mrs. Pettis held her husband and begged him not to shoot is a mere matter of guessing. but in any event Elliott came on without be- ing molested.
 Father and Daughter Killed.
 MISS H0IIlS, WQO occupied another room on the second floor. was by this time aroused and active. Elliott open ed fire with fatal effect. MT. Pettis and his daughter both falling through his deadly aim. When the shooting was over their bodies lay close to- her fathers feet Miss Pettis had come in from her room.-sat down on her mothers bed and said: John has shot mel" Then she toppIed off onto the hoor-and was dead.
 Threatened to Blow Up House.
 Mrs. Pettis, brave in the face of tragic death. confronted Elliott and pleaded for her life. There are sev- eral versions as to just what took liott threatened to blow up the house with a stick of dynamite which he drew from one of his pockets but in any event, he finally departed with out doing Mrs. Pettis any injury She watched him make his way from the and toward the Rhode Island line. Had Cut Telephone Wire.
 Mrs. Pettis then rushed to a neigh bor's. George R. Ross, to summon aid, her own telephone being out of service. It was later discovered that this was due to the fact that Elliott had cut one of a pair of telephone
 
 in at the side of the house This was one of the details that showed with what care the murderer planned his crome.
 Help From All Directions.
 Immediately following the first mes sage telling of the crime there was hurried telephoning over all the town and surrounding towns and it was not long. before officers and many others were at the Pettis home or securing the country for Elliott.
 Help came from all directions to the Pettis home, where Mrs Pettis, the tragedy completed and warnings sent out, was in a state of collapse.
 Result of Autopsies.
 Coroner Arthur G. Bill of Daniel son, Medical Examiner R. c. Paine, M. D., Thompson, and Dr. B. F. Perry, arrived during the forenoon. The physicians performed autopsSes In the case of Miss Pettis it was found that bullet had entered her body over the right kidney, going through the liver and small intestine and com ing out on the left side just below the ribs. There was another wound through the left wrist, but there seems to be doubt as to whether this wound | was caused by another bullet or by the one that penetrated through her | body When Elliott shot Miss Pettis he held the revolver so close to her n