The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1917-07-16
Arrested Man Swung on Po-
liceman's Jaw and then
Started Off
SEIZED LITTLE GIRL
NEAR FAIR GROUND
Charge Of Statutory Rape Lodged
Against Him - Is in Serious Condi-
tion in Memorial Hospital - Bears
Unsavory Reputation.

George Labelle, 80, an employe of the
White River Chair Co. was shot t,v;ca
by Officer George Bower Saturday after
noon while attempting to escape from the
officer after being placed under arrest
he shooting was at the rear of the Val
ley fair grounds The officer secured =
team and took Labelle to the Memorial
hospital. This morning States Attorney
William r. Daley issued a warrant charg-
ing the prisoner with statutory rape. He
viii be kept under detention in the hos
pital until able to answer to the charge
in the municipal court.
Labelle has worked in Brattleboro AZ
different times in the last four years and
has been here this last time about four
weeks. Residents of the Fort Dgmmer
section give him a very unsayorv reputa
ton, especially regarding his actions with
young girls and children. On the night
OF July Oiicer Bower caught him play
ing the ''peeping Tom,' but allowed him
to go without placing him under arrest.
Since then the officer had received two
complaints from mothers and on Satur-
day afternoon he suspected that Labelle
might go near the fairgrounds, where
many OF the children of the district are
to be found on the playground in the aft
ernoon. The officer approached the rear
OF the fair grounds by path the children
use to enter and leave the grounds
through hole in the fence instead of
taking the slightly longer route along the
road that leads to the rear entrance to
the grounds.
As he was approaching he saw girl
leave the grounds and Lsbelle make a
grab tor her as she stepped through the
fence. The child broke away and ran.
but an instant later another girl stepped
through the opening. Labelle seized her
i Iby both shoulders The officer watched
proceedings Tor a minute and decided
THAT matters had reached a point where
he could make an arrest on very Sc
rious charge.
He stepped from his concealment and
put one hand on Labelle's shoulder, an
nouncing that he was under arrest and
naming the offense Labelle turned sud
| denly and swung his right for the officer 3
: jaw. Bower threw up his hand and par
? TALLY blocked the force of the blow, but
, l.abelle broke away and ran.
Bower started after him with drawn re-
volver and called to his prisoner of a mo-
-, ment before to stop. Labee continued
to run and the officer fired Labelle did
not stop and the officer fired again and
: that time Labelle fell. Men playing ball
/ on the fairgrounds and others from the
Fort Dummer district were attracted and
e found Bower, even after having twice shot
l his man, having battle with him.
At the hospital Dr. George r. .Ander
son found that one bullet had entered
the back and the N-ray plate showed that
it had lodged in the right lung The 9th
er bullet had entered the right thigh anc
I passed out at the front. Neither bullet
! hit large artery or bone and verI
" little hemorrhage has developed Unles
Ian abscess forms from infection there i
levery reason to expect that Labele viii
: lrccover.
= Labelle claims that he had stopped tn
= child to give her a nickel to buy ic
- cream with and that there was nothin
- wrong in his actions. He admits, how
N ever, that he was running away whe
- shot and says that it was because he di
not wish to stand trial on such a seriou
ii charge because he was innocent.
20 Bower, who fired only two shots, bu
In hit a running man while on the run hin
iSeH- bedl dil eACtheHl reputation Dotn Z
the Fort Dummer cotton mill, where b
is employed and in the district where i
lives. He was appointed to the force fo
rv duty in that section about a year ago an
. has been of much aid to the village an
state authorities on several occasions. H
- has served in the army, which probab
-. accounts for his shooting ability
,, Labelle drew Saturday noon all of th
10 lpay that he had coming to him from th
a White River Chair Co. and quit wor
~. there. 1t was understood by several WI
ON knew him that he was about to leay
n flown --a