Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1917-12-28
DOUBLE TRAGEDY
IN LUMBER CAMP
Woman Killed by Chopper Who
Then Shoots Himself
Husband of Woman Satisfied Shooting
Was Accident-Two Babies Mother
less.

less,
The deep woods of Somerset. some 80
miles from Brattlcboro. yielded Il double
tragedy Saturday night. Mrs. John Sec
saw being shot through the heart by q
rifle in the hands~of Harvc Bullcr. who
then shot himself in the head, diving
early Sunday from the effects Of his
wounds. The shooting occurred in u shack
at Camp No. of the Dccriicd Lumber
corporation. and the two victims and Mrs
Scesaw's two babies were the only per
sons in the building.
SO far as can be- learned the shoot inc
of Mrs. SccSaw was accidental, but some
.ot the circumstances are peculiar enough
to AZ once raise a suspicious and as the
voices of the two principals are stillcd in
death il i, not likely that the real truth
of the matter ever will be settled
The camp is located about mile below
the Somerset dam of the Connecticut
River Power Co.. ON the each branch of
the Decricld river. and ha- been in
charge of John SceSaw and his wife.
Some 80 men live there mostly Poland.
crs and Au-trian.. Mr.. and Mrs Sec
saw had been in that locality three uI'
four years. but took charge of Camp no.
I only about Il week before the tragedy.
All but four of the laborcrs went away
last week to celebrate Christmas. and on
Friday Mr.. SccsaW went to Albany. y. y.
tn hire more help. lie had NOT returned
at the time OF the shooting.
The four laborcrs were in the woods
Saturday. returning to the camp after
work. about o'clock Bukcr had with
him his - calbrc high power Savage re-
peatng rife which he had taken into the
woods to use in case he sighted game.
Bukcr and Il companion came in little
ahead of the other two men. and while
the companion went into the tool house
to leave the tools Bullcr went into the
shack. which up In that time had hccn
occupied only by Mrs. Seesaw and her two
little children. one five months old and
the other a boy two years old.
The events which transpircd after that
happened in quick succession, and their
cause at best Is vague. Before the two
men coming in last had arrived and he.
fore Buker's companion had left the tool
house the first shot was fired. The man
i'll the tool house at once started for the
shack, but within half minute and be-
fore he had reached il the second shot
rang out
/ y SlIOtklllP Sl1Il met tllt Hlall 3d/t Us
he opened the door. Mrs. Sccsaw lay
dead on the floor and Buker presented Il
startling appearance, his lower jaw hay
ing been shot away and his tongue hang
ing down.
The nearest telephone was not in work
ing order so one of the choppers went TO
the Somerset dam and tcephoncd to the
Decriield Lumber corporation in Whining
n IN nN.D # =
tives 10 Somerset over its private log
road Will, Deputy Sheriff Walter T..
Howe OF Wilmington and DR.. Allen II.
Wright of the same place.
When they went into the shack.
around $50 o'clock. the body OF Mrs. See
saw lay ON the floor. while Bukcr wa.
knceling on one knee. with his hands on
his head. Deputy Sheriff Howe said ii
was the worst sight he ever saw.
Bukcr could not articulatc. but he was
fully conscious. He answered questions
by noddin" or shaking hi, head. Did
You shoot the woman" the officer asked.
and Bulicr nodded. Did You do ii on
purpose" questioned Deputy Howe. and
in answer Bukcr shook his head.
Other questions were asked by both
Mr.. Howe and DR.. Wright and answered
in the same way. and in this manner
it was understood that Bullcr undertook
To unload the rifle and accidentally dis
charged il. shooting Mrs. See~aw through
the heart. 1t is thought that Bukcr. real.
ling what he had done, placed the butt
OF the gun on the floor and his chin over
the muZzlo and discharged the rifle again.
That he should have shot himself 81
quickly without seeking the aid OF his
companion in an effort to revive the
woman and that the tragedy should have
occurred when everybody else wa. away
are facts which give rise to much spccula
ton.
The other choppers were questioned a.
10 possible attentions between Buker and
Mrs. Secsaw, but they claimed not to be
aware of anything OF that kind.
Bukcr, the two babies and the body of
their mother We're taken on the engine
Ia Mountain Mills. near Wilmington. and
In" children were placed with Polish fam
lilies, The body Of Mrs. Sccsaw WAS
taken /" the undertaking rooms ut VIII
mingtom and Bukcr was taken 10 the
Deerlicld Lumber corporal ION hospital at
Mountain Mills. where Dr. Wright opcr-
atcd upon him aud whore death morci-
fully interviewed about | @ clock sun
day morning while he patient wa, under
the influence Of ether. His body was then
taken to the mdcrtakcr'>. Before leaving
Somerset the permission of Srlcctman
Fred johnson WAS obtained to remove the
body Of Mrs. SceSaw. \ Telegram was
sent to Albany to Mr.. SocSaW.
When Mr.. SecSaW went away Friday
Buker and some of the other mmhcrmrn
gave him their time slips for the month.
which he was to cash at the office in
Mountain Mill. taking the money To the
men when he returned from Albany.
Mr.. SceSaw arrived in Mountain Mills
on the train due to reach there at noon
Monday. He said that Bukcr had been
with linn three years, and he was sat
sfied that the shooting was accidental.
The Weathercock Meaning.