New Britain herald., 1917-06-29
GIRL MAY RECOVER.
 SURGEONS HOPEFUL
Victim of Would-Be Slayer Re
 ported Resting Comfortable
SEEK GUN ToTER'S LETTER

French May Be Able to Face Court
 Within . Week-Revenge Now
 Thought to Be Young Italians Mo
 tive for Crime-Exemption Beard
 Gets Blank.
 Search for letter which 1t is thought contained evidence of pre- meditation in the shooting of Miss Margaret Farrar by James French on lonely road near Scott's Swamp yes- terday was continued today by the authorities in the hope that should the unfortunate young woman's wounds prove fatal complete case may be established against the crazed garage employe. Efforts to locate 1t, however, were unsuccessful up to noon and 1t was believed that the note that before he took Miss Farrar on the tragic ride he prepared a state ment In which he expressed the inten- ton of killing her and taking his own life.
 Reports concerning the girls condi- ton. given at St. Francis hospital, where she was taken after the shoot ing. were of a more encouraging char acter this morning. Attendants stated that while she is in critical shape and very weak as the result of internal hemorfhages caused by one of thp bullets piercing her lung, the fact that she still clings to life gives some hope for her recovery. She was more com- fortable this morning than she has been ct any time since she was kHaA va1axv sicians were inclined to give her fam fly and friends slight encourage ment.
 That French Is in no danger was the statement issued at the Hartford hospital where the girls would-be as- sasstn is a patient. An X-ray exam ination of the wound in his head which he inflicted after firing two shots into the girls body, which was made yesterday afternoon, showed that the pellet failed to strike fatal spot. An operation for its removal will probably be made before night. A warrant formally placing the young man under arrest was issued yesterday afternoon by the Farming < ton authorities and was served on him at the hospital Two police guards have been assigned to remain at his cot as watchers, and he will be kept under close scrutiny until his recov- cry permits of his removal to court to answer to a charge of assault or mur- der, should his victims wounds prove fatal.
 Since he was brought to tho hos pital, French has been very reticent and has said but little about the shoot ing. No great effort has been made to get him to talk, the authorities con- sidering any additional statements from him unnecessary. at least at this time.
 That he attempted to slay the young l stenographer because he believed her responsible for evidence of his dis | honesty given to the owner of the 1 garage in which they were both em- l ployed and which led to his discharge l is the opinion generally held.
 During the past few days he has | been heard making statements in ! which he threatened to kill someone. | although he made no mention as to | the identity of his prospective victim. | French was inclined to make rash | statements at various times and they | were never taken seriously by his as- | sociates.
 According to the story told at the | hospital by Miss Farrar, French made an attempt to hand her a note as she was entering the auto, but the paper | was blown away and, as the young l man said 1t was unimportant, no ef- fort was made to recover 1t. At the garage early in the morning the young Italian had made inquiries of other workers as to the correct spel. ling of the stenographer's name. and the belief is held that he wrote note explaining his murderous intentions before he started in the car on the trip to her home.
 The contents of his pocket taken by Deputy Sheriff Cowles of Pennington are held by the police. There was no incriminatory evidence among them. A notebook was found. but it con- tained no writings concerning the owners plans.
 According to reports from Forest vile, French drove through that vil- lage like a maniac before he went to Miss Farrar's home yesterday morn ing, and during his mad ride crashed into farm wagon coming toward Plainville without stopping to ascer- tain if any damage had been caused.
 Miss Farrar told the hospital at- tendants that after she had Jumped from the auto she started to walk towards OnlonVllle avenue. w WAAle sho was afraid of French. who followed her in the car she did not believe he intended to shoot her. and conse- | quently she made no effort to seek safety in the home of Albert Peck, | which she passed a few moments be- fore the shots were fired. She first | walked slowly along the road. picking | flowers on the side of the highway. in | the: hope that the young Italian would ! drive back to town and leave her to | .ee4s...n lao,. in,,rra oxz on fiat II