The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1919-08-09

fellow seriously, twitting him about his
craftsmanship and telling him that he
couldn't hit anything. DaPrato assert
ed with good deal of vehemence that
he could shoot straight By way Of
proof there are some visible marks about
the store, showing where he had fired a
revolver
One bullet hole is in the wooden
sheathing just across the narrow store
from the proprietor's desk. The bullet
hole was freshly made Another hole
appears in the ceiling Of the front end
Of the store Still third bullet pune
tured the box OF the phonogaph placed
back of the counter and near the little
office Daprato is said to have pointed
out these evidences of his craftsmanship
TO those who twitted him that he
couldn't shoot
Only Two Shots Fired in Double Tragedy.
That only two shots were fired in yes
terday's double tragedy is asserted posi-
lively by Francis Wright, who stood be-
side his bootbIack stand Just outside the
fruit store door, and by BARRIERS in the
Miers shop next door to the fruit store.
There was short interval between the
two sounds, just long enough for Da-
Prato TO press the revolver against his
breast and pull the trigger.
Harold f. Ennis, barber in the Miers
shop, was the first to enter the store
after hearing the shots, and he was
quickly followed by others. There in
the middle of the floor in the front part
of the store lay the burly form of Da-
Prato fiat on its back, arms outstretched,
bullet hole in his breast, blood begin
ming to pour from his mouth and re-
volver lying less than foot from the
right hand No one else was in sight
and the men had concluded it was only
case of suicide lone threat carried out
with the Others unfinished when they
saw the legs of young Rioux protruding
from a narrow recess leading to the show
window. The body of the latter lay face
downward with the head almost under
curtain which hangs from the side Of
the little passageway.
Young Man May Have Tried to Flee.
The location of the body in this little
passageway and the fact later revealed,I
that the young man had been shot in
the back of the head. may be taken to
Indicate that when confronted with the
demented man with a revolver, Rioux.
being unable TO get outdoors, tried to-
dodge under the framework of the win
dow platform, only to be halted by the
bullet as it struck him in the back Of
the head. Or it may be that Rioux was
engaged in arranging the fruit in the
window, consignment of seven lunches
of bananas having Just been delivered
by Manager Joseph Charley of the Ver-
mont Fruit company, when DePrato crept
up from behind. Mr. Charley was in
the store not more than 20 minutes be-
fore the tragedy and said that there
seemed to be no trouble between the
two men. DaPrato was then standing
behind the counter on the left side of
the store and said: How do" in response
to Mr.. Charleys salutation Young
Rioux assisted in hanging the punches
of bananas in the window, and Mr..
Charley departed to another fruit store
to make a delivery of fruit.
No Signs of Trouble.
Some time after Mr.. Charley's departs
ure from the store, young Wright, tha
shoe polisher, sauntered into the store
for one of his customary chats with the
erratic proprietor and the affable young
clerk while waiting for business to show
up at his stand. Wright says that he
did not notice anything wrong between
DaPrato and his clerk at that time, and
on finishing his chat went outdoors.
Five minutes later, Wright wa&
startled at the sound of gun shots all
most at his ear and, knowing DaPrato's
eccentricities, he did not remain at his
stand but fled down the street, to join
the crowd later which focked into the
store.
Young Wrights statement about the
apparently pleasant relations between
the eccentric fruit dealer and his clerk is
borne out by others, who say they know
Of no unpleassntness between the two.
although it is admitted by them that
DaPratc's violent temper may have
caused him to become insane over the
thought of Rioux leaving his employ4
Continued on fourth page.l