The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1919-07-29
MRS. WEBER DENIES
THERE WAS TROUBLE
Wife of Dead Man Says
Struggle Took Place for
Possession of Gun, but
Miss Ryan Said Webber
Deliberately Shot Her
Without Struggle = Girl
Lived Several Hours

Despondent because of his inability
to get ahead financially, and probably
aggravated by domestic troubles, H. f.
Webber of Rockingham, three miles
from Bellows Falls village, shot his
wife niece, Miss Mary Agnes Ryan,
IN cold blood yesterday afternoon and
then fred bullet through his own
body, which resulted in his death al
most Immediately. The girl was shot
about 1.30 o'clock, but lived until 6
o clock, her death taking place in the
Rockingham hospital in Bellows Falls.
Webber was fiery and impulsive
man and during his residence of four
or five years in Rockingham he had
cquired the reputation of being grouchy
and eccentric. He is said to have been
German. AT any rate he was anti
American during the war and had been
warned and demonstrated with because
of his expressed sentiments.
1t was in Webber's barn that the
double tragedy occurred, and the state
ment of Mrs. Webber and that of the
Ryan girl made in the hospital do not
agree. The girls statement was made
to physicians. States Attorney E. w.
Gibson of Brattleboro had no opportuni-
| ty to talk with her as he was not mott
fed of the affair until after the girls
death. He left by automobile for Bel
lows Falls about O'Clock, returning
after IL clock, and talked with Mrs.
Webber, the physicians, undertaken and
all who knew any of the facts.
During her period of consciousness
Miss Ryan told the physicians that a
chewing match,o as she expressed If,
occurred at the dinner table after Web
Der came in from his work, and that as
a result Webber repeated his oft-made
threat to kill himself, seized his rifle
and started for the barn.
Miss Ryan said she followed Webber
to the barn and found him sitting down
preparing to shoot himself. She said
that when Webber saw her coming he
turned and deliberately shot her and
then shot himself She was weak from
the loss of blood, as she bled long
time before physicians reached her, and
it is felt that if she had had more
strength she might have given more de-
tails of the tragedy.
Mrs. Webber stated that her husband
had been respondent and had been
troubled with slight illness, and she
admits that on several occasions he
threatened to end his life, but she de-
nies that there was any trouble at the
dinner table. She says that the rifle
had been hidden because of his threats
lat selfdestruction, but that yesterday
, he found the gun and started for the
!, barn.
. The girl followed, and, according to
, Mrs. Webber, struggle followed be-
, tween Miss Ryan and Webber, the for
J mer endeavoring to wrest the rifle from
Webber. and in the struggle Miss Ryan
was shot, Webber then turning the
weapon upon himself.
/ Miss Ryan was but Is years old, but
she was unusually developed for girl
: q that lage and appeared to be at least
20. She would have been able to make
considerable of a struggle.
al A story became current that a strug-
gle took place and that Webber finally
S broke away and the girl turned to run,
whereupon Webber shot her, but this is
!, not in accord with the girls story. How
t ever, it is the belief of the physicians
o that the bullet was fred as Miss Ryan
: was partially turned away from Web
y ber.
The bullet passed through Miss
t Ryan s pelvis and right thigh and
d left the body, leaving hole in her left
i side and right thigh, but whether its
: course was up or down, that is, whether
e lit entered from the right or from the
e left, is not known.
o AS soon as the girl fell Webber shot
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