The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1919-08-09
CR4ZED FRUIT DEALER MURDERED
HIS UNOFFENDING CLERK AND SENT
BULLET THROUGH HIS OWN HEART

war with Germany. He had been resi-
dent of Barre only little more than q
month and ii was only month after
the declaration Of war by the United
States that he offered his services at the
age of Is and was accepted for the navy.
Was in Naval Service Two Years.
In the two years next ensuing Gunner
Rioux had varied and exciting expe.
rienees in Uncle Sans service and he
was proud of the chance that came to
him TO serve. He made many trips
across the Atlantic ocean, being assigned
to transport duty. He did his part in
getting a large number OF American SOL
diers across the ocean, being a seaman
on the transport 0ccident during the lat
ter part of his service. After two years
in the navy and five months after the
armistice was signed, he received his
honorable discharge from the navy and
returned home. The date of his dis
charge was April H. 1919. After time
he went to work on the Boutwell,, Milne
& Varnum quarry but he left that en-
ployment to enter upon clerkship in the
store Of the man who was to be his muir
derer. As already stated, that engage.
ment started two months ago
There are four other children in the
family Of Mr.. and Mrs. Rioux, the par
ents Of the slain boy. The four are;
Ernest, aged Is; Albert, aged Is; Annie,
aged II; Alice, aged II.
DaPrato Came to Barre Only Recently.
Not much is known OF DaPrato. He
was a man OF Italian nationality and
was said to have been unmarried. He
came to Barre alone last spring and
bought out the Vermont Fruit & Con-
fectionery Store, paying spot cash for
| the same, ii Is said He had made con-
siderable money, his acquaintance
| Judged by conducting similar store in
Winooski, where he sold out when he
| epected to be called in the draft. Those
who had talked with tine man gained the
| impression that he was worth several
thousands more than he had paid for the
store, some rating him as high as $4,000
| or $4,000 II Is known that money
losses worried him good deal and that
he was easily excited and quick to be.
come resentful of any wrong or fancied
wrong. The fruit stand here in Barre
had not turned out to be as good ven
ture as he had hoped for, according to
/ the belief, which caused him TO complain
of the price which he had paid foe the
store
| DaPrato hired one clerk and, in addi-
ton, engaged helper now and then, the
most recent man in the latter capacity
being George LeClair, who was sent on
| the fateful errand to Shurtleff place
yesterday morning to carry DaPrato's
message that young Rioux' services were
very much needed at the store The
| suicide has a brother in Swanton, who
is also engaged in the fruit business
i This brother came to Barre to-day.
! The scene Of the murder and suicide is
within hundred yards Of the spot where
| the body of Mrs. Lucina F. Broadwel
was found on the morning of May 4
last, the woman having been maltreated
and strsngled to death and in which case
George A. Long and Mrs Isabel Parker
were indicted by Washington county
grand jury and are now in county jail
| awaiting trial, The Wheelock garden, in
which Mrs. Broadwell's body was found
is the next property to the store of tht
| Vermont Fruit 4 Confectionery Store.
On the decision of the authorities that
there would be no autopsy in yesterday;
case, arrangements were made for the
burial of the bodies. The body of Da,
Prato will be taken by his brother tc
| Swanton for interment and the funera
of the young man will be held from St
| Monica's church Monday morning at