Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1919-08-01
D0UBLD TRAGEDY
IN ROCKINGHAM
n. F. Weber Kills Niece and
Then Commits Suicide
Before Her Death Girl Said "Chewing
Match" Took Place at Dinner Table
Wife Denies Story.

match Took Place at Dinner Table
Wife Denies Story.
Despondent because of his inability
to get ahead financially, and probably
aggravated by domestic troubles, H. +.
Weber of Rockingham, three miles
from Bellows Falls village, shot his
wife s niece, Miss Mary Agnes Ryan,
in cold blood Monday afternoon and
then fred n bullet through his own
body, which resulted in his death nj.
most Immediately. The girl was shot
about 100 o clock, but lived until 8
Q clock, her death taking place in the
Rockingham hospital in Bellows Falls.
Weber was a fiery and impulsive
man and during his residence of four
or five years in Rockingham he had
acquired 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. Weber and that of the
Ryan girl made in the hospital do not
agree. The girls statement was made
to physicians. States Attorney f. w.
Gibson of Brattleboro had no opportuni-
ty to talk with her as he was not mott
fed of the affair until after the girl
death. He left by automobile for Bel
lows Falls about O'Clock, returning
after IL o clock, and talked with Mrs.
Weber, 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 as she expressed it,
occurred at the dinner table after Web.
Der came in from his work, and that as
result Weber repeated his oft.made
threat to kill himself, seized his rifle
and started for the barn.
| Miss Ryan said she followed Weber
to the barn and found him sitting down
preparing to shoot himself. She said
that when Weber 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, ant
it is felt that if she had had NOR,
strength she might have given more de
tails of the tragedy.
A Mrs. Weber 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-
MES that there was any trouble at the
dinner table. She says that the rifle
had been hidden because of his threats
at self destruction, but that Monday
he found the gun and started for the
barn.
The girl followed, and, according to
Mrs. Weber, a struggle followed be-
tween Miss Ryan and Weber, the for
mer endeavOring to wrest the rife from
Weber, and in the struggle Miss Ryan
was shot, Weber then turning the
weapon upon himself.
Miss Ryan was but Is years old, but
she was unusually developed for a girl
of that age and appeared to be at least
20. She would have been able to make
considerable of struggle.
A story became current that strug-
gle took place and that Weber finally
broke away and the girl turned to run,
whereupon Weber shot her, but this is
not in accord with the girl g story. How
ever, it is the belief of the physicians
that the bullet was fred as Miss Ryan
was partially turned away from Web
Der.
The bullet passed through Miss
Ryan 8 pelvis and right thigh and
left the body, leaving a hole in her left
side and right thigh, but whether its
course was up or down, that is, whether
it entered from the right or from the
left, is not known.
AS soon as the girl fell Weber shot
himself in the chest, the bullet going
diagonally through him in an upward
course and leaving the body near the
shoulder. The rifle had short barrel
Ioo - W. 30 81 h.
trigger with his hand.
The affair took place about 1.3(
clock, but it was an hour or more be
fore DR.. Edward Kirkland and DR.. j. T
Ridden of Bellows Falls arrived at thu
Weber place in response to a summons
They found Miss Ryan in the barn door
way, conscious but weak from loss OF
blood, while Weber was. dead in a poo
! of blood nearby.
They took the girl to the Rockingham
!, hospital and did everything possible 70
|, her, but she died about 6 O'Clock from
a loss of blood.
Miss Ryan had lived with her aun
about a year, coming from Worcester
!, Mass. Her parents are dead and sh
!, leaves no brothers or sisters, She ant
y Mrs. Weber have dressed we'll an
: have been attractive in appearance, s.
. much so that the fact has been com
y mented upon by Bellows Falls residents
e Webber was between 40 and As year
old and his wife is 49, They fOrmerl,
lived in Oranges Mass, going From Their
to Bernardston, Mass, thence to Rock
lingham. The farm is located about
n mile off tho, Rockingham village roa
and is reached by difficult hill roat
1t is not far from the l.. T. Lowell plac
northerly of Bellows Falls village. Wei
Der leaves two sisters, Mrs. Ida Wal
A. wick of Orange and Mrs. Hattie Battle