The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1919-08-26
THINK ARTIST
OF BURLINGTON
WAS MURDER:
w. C.. Stacey Found Dead in
His Home
SUSPICIOUS FEATURES
T.. -.
SUSPICIOUS FEATURES
Silverware Was Wrapped in Dolly
Strange Necktie Lay Near
Body-Open Window

Burlington, Aug. 25.-William G.
Stacey, an aged and retired artist
was found shot to death in the dining
room of his home at 8S North Pros
pect street shortly after 10 O'Clock
last night.
Many suspicious features lead the
police to question the first decision
that the man was suicide and today
they are working on the theory that
he was murdered.
Prone upon the floor with no sign
of shock or struggle about him, the
aged man clasped in his left hand
with the index finger about its trig-
ger, a 20 calibre revolver of the type
known as Young America contain
ing three empty shells and four load
ed shells.
A wound just below the heart on
the left side powder marked, hole
just above the left ear near the
temple and third hole almost at the
top of his head, showed where the
three bullets had entered his body.
The last two wounds were also slight
ly powder marked indicating that all
three shots, were fired at close range.
The right hand lay at his side but
the index finger showed black
powder smudge along his entire
length. How this came there is one
OF the features of the case the police
are attempting to solve. On the din
ing room table, beneath which he
lay, was the family silver or that porl
.. 30 a, i,,
half wrapped in an embroidered dolly
while beside it sat an electric lantern
the property of the dead man and on
tho floor lay his cane, crosswise with
his body above 1t.
Four feet from the body and near
ly half way to the window lay one of
the articles that the police are max
ing every effort to identify, frayed
and worn brown and green necktie
that is not recognized by any OF the
Stacy household as the property OF
the dead man. No mark is to be
found on the tie, but as the victim of
the shooting was clad only in his un-
ion suit and bath robe the police want
to find out where the piece of neck
wear came from The necktie lay just
about half way between the body and
the open window of the dining room,
leading out to the side yard facing
on Loomis street.
This window, which was found
open after the shooting, had been
closed and locked a short time prev
ious by the nurse Mrs. Electa Rob
erts. The screen of the window was
found on the inside of the room.
Z The revolver is another feature OF
the case entirely strange to the oc-
cnpants Of the home. No one has ever
seen a revolver in the house and a
search OF the dead mans effects. his
own room, his studio and his desk
falling to reveal any other cartridges
than the seven taken from the gun
last night
5 An investigation among the local
stores dealing in firearms revealed
the fact that but one store in the city
carried this make Of revolver and
that is the l.. P Woods and Co., and
their sales book shows not only nc
sale of gun of that description but
they have never had that serial mum
ber in the store. The failure to 10
cate any trace of the gun this morn
ing has strengthened the police in the
belief that there are many features to
be cleared up before verdict OF
suicide can be rendered beyond a
doubt.