The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1920-08-14
CHAUFFEUR SHOT
i SALISBURY MAN
Had Taken Employers Auto fol-
Drunken Joy Ride--Wounded Man
Able to Give Alarm

,MIDDLEBURY, Aug. 14.-Frank
| Durant, living on the Mountain road
which runs along on the East side of
Lake Dunmore in Salisbury, was shot
it is alleged, by Duncan Higginbotham
early Friday morning. The shooting
took place near the Hawkins cottage,
about half way between the Zelenko
boys camp and the Kee Way Din boys
camp and was done with a. 30 Colt g
automatic revolver. Higginbotham,
who it is alleged, did the shooting,
comes from Rye, n. Y, and is pri-
vate chauffeur for Pliny Fisk of the
firm of Harvey, Fisk & Sons with Of
fees at 80 Nassau stree, New York, and
it is alleged that he took Fisk's Cad
lilac car without leave Thursday even
ing from the garage at the Mountain
Spring hotel at Lake Dunmore and in
vited Louis Huey, William Hockbridge,
Edward Hurley and Francis Kelly to
take a joy ride with him, which they
accepted. The party drove to Bran
don where they had lunch after which
they started for home over the noun
tain road, going through Forestdale.
Shortly after one o'clock Friday
morning Durant was awakened by a
noise Mt his watering trough near his
house and he rose out of bed. rs heard
one of the party threatening to throw
some of the other members into the
lake if they did not take drink. Dur
ant then dressed and went out, but the
party with the car had started up the
road As they were making some noise
and appeared to be under the influence
of liquor, Durant took his ear and fol
lowed along behind, and when near the
Hawkins cottage, one of the occupants
of the New York ear either got out or
fell out of the car.
As Durant turned out to go by, it
is alleged, Higginbotham opened fire
with his pistol, firing three shots, one
of which took effect in Durant 3 shout
der Up to this time no word had
passed between the men. Durant al
though badly wounded turned his car
toward home and, upon his arrival, got
his wife to telephone to Middlebury for
the officers, stating that her husband
had been shot, and that there were five
men in the car, the number of which
was 231 ,954, n. Y. Durant started for
Brandon, where his wound was dressed
by DR.. J. w. Estabrook.
Officer Charles j. Shaw of Middle
bury received the call from Mrs. Du
rant and notified Deputy Sheriffs No
bic j. Sanford and Edward Higgins and
all three went at once to Durant Is home.
Following an investigation at the
Durant house they proceeded to the
Mountain Spring hotel, on the west side
of the lake, where they found the car,
bearing a corresponding license number
in the garage The search of the car
revealed a box of 80 ealiber cartridges.
The officers then went to the hotel
and located Higginbothap, in one of
the rooms. They also found a Colts
automatic revolver with three cartridges
in the magazine and evidence that the
gun had been used. Higginbotham
was arrested. In another part of the
hotel they found Edward Hurley who
was in a state of intoxicatiOn Hurley
was also taken along as a witness
Both men were brought to Middlebury
and lodged in the Addison county Jail
to await hearing Huey and Hook.
bridge are bell boys at the hotel and
We're not concerned in the affair, being
mere youths. Kelley, it Is said, was
not in the mix-up. Higginbotham is
about 35 years old and when asked
about the shooting, stated that he did
not remember anything that happened,
but one of the party, it is said, made
a statement that Higginbotham was the
one who did the shooting
Hurley was taken before Judge Al.
| bert w. Dickens in the Addison county
municipal court yesterday afternoon,
charged with intoxication. He pleaded