The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1922-12-09
UNUSUAL TRAGEDY
SHOCKS COMMUNITY
Wounded Man Reported to Have
Signed First Enlistment Paper
in Bennington after War Was
Declared with Gernany-Was
Yankee Division Man and Was
Nineteen Months in France.

Ernest w. White, who was shot
through the abdomen by John Fltz'
gerald early Friday afternoon. was re-
ported alive this morning at Putnam
Memorial hospital where he was hur-
ried Immediately after the shooting
Following an operation, for which Dr'
John Trotter of Troy hurried to Ben
nington. it was reported that White
had about rs per cent chance to re-
cover
Exact details of the extent of the
Young mans injuries have not Deeh
officially reported from the hospitai
but IL Is understood that the big AZ
calibre soft.nosed bullet passed
through Whites stomach, the large
intestine and punctured the lower
lobe of the liver. one of the smaller
intestines was also cut in two.
AS Fitzgerald was only few feet
away when he pulled the trigger OF
the repeating rifle the bullet did not
expand but passed through Whites
body almost intact. Had the bullet
travelled any great distance before
striking its human target the damage
would have been far greater
Recoveries from abdominal wounds
are far more frequent than was the
case not a great many years ago due
10 the advance in the knowledge OF
surgery. White Is an unusually rug
ged Young man. standing close to SIX
feet in height and weighing about l9O
hounds, and his constitution is ex'
pected to increase his otherwise sim
chances for recovery.
Discussing the tragedy today Zen.
nIngton people recall the shooting oi
Urson Tinkham who was held up on
the North Bennington road number
OF years ago and shot through the ab'
domcn. In this case the victims IN
estines were perforated in l6 places
and il was necessary to take the
patient to Troy by train for an oper'
alton. Mr.. Tingham recovered and
is now living in Bennington.
As details OF the shocking affair be-
came known Bennington people who
are personally acquainted with both
young men are moro and more amaz'
ed. Noiwithstanding tho fact that
he s,2G years of age, White has not
ceased to be big boy Always
cheerful, with n laugh and joke
for all occasions, il was not believed
that he, had an enemy in town.
.,l Il tu
build and q young man who, his ac'
quaintancos say, is not n free talker,
While on the streets he seldom stops
TO gossip with friends and then has
little to say.
An astonishing feature of the shoot
ing is the delberation with which 1t
was undertaken by fitzgerald. He
went home from the mill at noon as
usual. After eating his dinner he
took the rifle which belonged to his
brother and started back toward the
mill.
Whether the rifle was loaded or
whether Fitzgerald filled the maya
zinc with cartridges before leaving
the house Is not known. He stopped
ut the Davenport bakery on Gage
street. placed the gun in corner ana
bought package Of cigars and a
small bag Of candy. Even when he
arrived at the door of the cutting
room at the mill no one observed
anything peculiar in his actions
When he shouted to Robert White
cutter working on the same bench
with the victim of the shooting. to get
ont Of the way other employees in tnC
room at once jumped to the concus
ion that Fitzgerald was perpeuatinl
Il Joke.
Ernest White, however, must hay,
scnsod that he was in danger becaus,
he made an attempt to reach a plac,
of safety, for he sought the protection
OF a large rack in which cloth i
stored. There was no time for thu
other men in the room to aid th'
doomed man. Robert White, VIII,
was nearest 10 Fitzgerald, does no
remember that the intending slaye
waited to raise the big rifle to hi
shoulder but fired from the hip. TIL
distance was too short to miss eve
with this unusual method of shootin
and the former service man went I
the floor with q serious ii not morta
wound.
Complete panic in the cutting roor
and throughout the mill followed th