The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1922-12-08
FITZGERALD IS
LODGED in JAIL
Shooting Occurred Shortly After
One O'clock-Alleged BY Eel.
low Workers In E-Z Co. Cut
ting Room That Fitzgerald
v
Angered By Joke This Morn
ing Carried Rifle to Mill and
Shot White Without a Word
of Explanation. n

Ernest w. White son Of A. W.
White and a cutter employed at the
e. Q. Waist factory, Is in the Putnam
Memorial hospital with bullet
wound through the body and John !
Fitzgerald is in Bennington county
iail awaiting the result of Whites In.
juries which are probably fatal. ~
The shooting took place shortly at
ter / o'clock this afternoon IN the
cutting room at the E. q. factory IN
which both young men are employed
and was undoubtedly due to a quarrel
late this forenoon.
According to eye witnesses Fitz-
gerald appeared In the doorway OF the
cutting room as the employees we're
beginning their afternoons work
with AZ calibre rife in his hands.
Robert White. cutter and a cousin
of the wounded man. works, at the
bench nearest the door. Making
threatening motion with the rifle,
Fitzgerald ordered Robert White to
: "get out OF the way" Believing that
Fitzgerald was joking the cutter paid
no attention to the command.
Ernest White worked In the next
position on the bench and apparently
realized that Fitzgerald was In no
joking mood. The victim of the
shooting made an attempt to reach a
safe place behind rack but Fitzger-
aid was too quick for him. The
I frenzied young man quickly lodged
around Robert White and fred at his
fleeing victim. Not satisfied with
one shot. Fitzgerai4 was attempting
to fire a second when Robert White
twisted the rifle away.
AS soon as the frightened cutters,
and other. employees could gather their
wits after the shocking affair ar
rangements were made to convey the
wounded young man TO Putnam
Memorial hospital Fitzgerald was
placed under arrest by Traffic Officer
William Cameron. Attorney General
Frank C. Archibald. who has been In
town on business connected with the
December term OF county court, was
on his way to the station when news
of the shooting reached the court
house. With Officer Cameron he &C
: companied the ambulance to the hos
: pital. presumably for the purpose of
, taking the wounded young mans pre-
: mottem statement
, According to statements OF EN-.
t ployes at the E. 2. Waist factory, the
I quarrel that led up to the shooting
was a trivial affair. Witnesses say
, that about IL o'clock this forenoon
White came into the cutting room
with handful of snow with which he
. rubbed the back OF Fitzgerald's neck.
! Fitzgerald in retaliation attempted to
, strike White and received cuff on
! one of his ears The trouble was
;. supposed to have been ended aud for.
, gotten until .tzgerald appeared In
the door of the cutting room with
( the rifle.
Q When placed under arrest Fitzger.
, aid showed little emotion and after
| being placed in a cell at the county
3 Jail refused to talk.
. When taken to Jail, Fitzgerald was
briefly questioned by Attorney Gen.
eral Archibald after first beng In.
3 formed that he was under no compui.
s sion to answer questions Fitzgerald
S admitted the shooting and when asked
3 why he did II, replied that he did not
. know.
: At the hospital II was found that the
D bullet struck White on the right side
of the abdomen. passed through hls
5 body and came out on the right hip.
1 Whey his trousers were removed the
I bullet fell on the floor. There was
s one small nick In the slug indicating
z that il might have touched bone Z,
The rifle must have been kept load
y ed at Fitzgerald's home or have been
loaded by him for the purpose foy
which It was used as the magazine
was full of cartridges. q
y Officer Cameron stated that II was
two minutes after o'clock this after
< noon when he received telephone
y message from the factory. Requsl
9 tioning taxlca1 he made quick
= trip to the scene Of the shooting and
:. made the arrest
!. AT 3 o'clock It was stated at the
7 hospital that Mr.. Whites condition
q was extremely critical. DR.. Buchanan
Ie was getting him ready to take to the
a. operating room as soon as DIR. Trotte,
should arrive from Troy.