The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1922-07-20
MANCHESTER GIRL A
PROBABLE SUICIDE
Helene GreFory shoots Self Sunday
NlEhi NeaF Homo on Mesi Road.

NtEhG NfH nome on Aesi hoads
at v4s a plain case 0f suicide o.
possibly 81 accidental death" said
Attorney General Prank G. Archibald
Monday evening folloving an autopsy
on the body u MS Helene Gregory
which was found AZ midnight Sunday
near the edge Of one % the three
small fsh ponds on the estate Of Mrs.
G D Ritter where Frank Gregory,
father q the dead girl, Is superintend-
ent.
Continuing. Attorney General Arch
ibald said.
"There Is no use discussing the
case I. after first learning the facts,
ordered an autopsy TO be on the safe
side and to avoid any future argu-
ment, but the autopsy developed abb
solutely nothing which would tend TO
cause any further investigation or
which would admit Of any except the
one solution Of the death"
This otherwise quiet village was
stirred Monday morning by the first
news Of the finding Of the body Of
Helene Gregory, ls years Of age,
which was discovered by Bernard
Ericsson while driving along a private
highway through the Ritter estate
The girl lay with her feet towards the
pond and all the evidences were that,
as she sat beside the waters. she shot
herself for some unknown reason, or
else the revolver was accidentally dis
charged, the bullet passing through
the heart and is still TO be located.
Almost Immediately rumors spread
OF the possible murder, but as it de-
veIoped that the revolver was one
owned by her own brother, that she
had often used il in target practice,
and as there was no evidences at the
place where the body was found Of
any struggle the state was early in
the day satisfied that there was no
foul play and this was substantiated
later by the autopsy.
According TO the story outlined by
the girls father his daughter, Helene,
was something Of a crack shot with
revolver and had spent some time
in practice shooting. He said that his
daughter was very fond Of home and
while she had worked for a time in
Albany, N. Y, she had lived practic-
ally sll Of her life at home.
Helene had been visiting with her
brother Sunday evening and about 8
o'clock she left the house, taking with
her Fred's 32 calibre revolver and
that was the last seen Of her alive.
Shortly after she had left the house
Fred heard loud noiee but an auto
mobile had just passed the house and
he believed that il was the bursting
Of tire and he paid no more attention
to il.
The first news Of the accident
reached the Gregory family from
Ericsson who happened TO be passing
by the road near the pond and saw the
body Of the girl lying on the ground.
He went TO the house and with the
girls father discovered that Miss
Gregory had been shot through the
heart. The revolver was lying on the
ground beside the body. The officials
were at once notified and permission
was given to remove the body.
An investigation was commenced
Monday under the direction Of Attor-
ney General Frank c. Archibald and
an autopsy was performed by DR..
Ravey Of Burlington. Mr.. Gregory
said that the attorney general had
told him that the investigation dis
closed that il was an accidental death
There were many rumors about the
town relative TO the possibility OF foVl
play and others Of suicide but the in I
yestigation failed TO show any posi-
i've circumstances that death was
,aused in this manner.
Helene Creepy was born in Tcon- {
ieroga, \. Y, August Z, 1908, but had
ived in Manchester for three years
Besides her parents, she is survived
" three sisters, Mrs. Grace Cushman
4 Poultney, Misses Dorothy and Mar
orie Gregory, two brothers, Fred and I
frank Gregory Of this village. Is