Bradford opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1874-1881, 1875-05-29
vsrhill on the preliminary examiua'

,vernlIl Oh tue preliminary exaulna'
ton.
Harding ". Aylin Of Benton was
called and sworn
He testified rs to threats Of VIC.
lence upon Mr.. Sawyer and that
these had been threats of lynhcing
him.
Asa d. Clark called and sworn
] reside at Lowell have known
the prisoner about 3 years his re.
putation il good as q peaceable and
well disposed person.
Noses B. Sawyer, the prisoner,
was next called and testified as fol.
lows:
was 50 last February +; l was
born mt Newburyport, Mass. when
| was IL years old my parents NOV
cd to Amesbury; ! lived at home
until was II my eyesight has
been defective for many years
nave been troubled with deafness
for 8 or 10 years, one ear is worse
than the other this trouble was
caused by sores in the head I
worked for DIR. Jemness at Lowell /;
knew Mrs. Alma Emerson, met her
at Lowell first l saw her at DR..
Jenness' office before she was mar
ried, and John p. Emerson was al.
-" .h."" -. w." .;"" E"IrrSnn
-u,h,l at ID. JenneSS' while l was
there John and Alma called to see
me before they were married and
before going to Piermont, they told
me they were to be married and
were to go up to Piermont to live
and they invited me to go up and
see them, as they were leaving
went and got some pears and car
rieI out to the buggy to them /;
they did not get out of the carriage
at all at this time.
made up my mind afterwards
to go up and see Emerson and his
wife, and told DR.. Jenness 1 was
going up, and asked him what
route to l should take. and at what
station l should stop. he gave me a
slip OF paper with directions upon
it telling me 20 stop at Piermont
depot he also said he would write
John a letter and tell him to meet
me at the depot l did not fnd
Emerson ut the depot and started
to walk to his house, I met him on
the way, he shook hands cordially
with me and appeared to be glad to
t. see me; after got to Johns
house Johns wife appeared glad to
see me; l remained there that
night, the next morning Johu took
me over to Bradford with his team
| went with John to his fathers and
was there or 0 weeks; threShed
oats there, about 200 bushels; and
chopped up about 10 cords of wood
for Johns father; while was at
Johns fathers | was treated with
uniform Kindness, no unpleasant
ness whatever there the Monday
before Mrs. Emerson died John
came over, he said his wife was 60
ing to her father MerrilPs to stay
the next day, and lie wanted me to
go home and stay with him, l told
him | wanted to finish the wood
first ; told him it was about time for
me to 90 back to Lowell; he said
there was no hurry about the wood
and must go over and make him
visit before going back, and might
as we'll go then as any time, after
dinner | did 60 home with him the
next day Mrs. Emerson went to her
fathers and did not return that
night, she came back Wednesday,
and that night something was said
about Il cat they wanted killed be-
cause it was not neat about the |
house, and the double bar.pled gun
John had taken home on Monday
was loaded; John loaded it and
capped it /; the next day, Thursday,
it showed and We did not do much
only chopped little wood We'd
nesday night slept with John, his
wife being away, the next night |
slept in south front rood, Mrs. EN-
erson heated some stones and put
in my bed to warm it; Friday
morning l thought John got up IA
little earlier than usual about nine
O'clock l think, we both went out OF
the house together; l went to the
wood pile and went to chOpping
wood; he said he was going to the
barn did not watch to see if he
did did not see him at the barn
| had not been at the wood pile
more than half an hour before |
caught a glimpse of something going
up on the north side of the house,
and in two or three minutes after |
heard the discharge of gun, and
soon after John came out of the
south door excIaiming ''wlat shall
| do" I "what shall | do" I ! said
"what is it Johnny"i Shave you
killed the cat? he made no reply
and ] started for the house | look
ed into the kitchen and saw MIS-.
Emerson sitting in chair with her
head blown of, and the blood flow
ing from her head; l did not KILL ,
AIRS. Emerson | had no motive ,
whatever for killing her she had al
ways treated me kindly nothing {
unpleasant ever occurred between ,
us j.; | always treated her AS well as
l knew how; John had always
treated me kindly and l him moth
ing unpleasant ever occurred be- ,
tween us; l thought highly of John {
aud his wife. ..t}
The court here adjourned to half I