Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1877-11-30

lCuSeu on VIII OF NNOtNN corpus, hh lllh hiTtbb
had been made on the charge of his being IAN
accessory after the fact" and that Smith was
knowing 10 this. These are the hottest
BURLINGroN, VT. Oct. lG, ~.
Mr. Colyer Sir-lf you will stop the anal
ysis of my wife's body will pay you $3.50,
us we talked. Yours truly, l.. p. SMITH
In the conversation had between Burroughs
and Smith, which was listened to by Chief
Drew. Smith seemed satisfied with his morn
ing's work, and felt confident that he had got
the best of the State. He said II have
bought Collier cheap | would have willing
ly paid all | am worth if l could not have
stopped the analysis for less money" So
clated was he that he persuaded Burroughs to
give the following note to Mrs. Champlin -
Mary Keep mp your courage. think l
can buy off Mr.. Colycr. Shall try hard.
Ezra Z.
The chemical analysis of Prof. Collier re-
vealed n considerable quantity Of arsenic.
THE PRELIMINARY EXAMINATION.
The examination was held at the court
house in Middlebury, before Justice Lyman
f. Knapp commencing on Tuesday of last
week and closing on Friday. The States At
torney. Geo. II. Chapman of Vergennes, was
assisted 10y Col. W. G.. NeaZey of Rutland
and eX-Gov. Stewart of Aliddlebury. Hon. f.
+. Woodbridge of Norgennes, Henry Ballard
Esq. of Burlington, and j. II. Lucia, Esq,
of Nergcnnes. appeared for Smith. and Hon
+. K. Hard of Burlington for Mrs. Chnmplin.
Mr.. Smith was attended by his son and
daughter Mrs Chsmphn was attended by
her sister, Mrs. Bouquette of Lawrence, n. Y,
and her husband was present in the court
room. The court house was crowded with
spectators, and about forty witnesses were
present
The first important witness called was DIR.
A. A. Arthur of Nergenncs. who testified that
he was a homeopathic physician and attended
Mrs. Smith. lie gave detailed statement of
the symptoms which marked Mrs Smiths ill
ness these symptoms were mcessant vomt-
ing, retching, pain over the stomach, and a
burning sensation in the stomach, which on
Wednesday or Thursday reached the throat
and mouth A statement was also made Of
the remedies prescribed. The first prescrip-
ton was ipecac. and was continued: gave
preparation Of mercury the first part of the
week, preparation of arsenic not earlier than
| Tuesday. and more or less till Saturday, ev-
cry alternate hour when she was awake. Sat
urday morning gave her white hellebore.
which is poisonous in large doses for dis
tressing cough gave phosphorous and prep
aration Of sulphuret Of lime. which she took
in alienation with the preparation Of arsenic (;
all the medicines given were poisons.
DR.. W. S. Hopkins allopathic physician,
testified as follows: Was called to see Mrs
Smith by her father, the Saturday before she
died found Drs Kidder and Arthur there /;
in connection with DR.. Kidder prescribed bis
muth and sllicinc, gargle for the throat,
! brandy and milk for stimulus. and Liebig's
cold soup. In his judgment Mrs. Smith died
Of collapse or exhaustion which resulted from
| inflammation produced by some cause. Ar
sonic would in his Judgment, produce the
symptoms described by DR. Arthur Was
| present at the disinterment of Mrs. Smith,
and assisted DR. Kiddcr in removing stomach
| and intostnes; removed stomach, n portion
of the liver, and part Of the small ntestines.
| At the second diSinterment removed rest of
| bowels and liver, the kidneys, and part of the
| lungs. The body was in better state of
| preservation than he expected 20 find.
| DR.. c. W. b. Kidder, regular physician
of Nergennes, testified, his statements being
mainly in Confederation of those of DR. Hop
! kins.
Prof. Peter Collier, professor of chemistry
and toXcology in the medical department of
Vermont University, testified that on Sept.
It'll DIR. kidder brought him jars containing
| IAltN VI lilAtNllil'H lll htAlsl Nth
! portion of the liver In those parts lie failed
to find any truce of any poison but found
bismuth in stomach. which he did not regard
AS poison. Stomach was peculiar i'll appear
ance; the inner coating hloughed of easily
was led TO believe from looking it up in books
that the peculiar appearance Of stomach was
caused by irritant poison. At second analy-
sis of parts received Nov. I'd, found no trace
of vegetable poison, but an appreciate guam
g l.. h..l
lieye came from the liver; separated and
weighed eighteen hundred and forty ten
thousandths of grain of sulphide of mic.
| There Is some more in parts not separated.
and some was used up i'll making tests did
not think more than two-seyenths of n grain
could have been recovered. This amount,
taken into the system, would not necessarily
| be injurious; could not base opinion on the
| amount found in the liver As to how much
may have been taken into the system. Ma
| turc would eliminate ultimately any dose
which did not destroy life. The arsenic which
he found could not have come from the solu-
ton given by DIR. Arthur Had met Ezra p.
Smith; called one morning at the laboratory
| of the medical college, III company with Bur
roughs, Drew, and another officer, Drew
and other officer retired to another room
| Smith WAS anxious to learn if any report of
analysis had been made was told it had not
| proceeded far enough TO make report Smith
wanted the analysis stopped; finally offered
| $3.50; Prof. replied that as Burroughs would
| be out in the morning on habtas corpus. he
might arrange with him Smith was anxious
TO know if any one was listening, and Prof.
| replied that there was not.
Wilbur Champlin testified to the fact of his
using arsenic for preserving birds, and leav-
ing some in "a tin box in the tool chest. and to
his knowledge of the deacon's intimacy with
Mrs. Champlin.
The next important witness was Scion
burroughs, 80 years old, farmer and nur-
seryman who told how he assisted Deacon
Smith to borrow money, and of various crook
ed transactions on the part of the deacon
Burroughs said Smith toldme Mrs Champlin
intended to leave her husband l asked him
how she would support herself; Smith replied
that she would never want while he had
cent; this aroused my suspicion. because | as
certained some falsity about Smiths state
ments to me about some money: he said he
| and Mrs. Champlin Were intimate and afTec-
tionate I advised him to stop it; Smith
promised to stop and not see or write 10 her
Mr. Gully then employed me TO see if Mrs.
Smith was poisoned; think it was September
IL; have acted as n detective since made
examination TO trace poisons and found there
was poison in Mrs. Champlin's house got
possession of the poison in tin box gave it
to Dr. Kidler; consulted with the doctors on
the symptoms, and ascertained that they
thought the woman had been poisoned Wit
ness next related what was said on several in
terviews with Smith in which the latter ex-
pressed fear that it would be discovered that
his wife died from poison, and talked of the
effect of arsenic Smith said if they should
find arsenic they would arrest Mrs. Champ
| lin, and we must advise her to keen away
Witness then narrated his course of proceed
ure in obtaining further proof of guilt, and
| exhibited letters which had passed between
| the nnrtine In ono of his consultations with