The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1877-11-23
Mihhlrburg Rrglstrr
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER %, 1877
The vergennes Poisoning Case,
TURsDAY-FIRsT DAY.

Tuesday, November 20, before Justice
l.. +. Knapp, in the county court house
at Middlebury. The time for begin
ming was ten o'clock, but long before
that time large numbers drove In from
the surrounding towns, and crowd as
sembled which filled the court room all
day. George P. Chapman, states at
torney for this county, was assisted by
Col. W. G.. Veazey, of Rutland, ex-
Governor J. w. Stewart, of Middle
bury, and Hon. +. f. Woodbridge, of
Vergennes. Henry Ballard, of Burlng-
ton, and Col. j. Ii. Lucia, of Ver-
genncs, appeared for Smith, and Hon.
Il. r. Hard, of Burlington, for Mrs.
gbamplin. Judge Thurman Brook
ms, of Shoreham, and Judge Asaph D..
Hayward, of Weybridge, were invited
to sit with the justice. Mr.. Smiths
sou and daughter were present with
him, Mrs. Champlin was attended by
q sister, Mrs. BOuquette, of Lawrence,
Y. Her husband was present.
Both tile accused bore themselves WELL
About forty witnesses had been called
and were present.
States Attorney Chapman opened
The case by reading the complaint and
recouDting what the state expected to
prove, as follows:
:. Ezra z. Smith removed from Addi-
son to Vergennes four or five years ago
with his wife, son and daughter, and to
all appearances, lived happily with his
family. Sometime last spring, or win
ter, an intimacy grew up between him
and Mrs. Chainplin, who lived in the
next house to his in Vcrgennes. This
criminal intimacy continued during the
summer. until after the death of Mrs
Smith, when they were arrested in
Burlington, the 10Th day of October
Mrs. Smith was taken sick the 81 day
of August, and died the 18th day of
August. On the Sd day of August.
Smith gave his wife glass Of lager
beer and she was Immediately seized
with a fit of vomiting which continued
six days. She was attended by Mrs.
Stewart, Mrs. Scgur and Mrs. Warner,
but Mrs. Champlin was constant visi-
tor and acted as nurse most Of the time.
Saturday evening DR.. Arthur advised
giving her beef tea. and between nine
and ten o'clock she took three teas
spoonf'uls, and when she took the last
complained that it tasted bitter. AT
twelve O'Clock the next day, she died
Smith was in bed in the chamber. and
II.
and was asked to go for the doctor. but
refused. and did not get up till five in
the morning. When asked to 90 for
the doctor, he replied that he hoped he
might never see his wife again. The
state will show, from letters and con-
fessions Of Smith, that there has been
criminal intimacy between him and
Mrs. Champlin. On the 9Th day of
September, Smith went to Burlington
where he was joined by Mrs. Champin
and then went with her to Lawrence,
n. Y, and stopped at the Union House.
where they hired carriage and drove
to Nicholville; there Smith left Mrs.
Champlin and went to Canton and STAY
ed week. He then met Mrs. Cham
pin and took her to Port Kent the 18th
of September. They walked from the
station three or four miles to Mrs.
Champlin's fathers, and had criminal
intercourse on the way. The next
day, September 90 Smith came home.
Mrs. Smiths relatives suspecting foul
play, caused the body to be examined
Sept. "a, and portions of it to be taken
to Burlington for analysi by Prof. Pc
ter Collier. A few days afterwards, at
Prof. Golfers request the body was
again disinterrcd and the entire visccra
were sent to him for analysis. AS re-
suit of the analysis an appreciate
amount of arsenic was discovered.
brother-in-law of Mrs. Champln' :
living with her in Vergenncs, bought
an ounce of arsenic of Sheldon in Mid
dlebury,to use in stufling birds, and kept
it In box in the house. The family all
knew ii was there, and Smith was Il
constant visitor to Champlin's house and
knew about the arsenic. Half of il was
used in stuffing bird, and after the an
alysis less than half an ounce was found
in the box. Smith expressed great re-
luctance TO see his wife disintcrred in
letter which he wrote to Mrs. Champlin
Sept. 81, and in all his letters manifest
ed great anxiety. The 18th of October
he wrote TO Prof. Collier. Offering mon
ey to induce him to make a favorable
report, and this letter was found on his
body when arrested. He requested
Sheriff Drew to see Collier, and made
various offers of money to Prof. Collier
TO stop the analysis and to destroy the
parts of the body. He wrote n letter
and gave it to Burroughs, the principal
witness, in which he offered $500 for
favorable report of the analysis. The
9Th day of October he offered DR.. Kid
der sum of money to go to Burlington,
to cause an arrest of the analysis. lie
showed constant indifiei ence to his wife
during her sickness, and refused offers
of nursing from the neighbors. The Sd
day of August, he said that his wife
could not get well, but did not notify
her relatives of her illness, and they
heard of it only by accident Friday, two
days before her death. The attendant
the physicians and the chemist will tes-
tify that Mrs. Smith had symptoms DUR
Ing her sickness and death of arsenic
poison.
After the completion of the states at
torney's statement the court took re-
cess until two O'Clock in the afternoon.
At the opening of the afternoon ses-
sion of the court, the counsel for the de-
Tense required all the witnesses ex-
cluded from the room except while tes-
tifyiDg, this measure being statutory
right. Professor Collier, being sum-
moned only as an expert, was not ex-
cluded.
The first witness called was Mrs. Ed
ward Gorham, who testified that she
lived In Addison; Mrs. Smith was her
sister; Smith and wife moved TO YER
gennes four years ago last spring; was
with Mrs. Smith Thursday before she
died and stayed till Friday night, when
Mrs. Smith was better; was there again
Saturday till ten o'clock at night; was
there when she died, the 18th of August;
she was buried the following Tuesday.
Cross-examined: First time she was
there, remembered that Mrs. Warner,
Airs. Fisher, Mrs. Stewart, Mrs. Cham
pin, Mrs. Bristol, Mrs. Collins, Mrs.
Hindes and Mrs. Strong were present;
did not have sole care of her sister at
this time; on Sunday remembered that
Mr.. Smiths brother, his wife and
daughter were present, also her father
and Mr.. Segur and his wife; understood
her disease was cholera morbus; was
apparently very sick: was about llfiy-
three years old when she died.
n. A,,hu. ta,t;0oJ. Daa;lo q,