Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1877-11-23
The Terg,nBfs Poisoning Case.
PRELIMINARY EXAMINATION OF SMITH AND MRS.
CHAAPLIN.

PRELIMINARY EXAMINATION or SMITH AND MRS.
CHAAPLIN.
MIDDLEBuRY, November 20.
The long deferred examination of Deacon
Ezra P. Smith and Mrs. Z. j. Chapplin
commenced this forenoon. before Justice L
E. Knapp, at the court house GeorgeR
Chapman, States Attorney; j. W. Stewart,
W. &. Veazey and Fred E. Woodbridge,
appeared for the State; j. Ii. Lucia and
Henry Ballard, FOR Deacon Smith and E.
X. Hard. for Mrs. Champlin. For a long
time before the hour set for the trial the
sidewalks and street in front Of the court
house were full OF people. who had come
from all parts of the county to hear this
probably the most important case which
has occurred in Middleb urY for a number Of
years. if ever.
Stato's Attorney Chapman began by read
ing the compla int against the prisoners,
charging them with poisoning Mrs. Cor
della Smith, on July 18th last, at Vergennes.
Mr.. Chapman said they expected to show
that Smith became intimate with Mrs
Champlin last Spring at VergeDnes that
the intimacy was continued until after the
death of Mrs. Smith and that upon August
81, last. Mrs. Smith drank lager beer and
was Immediately seized with vomiting. and
also that Mrs. Champlin WAS III attendance
| upon Mrs. Smith. a few days thereafter
Mrs Smith grew worse, and when Smith $
wife was lying at the point Of death, Smith
was in bed. When notified of the prcc4ri-
Gus condition Of his vile, Smith said be
hoped he should never see her again. Mr..
Chapman occupied some time in demon
strating what the State would show in the
case, including the movements of tho prs
oners, both singly and together. criminal
intimacy between them, production of tho
letters written by both prisoners, the letters
written to the Professor by Smith Offering
bride to dcss, from making an analysis Oi
his wiie's stomach and many other ellega
tions upon the part OF the State against the
prisoners. 1t then being nearly noon the
court took recess until 2 o'clock p. III =,
before commencing the examination of the
witnesses.
Mrs. Edwin German. of Addison, 81 sttr
of Mrs. Smith, was tho first witness ex-
amined. She had been with Mrs Smith
but little during her sickness and her testi
mony was mainly confined to the general
facts OF Mrs Smiths case
The next witness. DR.. A. A. Arthur. a
homeopathic physician Who attended Mrs.
Smith during her sickness. stated that he
called Mrs. Smiths case a case of cholera
mOrbus with Inflammation of the stomach
that he thought her symptoms curious and
could not account for them. lie thought
her symptoms were, to some extent, the
symptoms of person poisoned with
arsenic.
DR.. Hopkins was called ard testified that
he was called to consult with DR.. Arthur
and Dr. Kidder about Mrs Smith 8 case, and
confirmed DR.. Arthur's statement.
Dr. Kidder was then called and testified
to the same facts that Or. Arthur did
lie thought that the remains, when olsen
TERED, appeared as though death had been
produced by poison.
Prof Collier testified that he found and
weighed " grain of arsenic and probably
90 grains was contained in the intestines
sent him Tor analysis.
Trial adjourned to tomorrow at 10 a. m.