St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1877-09-21
The Hayden Murder Trial.
TESTIMONY.

Lie may ucA unuIuSI 4Ildl.
TESTIMONY.
Charles P. Brigham, Esq, of Derby
Line, attorney, brother-in-law of Mrs.
Hayden, testified that on the day of the
he noticed that Hayden had been drink
ing. Hayden asked me if | approved
of his wife not going to live again with
him, as they had not lived together for
some time; replied that his wife was
able to judge for herself; | should not
i terfere; Hayden said he wanted TO
see his wife; | told him l had no OBJ
jections to his seeing her when in Il
proper condition; the door opened and
his wife came out Hayden spoke to
her he wanted her to consent to a pri
vate interview she objected, stating
that she had nothing private to talk
about l think Hayden gave her a pho
tOgraph here; they shook hands, kissed
each other and parted, he saying he
would see her again. Hayden said he
would go and lie down. | then left him
and returned to my room was there a
few moments when Mr.. Hanson raped
at my door. / went there, and from
what Hanson told me put myself on
my guard. In few moments | heard
steps in the hall recognized them as
Hayden's. l opened the door and met
Hayden at the foot of the stairs, and
he rather ran up against me. | didn't
move, and Hayden remarked pleasant
| ly there was no use trying to go through
me, saying he wanted to enter the room
where his wife was. l told him he had
promised to go to sleep. He asked
what | was afraid of. | told him moth
ing in particular, only he was not in the
proper condition. Hayden asked me
if was afraid he would shoot his wife !;
told him | didn't know. He then said !:
II couldn't if would, have no arms"
Hayden then, turning towards the door,
said he proposed to see his wife, and
said | would regret l had objected to
his seeing her. He then went away a
few steps, drew pistol, and covered
me; | saw it was not cooked, but be-
fore knew anything he fired; the ball
struck me on the right side and lodged
under the skin of the backbon have
an indistinct recollection of what after
ward happened l think | staggered
for chair on the piazza; | then heard
| another shot and a scream; | aroused
up, rushed into my sitting room, and
saw Hayden over his wife; she was on
the floor, reclining her arm on chair,
her back toward him; Hayden's right
hand, holding the weapon, was about
two feet from her; saw the flash, and
Just as the weapon flashed | came down
on him and we fell together got hold
of the pistol think / had my knee on
his body; l felt weak; Hayden said,
''Look out, the pistol is cooked :"
struggled to get it, he making efforts to
shoot me some one reached over and
got the pistol from Hayden recogniz-
ed the party as Messrs. Dudley and
Curran l rose up and had strength
enough to get out of the room; Mrs.
Hayden was upon the floor us | passed
out she had moved from the position
she was in when she was shot the second
time don't know where Hayden went.
Mrs. Brigham, sister of the deceased,
testified that on one occasion Hayden
said that if his wife was too obstinate
he would shoot her; | told him | would
inform my brother, and he said he
would shoot him too, saying that they
could not hang him for it. Hayden said:
} "Didn't you know my father died in an
insane asylum ?" l replied | had heard
, so; "Well," he said, 81 can be so any
time" Hayden came there three times
!, on the 30th to see his wife, and urged
her to go into room alone with him
He asked where she got her new dress,
remarking, ''yOu can go around, having
| all you can to eat and drink, and enjoy
yourself: have nothing can't stand
, it, and l won't. l told him he ought to
/ feel proud she could do that he re-
piled, 81 don't because she ought to
grub it with me-" He referred again to
, the furniture, and asserted he would le-
/ gally claim his share of it. She told
} him she had given him all she had
: Hayden had nearly all his wife's prop
, erty, amounting to about forty thou
: sand dollars. Hayden said he had nc
friends now, as his money was all gone
Hayden asked why she was so firm in
2 her refusal to return with him, asking
} if she was influenced by her friends
She said no. Hayden said: "YOu know
l never pointed a revolver at you un.
D less l was drunk" She replied: .'And
; you know that you have pointed one al
s me great many times" She said i
s she had the health or wish to return tC
D him she had not the courage. Hayder
t asked her if she thought he would xii
S her. She replied: "YOu know yor
q have threatened often"
= She asked him why he could not &C
3 away and give her quiet. Hayden re-
: piled she never could have it, and ht
: would dog her steps to the grave. Sh,
| then told him if he would go away, re
# form, be honest and provide an humble
: home, no matter how humble, sh,
t would go and live with him; but sh,
a thought he never could reform. M!
e sister asked him if he had ever repeated
Z; the prayer she wrote him, and he an
d swered no he wanted me to leave th,
S room he told me l should go out; tina
It he had revolver in his pocket for boil
IS of us Hayden asked if was afraid b.
! would shoot Gertrude refused to g