Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1890-03-28
CASWELL ON TRIAL.
THE MONT PELlER MURDERER IN
WASHINGTON COUNTY COURT.
The Court Sits with Closed Doors-The
People Flock from the Surrounding
Country-Incidents of the Crime
Rehearsed.

MONTPELIER, March 24.-Court assem-
bled at 2 p m. to-day and work was begun
on the case of State VS.. James Sherman
Caswel. The court room MAS crowded
with spectators, the standing room in the
aisles being taken up and many we're oblig-
ed to stand IN the hall and peer through
the doorway. 1t took nearly three hours
TO empanel the jury, who are Royal W
Clark of Mortified, James Cameron of
Middlesex, f. Z. Bowman of Roxbury, A.
c. Reed of Barre, $. B. Blodgett of Cabot,
William Ba tes of Waitsfied, l.. NJ. Bruce
of Middesex, j. L. Gleason of Warren, a.
NJ. Benjamin of Woodbury., c. o. Eastman
of Calais, j. w. Sleeper of Waterbury,
John \. Ennis of Marshfcld
There were 90 men excused for not being
qualified. In regard to objections of re
| spondent's counsel to men on the jury who
had formed opinion, from reading newspa-
per reports of the circumstances of the mur-
der at the time of its happening, the Judge
said: "lf we Were to exclude all men who
read newspaper. from the jury box, we
would have pretty poor jury and he
thought no man could read paper without
forming some slight opinion. The officers
sworn in to take charge of the jury are f.
! II Atherton, j. l.. Tuttle and Frank Mar
| tin
The counsel are, for state, $. G. Shurt-
lett of Montpelier, assisted by J. p. Lam
son of Cabot and f. l.. Laird of Montpelier:
for respondent, John G. Wing, W. a. Lord
and II. a. Huso of Montpelier.
Casweli looks in good health, but is well
whitened out by his long confinement in
/ Jail. While i'll court he kept his eyes fixed
on the floor, and amused himself by chew
ing quill toothpck.
One point claimed by counsel for respon-
dent was that indictment could not be made
to come under the first degree.
The many reports still continued about
town that Caswel and Mrs. Gould were
last week secretly married through the
bars, to prevent her testifying in court.
! are all are raise.
The first three days were occupied in
hearing evidence and large number Of
witnesses were examined.
Mr.. George Gould. aged IS, wife of the
murdered man, said She married George Oh
September I, leaving home for that pur-
! pose about . Il. m. same daV: tnay
returned between II and IL a.
m., September ): George went for tue
to build fire for dinner: after taking oil
coat and changing hat she heard sunsnor
and screams; ran to stairway door ana
said to Caswel you have shot George,
( but he did not answer; She then went out
doors saw blood and kiudiing on stops: tn,
gun Wa- her fathers and was kept in tha
stairway, Casweil had the use of it: Cas-
well knew she Was to marry Could and did
not want her TO. and had sand she woulu
not lCnS live with him: CasWeI hal been
paid wages for work there part Of tin,
time since her father died; hnj the selling
oil of produce, and c~ned two horses there
In tn. cross-eX@mnution he said a,well hal
lived there some % wears drank some, but
not a, bad last fail n previously; there had
been talk of marriage between CasWcll and
herself when her father was alive and hC
opposed it: there wa, not time since hcI
| fathers death when CaoWell would not
marry her, and on her last birthday Jun,
-. had presented her with a dress whci
he supposed would be her wedding dress
She admitted she had had reia ions OF a vile
TO ii husband, with CasWeli since 1861 unti
last summer. which was kn wn to Gould
there was only one gun on the premises
she mad seen Caswell load it week or II
days before the murder, and he said he wa
loading it to Snoot a squirrel; she had made
four OF five visits to CaSWell in jail.