The Newtown bee., 1895-01-25

The trial of Miss Kate Hurley, accused l by Edward s. Lowell of arson in the at- tempt at burning of his dwelling house on | the afternoon and evening of December | 29, was started at the Town hall on last | morning at 10 o'clock, before | Justice Hobart B. Camp. A large num- Der were in attendance at the hall to be present at the hearing and j st before | the time for the court to open Miss Hur- ley, the accused came into the hall. She was accompanied by her father, Thomas Hurley, and her sisters, Mrs John Hu d and Miss Della Hurley. Grouped aroDnd the registers, for the Town hall was so cold that it even made the lawyers shiver, were Attorneys Beecher and Garfield, who appear for the state, and Attorney William H. Williams, and his stenograph- for the accused. There was nasty gathering of chairs and settees, which were placed as near the heaters as pos sible, and Justice Camp opened the court for the hearing.
 To the charge of arson made in the complaint Miss Hurley was put to plea and promptly responded Not guilty" The witnesses in the case present were all requested to stand and receive the oath.
 MT Lowell was first called,to the stand. His testimony was substantially as fol- lows: That he had lived in Newtown for five years on the 20Ch day of March, about oue-half mile below the Street. That he was away from home on De cember %, leaving on the s o'clock train, December 28, and returning home on tn Sunday evening train, December 30
 That at that time his family consisted ot his wife, three children, Emily II year. old, Flora 9, and Edna 2 l2, Miss Kate Hurley, the dome tic, ,and two hired men,
 'ohn Breslin and John Steingart. That Mrs Lovells health was poor and that the last time she went up stairs, to his knowledge, was in October, she being physically unable to go up or down stairs. Mir Lowell was then called upon to eX
 
 house, especially the rooms where fire | was discovered, and the rooms in which the family lived, describing their con tents. He was called on to explain furth- CT that five-gallon can of oil was kept | in the northeast corner of the cellar
 under the faucet of which was kept tin
 cup. John Breslin worked for him and l took his meals at the house, but did not
 stay in the house nights, but went to his home. He had known Kate Hurley for
 about three years. Had been employed | by him as domestic for about two years
 off and on, but was discharged last | March because of unsatisfactory service,
 and he judged from her acGions that she didn't like if, and that when he returned | on the 30th she was not at his house.
 Heexplained that when formerly employ | I'd by him she ate with the family but
 since her return, about l2 days before
 he fire, she had not eaten with the fam fly, she preferring not to.
 Attorney Williams then cross examin- l ed the witness for the accused, and his | reputation in this line is well known. A
 recess was taken for few moments, ,dur- ing which time MT Lowell put on paper a l plan of the house, up stairs and down. 1 The plans completed the cross examina-
 tion brought out the additional facts that l MT Lowell came to Newtown from West | Cornwall, where he had lived for one \ year on small farm belonging to an uncle, and before this time he had lived | on his fathers farm in Sharon. That he
 came to Newtown and bought the place
 here, and that the house was insured for | $1200 and the contents for $500. He con- \ sidered the house worth about $2500 and
 thought the insurance was about half l value. The furniture in the house was
 the same as when they first moved there.
 He further explained regarding the ser
 vices of Miss Hurley and of her discharge
 because of unsatisfactory work, last | March, of wages paid, $l0 with l washing and $8 without, of her coming to the house during
 the fall expressing willingness to come
 back if they wanted her, and of the re-
 engaging of her on Sunday night, two weeks previous to the fire, and of her changed actions after her discharge in March, It was now 12 30, and court at \ this point adjourned for dinner, to com
 mence again at } o'clock in the afternoon
 at the home of Mir Lowell to take Mrs Lovell's testimony, she being unable to come to the Town hall. Mrs Loyells testimony was substantially that her full name was Ella F. Lowell, wife of IS. Low ell, and that she had lived in her home here for the past five years. That Wr Lowell went away from home on Friday. That she was not physically able to go up or down stairs. That she took dinner on the day of the fire at the table in the dinning room with her three children, John Breslin and John Steingart at little after 12 o'clock and finished the meal at about l. That she sat at the south end of the table with the window to her right, which commanded view of the sink room and kitchen. That after dinner the children were sent out sliding. and she went to the kitchen to get water for bath, but didn't notice that Kate had done any of the work that should have been done. That after she had finished the bath the children came in and she went into her room to lie down. That soon afterward she heard the Ger man, John Steingart, calling and started to go out to see what was the matter. and at the same time Kate Hurley came