The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1896-12-18
MONTPELIER.

There will be an all day meeting in
the Evangelical church at Montpelier
Christmas day. All services in charge
of the pastor N. M. Shaw. It's some
expected that Mr.. Shaw will engage in
revival meetings in Canada in the near
future.
The time in Washington County court
was nearly all occupied last week in TIE
case of state VS. Martin and Sarah Nokes
of Worcester for the alleged crime OF
murder The testimony OF the state VIII
nesses tended to show that one Eillill
Jones, girl of seventeen years OF age
an illeoitimate child last June, and 1t is
alleged that Martin Nokes was the tather
of said child DR.. Lance OF Wor-
cester attended the girl in her con,
finement and swore that the child to al
appearance was u full term child ana III
a healthy condition at birth and was awe
when he left the house subsequent TO
confinement which was about midnight
on the 18th of June. 1t also appeared pV
the testimony of Mrs. Nokes that she
found the child dead in an hour or two
after the doctor left and requested her
husband to bury it, which he did about
three O'Clock in the morning OF the Fun,
in the bottom of the bay at the barn with
some rags wrapped around 1T IN hole
which he dug about IA inches deep, ana
putting the body into the hole without
any coffin or box and that he trod the
earth down upon it. 1t soon became
known by the neighbors that there was
no baby in the house and they suspected
something wrong. The authorities were
notified and the selectmen and overseer
of the poor went there to investigate the
matter and were informed by the respon-
dents that it was none OF their business
what had become of the child as the town
would be to no expense IN It's support,
the respondents claiming that they had
given it away and it had a good home.
The authorities insisted that they must
be satisfied of that fact or they should
proceed to investigate. Finally Nokes
admitted that the child was dead ana
went with one of the selectmen and over
seer and showed them where 1T was buried,
They disihterred the body and summoned
DIR. Chandler and DR.. Bisbee of Montpe,
lier to make an autopsy which they did
on the 22d of June, They testified. that
they performed an autopsy and found
the right and left parietal bones frac,
tured and crushed with quite large BLOOD
clots between the scalp and the, bones
with no external wounds. They also eX,
amined all the internal organs and founo
them in healthy and normal condition
the lungs had been filled with air whlcl
was evidence that the child had breathed
and they thought the crushing OF the
skull occasioned the death of the
child. Soon after the autopsy the
respondents were arrested and com
mitted to Jail subsequently Mrs. Nokef
was allowed to return home on her Owl
recognizance. The grand jury found a
joint indictment against them for the
murderin the first degree. The case was
very ably tried, Z. S. Stanton and FREQ
Rowland appearing for the state ant
Fred Laird and Shurtletf for respondent
Judge Ross gave very impartial charge
detining the difference between murder
in the first and second degree and man
slaughter. The case was given to the
jury at 5.45 Friday evening and they re-
turned to the court room at $50 same
evening with verdict of manslaughter,
exceptions were taken and the case ap-
pealed to supreme court.