Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1897-07-23

Did the Kest.
The most important trial Greenfield has
known for years began Monday, when
John O'Neil was called to plead to an in
dictment charging him with the murder of
Mrs. Hattie McCloud at auckland, Jan. :,
last.
Mrs. McCloud was the daughter of G. D.
Crittenden, retired lumber dealer of
Buckland, and a woman of refinement,
who, having been left a widow by the
death of her husband in a railroad acct
dent, maintained herself and her young
daughter, by giving music lessons. On the
night of the murder Mrs. McCloud, who
lived near her fathers house at point
about three-quarters of a mile from the
village of Shelburne Falls, had visited sew
eral stores on business and started to walk
home. When She did not reach there dur
ing the night, Mr.. Crittenden began 10
search for her and her murdered body,
frozen by the winters cold, was found w.
ing some 30 feet or more from the roadside,
loss than 20 rods from the home TO which
she was going
The medical examination showed that
the woman had been brutally strangled TO
death 4 small sum of money had been
taken from her, and when it was learned
that on the same night Jack O'Neil had
funds in plenty, an unheard of thing, the
suspicious Of the police were directed to
him. O'Neil was arrested Jan. y. and al
ter a hearing, at which he was held for the
grand jury, the latter body, sitting in spe-
cal session, found an indictment for muir
der.
Chief Justice Mason of Brookline and
Judges Fessenden of Greenfield and Shell
lpt, g 10 nst -, tu,-
ney General Knowlton, District Attorney
| Hammond and +. F. Greene of Greenfield
are counsel for the commonwealth, and C..
j. Parkhurst, f. G. Dowlin and f. II.
| Beer of North Adams appear for the ac-
cused.
The witnesses are excluded from the
court room until called upon to give their
testimony.
Hundreds of spectators were present be.
fore the opening of the court. A special
venire of 100 men, from which the Jury
was to be selected, were present from all
over the county.
The entire morning session was devoted
to the selection of jurors. The venire was
well used up before the choice of u was
completed. The defence entered obiec.
tions to jurors from auckland and Shell.
! burne.
The jury as chosen is as follows: j. F,
! Davenport, Colrain; c. L. Stebbins, Deer
| field; j. d. Porter, Orange; II. II. Hamil
ton, Montague; +. c. Bartlett, Orange: S
w. Weatherhead, Northfeld w. n
| Washburn, Greenfield; II. W. Hale
Greenfield; B. +. Bond, Orange; V. w
Bardwell, Whately; c. f. Smith, Lev,
erett; w. L. Harris, Deerfeld W. \.
! Washburn was chosen foreman of the iury
The jury having been sworn in the in
dctment was read, to which O'Neil pleaded
mot guilty." and the court adjourned un
til 2:3O At that hour the jury and coun
sci left to visit the scene of the murder al
auckland
The taking of testimony began Tuesday
1t was a slow day, being given largely L
the medical experts, who told what they
saw upon the body and at the autopsy
The sum and substance of it all was thai
the woman was assaulted and murdered by
strangulation. The only thing to inter
rupt the tameness of the heavy proceed
ings was the fainting of Sanford w
Weatherhead, of Mortified, one of tn,
jurors. This man is the village smith anC
OF good physique, but he has a sensitive
nature, and the vivid description of thu
autopsy and the tale of such bloody inves
| hiS"NiSho was wv luNlGn lOI hin.
The medical testimony was corroboratef
by the lay evidence of w. S. Ball, brother
in-law of the murdered woman, Edwin
Baker, representing the father, and w. A
johnson, an undertaken l. T. Mallory
Edward Morrissey, Emerson Griswold
Ambrose Stone and John T. Avery testi
fed in the same general way about seeing
the body on the ground and what the at
tendant conditions were.
The testimony of the third day wa
largely by Mr.. and Mrs. Crittenden, tn,
aged parents of the murdered woman, anC
by Miss Viola Crttenden, sister. 1t re
lated to the finding of the body, and tn,
money which Mrs. McCloud carried
Among the other witnesses was Mrs. Nc
Clouds young daughter.
Anna f. Morse said that she was down
town on the afternoon of the murder, anC
saw Mrs. McCloud. In the evening wit
ness went out, and on her way home wa
followed by man, dressed in a heav,
overcoat with the collar turned up. Wit