Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1897-04-01
The Marsh Murder Case.
The Progress Made in the Third
Week Ofthe Trial. State Finishes the
Case. The Defense Begun.

ETUSIt>c thC A@t -
Week Ofthe Trial. State Finishes the
Case. The Defense Begun.
The third week of this interesting
case completed finds the states case
finished and the defense began to put
in testimony Thursday. The case
will probably go to the jury Thursday
or Friday. Last Monday afternoon
Mrs. Bishop, matron of the local jail,
was the first witness. She testified
that Mrs. Marsh had sent notes TO Buzz
zell often since their incarceration. In
one of these notes witness said Mrs.
Marsh wrote that she had heard that
BuzZell was to turn states evidence
and asked him not to go back on her.
Witness called the attention of Jailer
Dudley to the note and he said she
might deliver it. Thought that she
had delivered five notes in all to Buzz
~ II.
e.. A. Durham of Enfield, n. H.,
testified that he was a veterinary dem
fist and stopped at the Marsh resi-
dence at one time. He testified as to
conversation between himself and
Mrs. Marsh. Mrs. Marsh asked him
what he thought of the kind of life
she was leading. She said she was
tired of it and thought she would put
NJ arsh out of the way. She asked how
much arsenic it would take TO kill a
man. She said she had contemplated
poisoning Marsh for about two years.
Witness had written a prescription
for horse of Marsh's, one Of the in
gradients being arsenic.
S. p. George testified TO converse
ton he had with Mrs. Marsh in regard
to her reported marriage with Buzzell.
Mrs. Marsh was anxious to know IL
there was any truth in the report that
Buzzell was to be married, saying
that Marsh had made considerable fuss
about him coming there, but that he
was always welcome.
Charles c. Gauthier of Mortified
testified that Buzzell lad worked in
his blacksmith shop and had admitted
intimate relations with Mrs. Marsh.
Tuesday morning the first witness
was j. c. Houghton, vice-president of
the National Life Insurance company,
as an expert in chirography, who
stated that notes shown him were
written by the same person.
f. K. Derby of Mortified identified
check payable to Marsh's order, is
sued from the creamery. +. W. Fer
rim of the Montpelier Savings bank
identified letters previously identified
by Houghton. G.. w. Dustin of Ber-
lin testified as administrators that the
Marsh estate was worth about $1,000.
DIR. j. ii. Linsley of Burlington tes-
titled in regard TO the post norton
examination and described the condi-
ton of the different organs. He said
he found no conditions of the body |
Inconsistent with arsenical poisoning. |
Witness stated that in his opinion the
cause of Marsh's death was arsenical
poisoning. His examination was then
suspended.
The mother of the alleged muir
dered man was next called. She is
SO years old and had to be assisted to |
the witness stand. She told of occur
rences in the Marsh house after the
death of her son and the conduct of |
respondents, relating portions of their
conversation which indicated that i'm
proper relation EXISTED between them. |
DR.. Linsley was recalled and differ
ent parts of the stomach which he ex-
amined were shown TO the jury. The
doctor thought that the condition of
Marsh's health before he died might |
have caused such an appearance. The |
remainder of bis testimony was
strictly technical Prof. +. j. Bart |
lett of Hanover. n. H., was called and
told of making an examination of the |
stomach and discovering a white sub
stance which proved to be arsenic.
Wednesday morning Prof. Bartlett
was recalled and continued his descrip-
tons of the methods employed by him
in his examination. Among the parts
Of the body that he examined were
the stomach, brain, kidneys, intes-
tines, fluid in intestines and stomach,
and parts of tissues of different parts
of the body. In all portions that he
examined he found white arsenic.
Ill lut ODu1 lbb
milligrams. The parts of the body he
examined weighed ll-l0O pounds.
The entire morning session was taken
up with DIR. Bartlett's testimony. The
witness said that person might be
poisoned by arsenic and in post-mor-
tenn examination no traces of arsenic
could be found on account of the poi
son being eliminated from the body |
by absorption, tears or vomiting. Ii is
impossible from such an examination |
to tell how much arsenic person has
taken. lie said that death might re-
suit from arsenical poisoning from
five hours to six days, on an average
in Ii hours.
The circumstances of the death OF |
George II. Marsh were related in de-
tail to Prof. Bartlett and also the re-
suit of the microscopic and chemical |
analysis rehearsed and witness was |
asked what in his opinion was the
cause of death. To this counsel OBJ
jected and were allowed an exception.
Witness stated that ''from the circum-