Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1898-04-21
INSANE OR NOT !?
THAT THE VITAL QUESTION IN
THE BREWSTER TRIAL.

The State Rests its Case After ar
Effort to Prove Premeditation.-
A Cloud OF Witnesses Testify t.
the "Queerness" of the Respond.
euf. --Jack Wheeler's Infamy Made
Piain.--A Long Trial Promised.
At the resumption of the Brewster
trial last week Monday afternoon
Joseph Rogers was the first witness
called by the state.
lie testified that in October, 1896,
he roomed with Jack Wheeler ut MIR.
Goodenough's. The respondent
roomed at the same pla;e. He had
seen them together few times and
had heard the respondent say that
Jack should never marry Anna
Wheeler, and that if she 1.-THE respond
emil could not marry him she would
marry nobody. Later the respondent
told the witness that she would soon
be revenged upon Wheeler, and upon
etill another occasion told him that
something terrible would happen in
the spring. The witness was at the
home OF Jack Wheeler when the
shooting occurred and helped carry
Anna to the house; afterwards he
went to the Mcbride house and de-
stroyed the note which was found in
Mildred's room addressed to Mcbride.
The letters which were addressed TO
Mrs. Luther Wheeler, Wesley Brews-
ter and TO Miss Nicholson he made
into a package and hid under
the attic floor. Six months after Mr..
Lord asked for them and he gave
them to MIN. The same afternoon he
opened the letter which was directed
to Jack Wheeler in Jacks presence.
He saw there were 26 pages, but after
he read two or three pages he tore it
up and put it in the closet. On cross
examination the witness said he had
known Jack to leave the room which
he shared with the witness and go TO
the respondents room and stay an
hour or two. He had seen the re-
spondent lying on the bed in Jacks
room, and when she went back to her
room Jack followed her.
Rosa Chimney testified to threats
made by the respondent in her pres
ence. Mrs. Julia DE Colaine testified
that the respondent became acquaint-
ed with Jack Wheeler in April, 1896;
that he visited her several times a
week until the witness and respond
ent went 10 Northfield, and while
they were there on one occasion he
staid until midnight. The witness
knew Wheeler visited the respondent
after they came back to Montpelier.
Jack Wheeler, the man in the case,
was next called. He said he became
acquainted with the respondent two
years ago on Easter Sunday. lie visit
ed her at different times before and
after she went to Northfield and
while she was there, and began hav-
ing intimate relations with her week
after he first met her. The intimacy
continued until he went to Montreal
in December, 1896. The witness had
known Anna Wheeler before he met
the respondent, and when he came
back from Montreal he told the re-
spondent he was engaged to Anna
Wheeler. Under Mr.. Lords cross
examination the witness said he
thought he "kept company" with the
respondent for about six weeks. He
went with her after that, but she
knew he was not keeping company
with her. He never promised to mar
ny the respondent, but thought he did
make love to her little. AT the time
he was going to see Miss Brewster
after she came back from Mortified
he was also visiting Anna Wheeler.
The respondent told him she loved
him, but he did not care for her,
though he was willing to go to her
room and she was willing to have
him. The respondent told him that
through her intimacy with him she
was about to become a mother. lie
did not remember what he said TO the
respondent, but did not advise her in
regard to procuring an abortion. He
did not believe her story in regard to
her condition, although he knew
there had been opportunity for that
condition TO exist.
During all the time that Wheeler
was giving this testimony Miss Brews-
ter was sobbing SO that she could be
heard all over the court room, but not
once did she look toward the witness
box. Mrs. Luther Wheeler, mother
of the murdered girl, testified in re-
gard to the receipt of anonymous let
tiers by Anna Wheeler and herself,
and to the death of her daughter in
the hospital.
! William A. Lord, counsel for the
defense, was called by the state Tues
day. Mr.. Lord said that all papers
of every kind and all information re-
ceived by him since that day had
been received as the respondents
counsel. The note found by Sheriff
Bancroft in the respondents bureau
drawer was then read to the jury by
States ATTORNEY Rowland, 1t was as