Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1898-04-21

writer advised that Anna Wheeler
cease her relations with Jack as he
was of bad character. They were
signed Montpelier Citizen" and
"Your East Montpelier Friend"
DEFENCE OPENS.
At this point the state rested. Fred
III. Highley, called by the defense,
testified that he is the respondents
| first cousin. The witness mother,
who was the respondents mothers
sister, committed suicide by taking
poison. She was considered insane.
The respondents grandfather cut his
throat with razor in what was called
fit of insanity.
Z. A. Mutt testified that on the goth
day of May he visited the scene OF the
tragedy and interviewed Jack Wheel
er. Mr.. Mutt at the time made short
hand notes of Mr.. Wheeler's state
ments that he had never paid Miss
Brewster any attention and had never
fancied her, but she had often thrust
herself upon him. viii j. Taft,
Frank Bean, George DE Long and
Benjamin Hanks, all OF Huntington,
testified as to certain acts of the re-
sp0ndent, from which they became
convinced that she was insane, but
their testimony, under cross-exami-
nation. would not hold water. War
rem Morse and Eugene Cooney of
Burlington knew the respondent in
that city. They didn't think much
about her peculiarities at the time.
Afterwards they considered her mem
tally unsound. Mrs. Caroline Shat
tuck kept boarding house in Bur-
lington and the respondent lived with
her while she was there at school. The
witness thought she was very pc
culiar girl, though at that time she
had no thought of her being insane.
Had known respondent to lock her.
self in her room for several days, eat
ing nothing. She considered her an
obstinate, headstrong girl. A. Is.
Small, the respondents uncle, testi-
fled to insanity in the family aud to
the respondents pcculiarities.
Lawrence and John Mcmahon tes-
titled to boarding in the same family
with the respondent. They thought
and remarked at the time that she
was not in a sound mental condition.
John Mcmahon saw her on the street
with Jack Wheeler at IL o'clock one
night when she seemed to be pleading
with him. w. A. Shay in cross-ex-
animation told of the respondent get
ting angry with him and threatening
to strike him with large pair of
shears when he visited the tailoring
establishment where she was en-
ployed, and later she threw the shears
at him. He admitted that at the
time he thought that was an exhibit
ton of her temper rather than Of in
sanity. Mary O'Neil testified that the
respondent went to her sisters to en-
gage board. She told the witness she
ate but one meal a day, and she could
not afford to pay much for food. The
witness was positive that the respond
ent ate but one meal and that she did
not buy food to eat in her room dur
ing Lent. just before the tragedy
Juc itSpolucut ucLltu Hciotil dituoch
everything in the way of food. She
told the witness she was going to fast
through that Lent. The witness had
heard the respondent say she was not
going to live great while. In the
fall of 1896, one Saturday afternoon,
the respondent stopped working, went
home and dressed herself in her best.
clothes and came back to the shop.
She appeared wild moment later.
She rushed toward the window and
threw herself on the floor in front OF
it, making a distressing noise. A
moment later the respondent got up
laughing and asked the girls if they
thought she was going to jump out of
the window. The day before the
tragedy she told the witness some
thing was going to occur that would
shock her and that it would happen
that night or the next morning. This
day Thursday was the last Mildred
Brewster worked. She was excited
and wild all day and finally threw
down her work and said she would
do no more. The witness admitted
on cross-examination that the re-
pondent told her she got her break
fast and suppers in her own room.
Jack Wheeler, recalled, testified
that he did not remember whether he
told Patrick Carey last June that he
thought Mildred Brewster was in
trouble. Patrick Carey testified that
Jack Wheeler told him last June that
he thought such was the fact. Mrs.
Minnie Town, Frank Town and AL
bert Snow, all of Jonesville, testified
as to the respondents peculiar appear
ance in the spring of 1894. They
considered her mentally. unsound.
Frank Briggs testified to the peculiar
mental condition of the respondents
grandfather and mother. Mrs. Hat
tie Hanks testified in regard to the
respondents loud and boisterous be-
havior when she went from Montpel-
sor. 10 - offand a danan