The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1898-04-13
Washington County Court.

After calling ninety-two men to the jury
box, a process that required two days time,
jury in the case of State against Mildred
Brewster was empaneled and sworn just
before noon last Wednesday. The name,
residence, occupation and age OF the twelve
men selected is as follows L. @. Batchel-
der, Plainfeld, age seventy-one, farmer, I'M
married.; Martin Riley, Barre city, age
forty-six, carpenter, unmarried; j. E. Pix
ley, Waterbury, age forty-fve, farmer, mar
ried; Allen s. Howe, Fayston, age fifty
two, farmer, married. s. I. VanDeusen,
East Warren, age seventy three, farmer
married; w. @. Walker, Cabot, age forty
seven, farmer, married. g. II. Stevens,
Waterbury, age forty, farmer, married; I.
A. Jackman, Waterbury, age sixty-eight,
farmer, married George n. Greeley, Water
bury, age sixty-hve, farmer, married; Syl-
vanus Reyes, Moretown, age sixty.seven,
farmer, married; John G. Harvey, Lower
Cabot, age sixty-nine, farmer, unmarried;
John Keefe, Waterbury, age thirty-seven
farmer, unmarried,
So great was the pressure for admttanCe
at the afternoon session OF Wednesday that
Sheriff Collins and his deputies were obliged
to lock the doors of the court room before
two o'clock, a proceeding that has been nee
essary every day since the trial began. The
spectators benches are crowded daily with
many ladies', some of whom come day after
day, and never leave the room while court
is in session. Their faces are familiar to
the officers of the court and the newspaper
men, but they would probably resent the
accusation if they were charged with hav-
ing morbid curiosity when a murder trial
is in progress.
The first witness called by the State was
Joel Foster At the request of the States
Attorney he had made measurements and
plans OF the grounds around the scene Of the
tragedy, the distance from the Bugbee
house on East Liberty street to where the
shooting occurred, and from there to Towns
shop where Miss Brewster was seen prac-
tcing with a revolver in the early morning
of May 20. He identified these plans and
testified as to their accuracy.
Arthur Stratton testified to having taken
photographs of the places described by Mr..
Foster, and identified these photographs
which were put into the case.
John l.. Wallace of Barre, clerk in the
hardware store of G. j. Reynolds, testified
to having sold Miss Brewster a thirty-two
calibre double acting revolver and box OF
cartridges on the day before Memorial Day
last year. Miss Brewster told him that she
was going to her home in Huntington on
vacation, and wanted to take the revolver
to her brother for present Harmon and
Alfred DesAulries testified to seeing Miss
Brewster at the old Town shop at top of
Clay Hill, early in the morning of May 20,
when she was practicing there with re-
volver. John Lawrence, a milkman, cor
roborated the above statement, but, al
though he knew Mildred Brewster he could
nOU lu6nUlIy Jn6 respondent HS Ju0 girl he
had known by that name.
Before any testimony was taken Wednes-
day, w. A. Lord, senior counsel for the de-
fence, made motion that every juror then
in the box be discharged as disqualified, be-
cause the question has been asked each one
OF them by counsel for the state, whether
the fact that the respondent was woman
would influence their minds in arriving at
verdict. The court overruled the motion
and ordered that the trial proceed. Excep.
tions by respondent.
When court opened Thursday morning
Judge Munson announced to the jury that
counsel on both sides were anxious that
they should visit the scene of the shooting
and adjacent localities, that they might bet
ter understand the evidence that was to be
introduced. After cautoning them in re-
gard to discussing the matter in any way,
he sent them out, accompanied by Assist
ant Judges Jones and Mears, Counsel H. p.
Careton and q. 8. Stanton, and Sheriff Col
Inns and his deputies. The trip necessitat-
ed walk OF about three miles, and as all
the jurors refused the proffered offer of
transportation, 1t was nearly noon before
they returned.
Just before adjournment Wednesday
night Judge Munson explained to the Jurors
that perfect fairness to the state and the
respondent compelled him to keep from
them all newspapers that contained any
reference to the trial. He desired, how
ever, to make things as easy and pleasant
90 ponoiDlO iOi bhOHlJ anu no uCbeu
the sheriff to supply them with newspapers
from which any and all reference to the
trial had been cut.
Clarence e. Bugbee was the first witness
called by the State Thursday afternoon.
He testified that Anna Wheeler was a cousin
OF his wife, and that she was working az
domestic in his family last May. On the
morning of May 20, Mildred Brewster came
to the house before seven o'clock, talked
with Miss Wheeler on the porch for ten
minutes and then came into the kitchen;
was there when he went to the shop about
seven o'clock. He next saw these girls at
the Heaton hospital about half past ten that
day. Mrs. Bugbee corroborated the testi-
mOny of her husband and further testified
that Miss Brewster staid at their house an
hour or more. Witness asked her to have
breakfast but she refused. Miss Brewster
and Miss Wheeler left the house together
about eight o'clock. 1t was raining and
both walked under Anna Wheeler's UNI
brella up East Liberty street towards Col
lege street.
Mrs Frank e. Howe and Miss Cherre
Stoddard swore they saw two girls walking
up East Liberty street at about the time
named walking under one umbrella. The
distance was so great they could not tell
who they were.
Gertrude Donahue Of Nashua, N. H., was
next called. She worked last May in the
family of Prof ID. s. Blanpied on Seminary
Hill, near by and in sight of the spot where
the shooting occurred. Witness saw the
two girls walking down the path towards
the Wheeler house about eight o'clock,
both were under one umbrella. few
seconds later she heard pistol shot, and,
looking ont, saw Miss Wheeler fall. Heard
another shot and saw Miss Brewster 60