Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1898-10-10

sactions when Nelson bought the Owen
farm for Sam.
Myron Libbey testified that he was
present when a load of buckets was
tipped over and heard Sam say he
wished that his father was under them.
Geo. Burnham and Oliver Willard
testified similar to McFarlane. NJ. HI.
Lewis testified that he sold the Owen
place to Nelson and related the cir
cumstances.
E. S. Nelson, brother of B. M. r.
Nelson said that he had never seen
Nelson drink since 1890. Testified to
the conversation between Nelson and
! Davis in Davis's store. Had taken
liquor with him and seen him take it
; at hotels prior to 80
J. E. Dwinell testified that he had
stopped at hotels with Nelson and that
Nelson did not drink He smelled Ii
! quor about Nelson at different times.
| C.Cheney was sworn and said he saw
! Sans goods packed when Sam was
was going west and was also at the
train when they went south d1ring
the night.
G. w. Preston said he knew Nelson
| intimately and never melled liquor
about him.
! John Wells testified to having heard
Davis speak in a slurring way of Mel
| son.
Thursday DR.. Clark of Burlington
was sworn and said he had been
physician since '73 when he graduated
at Burlington, and afterward went to
Hartford, Conn. Was assistant ply
sician at Brattleboro for a time. Had
five hundred patients under him there.
In '82 he opened a sanitarium in Bur-
| lington and is located there at pres
ent. Takes and treats the milder
forms of mental diseases and derange-
ments. The hypothetical question
submitted to DR.. Lawton was also
submitted to him and he said that he
might have been breaking down if he
had not used the liquor and that he
had failed to find symptoms tending
to show alcoholism. Stated many
things by which an experienced ply
sician may recognize alcoholism and
said that in his opinion Nelson was
not a chronic user of alcohol a man
doing the business Nelson did could
not have been an alcoholic and not
attra cted his associates in business.
Attached but little Importance to the
evidence that Nelson slept in public
places. Did not think he had an alco-
holic gait. He considered that Nell
son was a man who made wise pro-
vision for his family in his will; Mr..
Nelson understood his family well,
and that he saw no sign of insanity in
his will. Said that from what he had
seen and heard he should not say that
Nelson had case of alcoholic insani-
ty or any other insanity. In cross
examination said that the constant
use of liquor by such man as Nelson
would not effect his brain SO that it
would be permanent. Said that he
did not think there was any such thing
as alcoholic insanity in a man like
Nelson.
Dr. Bancroft of Concord, n. H, said
that he was superintendent of the
state insane asylum and had seen
thousands Of insane people. Said that
alcohol was one cause for insanity.
Said that tne statements given in the
hypothetical question did not prove
to him that Nelson was in a state of
chronic alcoholism. If he had been
in this condition everyone would have
known it. He could not have done
business as he Jid. DR.. Bancroft tes
titled in many instances similar to DR..
Clark, although his testimony was
more elaborate. Said he did not think
that a man suffering from alcoholic
insanity would have made the clear
farl eaching will which he considered
Nelson made.
w. B. Guild was sworn and testified |
that DR.. Skinner had doctored in his
family for long time and called there |
after Nelson's death and said about |
Nelson, Eyes, he is dead and gone,
he died miserble death; he was an
habitual drinker; had cautioned him |
against drinking and told him he must |
leave it off, Cross examined said he |
never told DR.. Skinner that Davis |
said he had had $4,000 out of Nels on
and would have ten thousand more.
William Virgins testified that he
talked with Blasdell On the day of Mr..
Dow's funeral and that Blasdell said, |
'sI wonder what Davis will say when I
summon hundred witnesses that he |
will have to pay for if he is beaten; I