Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1898-02-17
THE DAVIS TRIAL,
NOW BEING HELD IN ADDISON
COUNTY COURT.
Much Damaging Testimony Given
Against Davis.---ifis Alleged Con-
fession as Told to Several People,
MANY Witnesses to Be Heard.

Last Tuesday morning in Addison
county court the trial of Smith j.
Davis for responsibility in the death
of Dora Cushman in Lincoln last
August was begun.
The tragedy is too well known to
our readers to need review at the
present time.
There was not a very large atten-
dance in the court room during any
of the days. Over 200 witnesses have
been summoned by the state.-
The first count in the indictment
charged Davis with manslaughter in
killing Dora. Other counts charged
him, with varying verbiage, with
completely in some criminal opera
ton or in administering poison as a
result of which the girl died. Davis
listened to the reading, pleaded mot
guilty." and the trial began.
Davis attorneys are f. w. McGet-
trick and James Donovan. In the
prosecution States Attorney Fish is
assisted by w. ii. Bliss.
The whole of the forenoon was tax
en- up with getting a jury, and in fact
the work was not entirely finished
until after dinner.
When the jury was complete Mr..
Fish made very full statement as to
what the prosecution expected to
prove.
The first witness called was Arthur
Z. Cushman, brother of Dora. He
testified to the effect that he had seen
Davis and his sister Dora together on
" few times, and that he last saw
the girl about the house the day she
died. He also told about the search
ing party and his finding of her body,
in the way the story has been told be-
fore. Her hat was over her face, and
close by the body he found cigar.
The body lay prat tically on its back,
naturally enough, with one leg bent
and in way hooked about stump.
Wednesday morning the first wit.
ness called was Warren NJ. Hatch OF
Lincoln. He was one of the search
party and described the land in the
pasture and identified photographs of
the scene of the tragedy. He ALSO tes-
titled as to the general reputation of
Davis, who was known as a drinker
and had various bad habits.
William Brittell of Lincoln was the
next witness. Brittell was arrested
some time after the arrest of Davis on
the ground that he was an accessory
in crime and he was kept in Jail here
under bail for some time, when he
was released upon his own recogni-
zance, with the understanding that he
would appear as witness for the
state at the trial of Davis. Brittell
testified to his acquaintance with
Davis He stated that he went TO
Warren for Davis and brought back
the bottle of liquid from Herbert Po-
land and as to the direction for adj
ministering it. He also stated that
he went to the Cushman house and
told Dora where Davis wanted to see
her in the pasture, returned to the
hotel, where Davis was playing cards,
and dill not see Davis again until the
hearing at Bristol.
Moses b. Cove, treasurer of the
Lincoln Lumber company, was the
next witness. His testimony merely
told of Davis being in the employ of
his company and his drawing check
for $25 with which Davis raised mon
ey to escape.
E. j. Hatch of Warren was the first
witness this afternoon. He had
drawn a map of the scene Of the trag-
edy, and had also taken photographs
of the place. He pointed out on the
map the places most talked about in
the case, and the photographs were
passed around among the jury.
DR.. Adolphus j. Cushman Of Lin
coin, father OF the unfortunate girl,
was next called. His direct exami-
nation was merely corroborative of
some that had gone before, and hence
not very important, but the cross-ex-
animation was protracted and severe.
Mrs. Winifred M. Cove of Lincoln,
a sister of Dora, was the next witness.
She testified that Dora had been at
her home on the day preceding her
death. The rest of Mrs. Gove's tes-
timony was of no importance and
nothing of consequence was brought
out by the cross-examination.
Mrs. Ella NJ. Cushman, Dora's
mother, was next called. She told OF
her daughters disappearance and de-
scribed the clothing she wore the last
time she saw her alive. She further
testified to finding in bureau draw
err on the night of her disappearance
two bottles containing liquids which
were later sent to Prof. Bartlett OF
Dartmouth COLLEGE for analysis The |
cross-examination was brief and I'M
productive of substantial results.
Bert j. Cove of Lipcoln was the
first witness Thursday morning. He
is the husband of Dora Cushman's |
sister, Winifred, who testified the day
before. He knew Davis, who board
ed at his house at the time of the
tragedy. His testimony was of not
much account.
Ii