Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1903-12-24


questions to ask the witness Frank
I'M and he would turn him over to
'he state. The prosecuting attorney
waved cross-cxamination for he was
IN some perpleXity as to what. he
wanted to learn. Nothing that Frank
In mad said had invalidated his case,
ana II he were guilty the prosecutor
uIu not care to assist him at the ex-
pehse of an in 1occnt man.
irving Warde was accordingly put
on inc witness stand. He told his
story we'll; how he had traced the
footprints in the snow that cold
morning in December, how his inter-
est In the caSc-which was known to
franklin--had been attended with
personal danger, and an attempt had
oecn made to murder him at Peters
IieSt; how he had obtained the agree
ment from Hillsman and what Frank
lin had said TO Hillsman about Nor
ris; how he had himself made COPY
or the agreement at Mr.. Everett's
house when Franklin was announced,
and all that happened with reference
thereto. He also gave detailed ac-
count of the demands made upon him
for the paper which Hillsman had
given him to read.
WAS anyone present when the de-
mand was madc?" asked MIR. Ever
EFT.
Yes, sir: the eastern capitalist,
Frederick Merivale, was present; but
whether he gave any attention to
the conversation I could not say"
Lawyer Everett smiled inscrutably
al this, but made no comment.
y large number of minor witnesses
were then examined. a letter carrier
told how he had delivered to Frank
lin in person letter bearing the Chi
ma postmark. Otto Orthaldsdcn, a
little Swiss jcwcler, whose shop
hoastcd many odd daintics in the jew
elry line and who had partiality
for articles of European make, took
The witness stand. He proved to be
a very methodical man, for he
brought one of his books with him.
He examined the unidentified watch,
which was of Swiss make, and said
he had sold it to Col. James Franklin.
Then he produced his book, showing
the date of sale of every watch, with
its number, make and the name of the
person to whom it was sold. 4 refer
ence so his book showed that he had
disposed of No. 9,o99 of this particular
make to Franklin. The cost of the
watch was here also and the date Of
the payment The unidentified pin
was then shown to him, which he
recognized. 1t, too, had its peculiar
tiles of design and special make, and
his professional eye at once located
it. lie declared that he had sold this
pin, or one exactly like it, to Frank
lin.
John Ilauptmann. dealer in boots
and shoes, testified that he had Sc
cured small consignment of arctics,
the only shipment of the particular
kind he thought in the city. He had
made only three sales of this kind of
overshoe at the time of Wright's MUIR
der; one was to the mayor; the sec
ond was to the chancellor, and the
third was to Frank Hillsman. He
sold these three persons all their
SHOES. and as they wore different
numbers he had sold them different
sized arctcs.
Mrs Herbert Wright and Mrs. An
derson next testified to the disap-
pearancc of the old pistol, and the
substitution of the new one with
which Wright was supposed 10 have
been killed. Mrs. Anderson also told
of the visit of the man in the red
flannel shirt.
The taller and the doctor who had
attended Herbert Wright testified to
the attempt made to poison the ac-
cuscd, and their suspicious that the
man in the red flannel shirt had
manipulated il.
Then. to the surprise of many per-
sons, Old Tom. whose real name was
Bob Hathaway, was introduced and
he made clean breast of all his
workings in the case. He admitted
having been a party to the trap set
for Irving Wardc, for which job he
and his partner were to get hand
some sum conditional on the success
of certain scheme. He confessed
that Franklin had hired him for this
purpose. He had also logged Warde S
steps on several occasions for Frank
lin.
His companion, Dick Padgctt, con
frmed his story in all the essential
details.
Finally the man in the red flannel
shirt was pat upon the witness stand