Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1903-10-22
ROOT MURDER CASE.
JOE BEAN HELD FOR THE CRIME
AND SENT TO JAIL

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Tell of Cir.
cumstsnces Connecting Bean Witt
the Murder.--Story that Bean TrieC
to Hire Root kiIIed.--Witness I'm.
peached.--Possible Weapon Found
The preliminary hearing IN the case o.
Joseph Bean, charged with the murder o
Ephraim o. Root, was commenced in thu
town hall on Friday forenoon before Jus
tice Gardner L. Chatfee. The hearing oc
cupied two days, Friday and Saturday
with a session of two hours on Friday
evening. 1t was largely attended and
much interest was manifested. II. II
Blanchard appeared for the state and Z
H. Edgerton for the defendant.
The testimony of Drs. Huntington and
Campbell was first taken. The question
arose as to whether Root, with the assist
anee of the Green boys, walked from the
barn to the house. Peter Green said, 'We
walked Rundown. 'Dr. Huntington testified
in reference to this point that involuntary
motion might be lost for some time. DIR.
Campbell said that it could not be def
nitely stated as to whether the assailant
stood in front or behind Root. The injnr-
les being in front would render it proba-
BILE that the blows were delivered from the
front. The board, which is thought to
have possibly been the weapon used, was
described as being "3 or feet long, or 8
inches wide, and tapering."
Peter Green testified as to the events al
the Green house on Monday evening-the
face at the window, the anxiety of his
mother, the search and the discovery Of
Root. He thought he saw the face at the
window about half past seven. He testi-
fed as to his position when he saw the
face at the window, and that he called it
Beams. All the male members of the
Green family were asked if Root assumed
any management of the business, and they
uniformly answered, mo" They said,
however, that he made suggestions"
Inquiry was made as to the reason why
Bruno Green. the eldest son, who lives
with his family in separate house, was
not sent for. The inquiry was made with
a view OF ascertaining whether there was
any difficulty between Bruno Green and
Root No admission Of any difficulty was
made by any of the witnesses. The rea-
son assigned for not sending for Bruno
was that there were enough to help with
out him, and his wife would not stay
alone.
The height of the window at which the
face was alleg d TO have been seen was de-
clared to be, by several witnesses, from
five TO six feet. Plants partly covered the
lower sash. "Beggars' lice" grew near the
window.
Mrs. Green testified as to the converse
ton which she had with Joe Bean on
Monday She said that Bean was mad be-
cause Root stayed at her house. She did
not remember that Bean said anything
about coming back to her house to live,
but he said he was lonesome. She said
that Bean said If she wanied to leave her
home she could go with him. She said
that Joe Bean went away from her house
in March and Root came there to board in
June, She did not see Joe Beams face at
the window. Bean had been in her family
eighteen years. Since going away he had
been there every two or three weeks. He
did not like to have Eph. there. He
sstalked that way She said the stranger
who came last summer and claimed TO be
detective told her he came from Boston or
New York. He said he came because he
had heard they had been doing bad. He
Mrs. Green stated that Mr.. Bean would
say almost every time he came that it
would be all right if it were not for Eph.
He was ''nervous.n He was not more ner-
vous than usual on Monday, but said he
ssfeIt BAD
Frank Hubbard said that Bean had fire.
quently stayed at his house since leaving
the Green home. He came home on Mon |
day night at O'Clock; put his team up; |
ate supper; talked with Sid Whitney, who
came in: then went to the barn and |
came in and went to bed, it was
about half past O'Clock when he went to
bed. The "calendar clock was half an
hour slow. Mr.. Hubbard went to sleep |
right away. His wife walked him up and
he let Mr. Bean in; went back to bed; did |
not look at the clock. He was walked up
in the morning by Mr.. Tinkham. He
thought he had been asleep about 10 min
ntes when Bean came.
Mrs. Hubbard testified that she wound |
he little clock at 7:i0 and then went to
bed. She did not go to sleep before Bean
came. The little clock was 20 minutes
slow. Mrs. Hubbard thought they had
been abed half an hour when Bean came.
Evans Lowell. boy OF fourteen, who
ives at Mr.. Hubbard's, slept in the same
-oom with Mr.. Bean on Monday night.
He said he was awakened by Beams en-
rance and asked him what time it was.
Bean said il was balt- past seven. Bean III
match and showed him the watch, which
the time to be half past seven.
VIM. II. Gould testified that in a CONVEX
,ation with Bean the latter said they were
having quite time up there, i. e. at the
Green place. ''Something,' he said, ''would
happen up there before great while"
Sidney Whitney testified that he was at
frank Hubbard's Monday evening. He
eft Hubbards about Z, called at the house
II neighbor named Swan, stayed perhaps
ia,f an hour and reached home ten min
ties of eight.
Mrs. Nellie ]. Swan stated that she saw
3e4n in Hubbard's barnyard between
md 6 O'Clock Monday afternoon.
Geo. L. Greeley, first selectman, testified
hat he was called up on Tuesday morning
md about o'clock, in company with
sheriff Tinkham, went to West Rochester.
They called at Frank Hubbard's. Mr.
rinkham went into the house, while he re-
NAMED outside Examined Mr.. Beams
buggy, but found nothing unusual. The
,oy came out of the house; then Mr.. Bean.
Talked with Bean about the affair. Saw
luite few s.beggars' lice" ON Beams pants
1elow mis- knees. We started for
}ean & Green's mill; found tracks of a
nan's foot at intervals, the tracks going
10Th ways. Measured the tracks; after
Yards measured Beams shoe. The shoe
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