Waterbury evening Democrat., 1904-03-16
WOLCOTT'S REPUTATION
Assailed in the Vandemark Perjury Case-The De- fense Brought on Several Witnesses To-Day
 Judge Allowed in Contested Papers

Judge Allowed in Rumors Of long and tedious de
 fense were in circulation to-day before
 court opened. Counsel for Vandemark
 would only admit that they had a
 number of witnesses and that proba- bly, about twenty of them would be
 examined to-day. This on the face of it would immediately show that the case would go into next week and
 probably last the whole of it. It would also indicate that new witnesses
 would be introduced which would
 mean new testimony. and who these new witnesses and what their testi- mOny could be, set many wondering, for 1t was supposed that all resources had been exhausted by the defense in the first case. At that time not more than half dozen testified in support l of Vandemark's alibi.
 Proceedings opened to-day with At torney Hamilton introducing Thorpe's confession to Detective Rogers, and | which the state objected to yesterday.
 Ruling on that point was reserved till to-day. Attorney Root announced that l the objection to the confession had been withdrawn, Whereupon the paper i was put in and read. Mrs Marsh, who
 was on the stand yesterday when court closed, resumed her testimony then as l to how and when her attention was first directed to the wherea bouts of her husband on the night of February 26. She said she thought about it the | night of the assault and again when her husband was arrested. To MT Kellogg she said that she did not say the first she had heard of her hus- bands connection with the case was l from a person who said she saw it in a newspaper. Mrs Marsh was posi- 1 tive she had not so testified.
 Olin F. Hart was called to rebut WOlcOtt's testimony. WOIcott said he had $1O0 when he left town. This l question caused great stir among the attorneys, the state claiming no such evidence was given. Reference was
 made to the records and it was found the defense was correct.
 Mir Hart was then asked if Wolcott owed him rent when he left town. The state objected, but the question was allowed and witness said Wolcott com plained to him before he left town | about lack of business and that he did l not know where his bread and butter ] was to come from. He was asked how much Wolcott owed him at that time and the state objected, but the ruling was for the defense, and wit l ness said WoIcott owed him $10, and that he also said he expected to get good poodle out of Sheriff Rigney. Then followed the story of Wolcott's | first step toward turning states eyi- dence and his interview with Sheriff Rigney. WOlcott complained to wit | ness that the trolley strikers had gone
 back on him and that he thought of in- viting s'the scabs'' to his pool room and giving them a good time. Wolcott's reputation for truth and veracity was then gone into and wit ness said it was bad.
 In his cross-examination he said he knew Wolcott about seventeen years. He did not care to state whom he had
 heard express themselves as to Vol cott's reputation. but he was obliged to and then he named D. H. Plumb. He heard others speak also, but did not recall their names
 Dr John w. Benedict testified to
 Willis vandemark being in his profes- sional care during February, 1903, but
 could not recall the dates accused was in his onice.
 Elmer W. Pierpont, Bunker hill,
 said he knew Wolcott seven or eight years and that his reputation was be- low par.
 E. H. Plumb, meat dealer, knew WOlcott seven or eight years and did business near him on West Main street when Wolcott conducted a drug store there. He agreed with the previous
 witnesses that his reputation was bad.
 Edward M. Roberts, who keeps 2
 drug store on West Main street, testi- fled Wolcott was In his employ as
 clerk some time ago and that his repu- tation was below par. He heard
 Charles Farr, 8 meat dealer on South Main street, say so about three years
 ago. Witness had trouble with Wol-
 colt. He also heard Edward Me
 Grath, E. H. Plumb, O. F. Hart and others whose names he could not re- call say his reputation was bad. Attorney Kennedy brought out that
 witness discharged Wolcott because he considered him dishonest
 Charles F. Farr added to the above testimony. He denied he had any tn-
 terest in the strike or that he refused to sell meat to the strike breakers.
 James German, 365 Grove street, cigar maker, knew accused six years, and said his reputation as peaceable.
 law abiding citizen is good.
 During the cross-examination of this
 witness by MT Root he introduced the
 names of other strikers, and MT Ham
 ilton objected, claiming MT Root was
 prostituting the states case, and had
 no right to bring in the names of out siders. However, MT Root was al- lowed to continue.
 James H. Freney, 498 West Main
 street, said he lived in the same house
 with accused 8 few years and always considered him law abiding citizen, but that he never heard him discussed as such, and yet he never heard any,
 thing ever said against his reputation
 as law abiding citizen. On this point
 of reputation counsel lost constdera-
 ble time splitting hairs. The state was
 extremely technical.
 Mrs Ellen Murnane, wife of James
 Murnane, president Of the Trolley
 mems union, testified to accused's good
 reputa,io and also he was ill her
 house the evening of fha assault She