The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1905-01-06
MURDER OF
MISS PAGE
aged Father OF Victim On
Witness Stand
TUCKER ON TRIAL
Alleged Murderer Betrayed No
Emotion During the Old Mans
Story of the Crime
TUCKER ON TRIAL

CAMBRIDGE, Mass, Jan. Elm
voice that frequently trehbled with
emotion and Unable to keep from his
eyes the tears that persisted in yelling,
Edward Page, the agei father of Ma
bel Page, the Weston woman who was
stabbed to death in her home, told to
jury the tragic story of the discovery
OF his daughters death. Charles L.
Tucker, the Auburndale youth, who Is
on trial for the murder of Miss Page,
listened intently to the old mans mar
rative, but never betrayed the slightest
sign of emotion.
The fathers testimony had been
awaited with interest. as it had been
expected that the telling of his story
would be one of the dramatic incidents
of the trial. The aged witness was a
pathetic figure on the stand. where in
spite of his nearly eighty years he re-
manned standing for two hours, stolid-
ly refusing TO be seated.
AS the witness referred to the fact
that when he left his home on the
morning Of the murder his daughter
babe him farewell lin her usual affec-
Tomato manner" his voice broke, and it
was a moment before he could proceed.
The same thing happened when he de-
scribed his return home and the finding
of his daughter's body.
Under cross examination evidences
of grief gave way to anger, and when
asked whether his daughter was a
modest woman the witness straighten-
ed, his bent form, threw his head back.
gazed straight at his quesdoner and
refused to answer. Not until convinced
that no reflection upon the character
OF his daughter was intended would he
reply, and then he said impressively,
"Superlatively modest"
The rest of the session was devoted
TO the technical testimony Of DR.. Ju-
liam A. Mead, the medical examiner,
who performed the autopsy. He said
that death was caused by three deep
stab wounds and that In all probability
Miss Page lived about two minutes
after she had received the first of the
four wounds on her body and that
superficial wound in the throat was
undoubtedly inflicted during a struggle
with her assailant In witness opinion
criminal assault was not the motive.
Every seat in the courtroom was oc-
cupied, the spectators including many
women.
Dr. Mead declared that knife blade,
broken in three pieces. shown him by
the district attorney was the one found
in fuckers house and that il fitted the
wounds in Mabel Pages body. The
witness identified blood stained waist
as that worn by Miss Page.
Considerable time was devoted to
questions concerning reasons for the
small amount of blood appearing ex-
ternally on Miss Pages body. This
was accounted for by the fact that the
bleeding was internal.
The witness testified that there were
no signs Of an indecent assault having
been made on MISS Page.
On redirect examination the witness
said that he did not consider that Ma
bel Pages wounds could have been self
inflicted. The wounds indicated that
the instrument used had only one cut
ting edge
DR.. II. B. Frost, the physician who
was summoned to the Page house on
the afternoon that Miss Pages body
was discovered. described the condition
Of the body and the nature Of the
wounds that were first noted. He Gov
cred practically the same ground as
did DR.. Mead during the early part Of
the latter's examination.