The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1905-06-15
OF How Fred Johnson Shot
Ills Brother
BROKE DOWN AND WEPT
As She Told Of Events That Nay
Convict Her Son Of
Murder.

Manchester june ll,-ln crowded
court room yesterday morning began
ihe trial Of Fred Johnson Of Bond.
vile. town Of winhall, charged with
ihe murder Of bis brother, Jay, IN
Feb. -
AZ ihc morning session and good
part - iho afternoon the time was oc.
cupisd in securing a jury. owing 60
the magniiudeo 81 the case considerable
difficulty was experienced Ia getting
the twelve men. The petit jury was
exhausted aud ialcsmon we're called by
the sheriff until The jury was fnally
selected. 10 vas made up Of nine ~
the petit jury and three ialesmen.
Late 10 the afternoon the jury was
completed a. follows:
William % Morgan OF pownal.
Frank T. Amadon Of Povnal. Wallace
Lyon Of South SALISBURY, Jay Bent
ley Of Manchester. a J Knapp Of Pow.
nal VIM Benedict of Manchester Ben
amin Brooks OF Bennington. Elisha
T. Flower Of Rupert, G G. Easion OF
Bennington, T. Hawley Of Manches-
ter. Arthur Burroughs Of Manchester
and Henry Stafford Of Readsboro.
As soon as this had been done Judge
Rowell gave the usual instructions to
them. Attorney General Clark c.
Fits Of Braitleboro who with States
Attorney Daley OF Bennington appears
for the state, made brief statement
OF the case. l.. :. District Attorney
Martin Of Braitleboro, one OF the re-
.pondent's attorneys, set forth briefly
Johnson's case.
The defense will probably endeavor
to prove that the shots fred by Fred
we're fired after be had stepped into a
deep snow bank and while he was turn.
ed away from his brother. They will
try 70 establish that Fred, fearing his
own life was In danger put his revol.
yer around. and fred the fatal shot
without taking aim.
Much sympathy was felt for the aged
mother, Mrs Solomon Johnson, who
was the first witness to be called by
the state. Several times while on the
stand she broke down and wept and
the respondent manifested much ner-
vousness when his mother was Obliged
to give testimony which will be dan
gerous to him. Mrs johnson, although
y years old, and in poor health, re-
members well the events leading up to
the homicide. She was on the stand
for over an hour and Mr. Fits had not
concluded the direct examination when
court suspended until this morning at
9 O'Clock.
Her testm ny tended TO show that |
Fred on the day before the shooting
had come home, he was then staying |
at his sisters, Mrs Herbert Benson, |
to get some things that belonged to |
him. He had taken away three or
four small loads before Jay and an
other brother, Herbert, returned from
Manchester.
AS his brothers came into the yard |
Fred was loading upon sled some
black cherry lumber. fight ensued,
Jay took piece OF lumber and Fred
a short handled axe. She testified,
however, positively that no blows we're
struck between the murdered man and
the one now on trial. Herbert John.
son according to her testimony bent
Fred over railing on the piazza and
struck him several times.
Fred had picked up some articles in
Guiding s or 10 picture frames, hooks,
a dinner pail and an old fashioned
tea pot and on the next afternoon he
went to the house to get them. His
mother laid them on his arms and he
started away, Jay came out of the
house and went after him. Soon she
heard three shots in quick succession
and her son came running back and
fell upon the piazza blood streaming
from his mouth and he died within a
few minutes without uttering a word
to her.
During last night C. c. Easton of
was taken sick with ner-