The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1905-01-23
Taking of Testimony at Tucker
Trial at End.
ATTORNEY JAS. H. VAHEY
Took Greater Part of Today With His
Plea for Defendant jury
May Get Case To-
morrow.

Cambridge, Mass, Jan. 23.-The evil
dence in the trial of Charles L. Tucker
Of Auburndalc, charged with murder
ing Miss Mabel Page by stabbing her
to death at her home in Weston, March
81, 1904, all had been put in when
court adjourned Saturday There now
remains, before the case goes to the
jury, the closing argument Of counsel
which it is expected win consume all lof
today and possibly part Of Tuesday,
and the charge Of the court Three
full weeks have been devoted to the
taking of testimony, the prosecution
having used exactly two weeks for its
side, and the past six days have been
occupied BY the defense. In that time
scores of witnesses were called, including
many experts, both handwriting and
medical, the father and brother Of the
murdered woman and brother. father
and mother of the accused. When court
opened yesterday interest in the case
which at no time has waned and which
Friday reached a climax when Mrs.
Tucker, the mother Of the defendant
collapsed upon the witness stand, was
still intense. The report had been cir
eulated that the defendant would take
the witness stand to establish an abb;
to prove the ownership of The alleged
Page" pin; to account for his knife
and tell in his own words why it was
broken. 1t was understood that Tucker
wished to do this, but after consulta-
ton between the members of the Tuck
err family and counsel for the Defense
it was finally decided to close the de-
Tense without calling the accused.
When the defense closed Saturday
evidence in rebuttai was put in by both
sides. This took the form Of question
ing of witnesses whose previous state.
ments in connection with the murder
were inconsistent with those made dur
ing the trial. Among the defense wit
nesses has been Daniel Connolly, who
had stated that he saw Tucker on the
Ridgway road at about 1890 on the
day OF the murder. To dispose of this
claim, Connolly's employer, Charles Cut
ter, was called by the government to
testify that Connolly told him he did
not know whether the man he saw on
that day was Tucker or some one else
State Police Officers Neil and Hammond
contradicted Mrs. Tucker, saying that
when shown her sons broken knife, she
said she had never known him to own
hunting knife Friday and yesterday
Mrs. Tucker said Tucker had used the
knife in cleaning game.
Mrs. Tucker appeared on the stand
twice Saturday, cace Just before the
defense rested, to answer question
about her sons knife, and the second
time in rebuttal with reference to the
Page" pin, said to have been worn
by Tucker on many occasions, and
which she failed to identity Friday.
in connection with the question Of the
ownership Of the pin, photographs were
introduced yesterday showing cap
belonging TO Tucker with shield pin
fastened to I'll These photographs were
examined by the jury under a magnify
ing glass;, and when the defense asked
the photographer whether the pin in
tie picture and the pin exhibited in
the courtroom was the same, the court
said that the jury could decide the ques-
ton. The taking of testimony Was
concluded before the usual hour for
Saturday adjournment, but at the re
quest Of counsel court was adjourned
until Monday morning.