The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1907-12-31

GeTman Manan he walked down the
track toward North Bennington after
they had eaten their lunch and threw
stones into the small pond.
Questioned by the states attorney
Hunt testified that 1t was about s
o'clock when he found the body of the
child, that it was not easy to see up
the hill from the pond, that he could
not-tell just how near the two articles
identified yesterday, the razor and the
pink ribbon were to the child's body;
that he did not notice any disarrange-
ment of Alfred Mahan's clothing when
he saw him at the pond.
German Mahan was recalled by the
defence and testified that he ate the
lunch brought by Alfred Mahan inn
mediately after 1t was received and
that he and Hunt then walked along
the railroad track toward North Ben
nington about hall the length of the
pond; that person walking Gil the
path from the Eastwood tree toward
the village could be readily seen from
the track.
Questioned by the attorney general
the witness testified that he saw moth
ing on this pathway to attract his at
tention: that when Alfred came to the
pond the witness did not notice that
any of his clothing was unbuttoned or
that his shirt showed
Mrs. German Mahan, the mother of
the murdered child was the next wit
ness. She was neatly dressed In black
and wore neat black hat She APP
peared somewhat confused when she
came forward o take the oath but
once seated In the witness chair she
regained her composure and answered
the questions readily. She went calm
ly through many of the incidents Of
that ever-to-be-remembered day in
diligently and 1t was not until the
questions began to relate directly to
her little child's death that she broke
down.
She testified that her maiden name
was Myrtle Bentley and that she had
been married six years, that two of her
children had died previous to the birth
Of Ethel who would have been years
old on the 18th of May following her
death. She was bright child and
could talk plainly. The mother told
how she dressed the little girl on the
morning of the murder and described
the safety pin with which the skirt was
fastened and identified the pink ribbon
found near the body. There were no
buttons missing from the undercloth.
ing. German, she said left the house
in the morning and she did not see
him again until night.
In the afternoon she went to the
house of her father-in-law. Thomas
Mahan, taking Ethel with her. The
child wore white muslin hat which
was not the one found after the muir
der. Alfred came to the house and
said that German had sent him for a
lunch. There We're several children
In the yard and there was some talk
OF sending the lunch back to the pond
by one of Mrs. Halls children, Vernon,
Witness did not notice anything un
usual about Alfred's condition. Alfred
was in the yard and she saw the child
run to him, did not hear any CONVEX
sation between the two and could not
have heard 1t had there been any
Witness changed the child's hat, put
ting on one of the Hall children's hats
and saw the two 60 down the street
together. Did not see the child again
but about 430 o'clock Alfred returned
and when questioned regarding Ethe
said that the child had gone back tC
her father. Witness testified that she
smelled liquor on Alfred. that he talked
rapidly and swore repeatedly. He
asked for a revolver which was in the
house and said that German wanted it
| xattfh Ia i'm cot
ed against giving him the weapon
Alfred went upstairs, fund the revolver
and cartridges and went out into the
yard toward the barn.
Mrs. Mahan then told how she re
turned TO her own home about half &
mile nearer the village on the same
street and there met her husband
She inquired for the child and upon be
ing told that the little girl had not re
turned started up the street toward hi!
fathers house. Mrs. Mahan followed
her husband. On the way they me-
Alfred and inquired concerning tn,
child. Alfred replied that she hat
gone back to German at the pond. Ger
man then started on the run up tn,
street leaving his wife and Alfred
The witness testified that she talked
with Alfred about the child and tina
she again noticed that he smelled o
liquor. He jumped toward her and sh,
turned and screamed. She said tina
Ethel was either drowned OF had beef
run over by the cars. Alfred salt
that neither one of these accidents ha,
happened to the child
The witness and Alfred walked bacl
toward Thomas Mahan's house, tn
witness keeping as far as possible from
him as she was afraid. There she me
Mrs. Doyle, Thomas Mahan's siste
and Mrs. Baker. Soon after one of tn
searching party shouted, announcing
the finding of the child's body.
Mrs. Mahan was being cross-examir
eded by Mr.. Barber for the defenc
when court adjourned shortly befor
noon. When the afternoon session
opened Mrs. Mahan was called to tn
stand and in reply to questions by tn
attorney general testified that she no
iced no scratches or bruises on tn
child's body when the little one wa
being dressed on the morning of Apr
2S
Cross-examined by Mr.. Barber sh
said she did not know how many time
the child might have fallen down dul
ing the day. She was then excused.
There was not such large crowd |
attendance as on the previous day bu
there was the largest crowd of wome
and girls In the gallery since the tris
began.
Mrs. Alfred Hunt was the next wi