The Brattleboro reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1907-1912, 1907-05-10
verdict Quickly Reached by
Jury.
OUT ONLY TWO HOURS
Attempt Will Be Made to Take Case
to Supreme Court on Exceptions
Penalty for offence From Five to
Twenty Years-Bail Increased.

After being out less than two hours
the Jury in the case of the state against
DIR. j. NJ. Ryder of Bellows Falls Mon
day evening brought in verdict Of
guilty on the charge of causing the
death of Miss Iva Martin of Proctors-
Vile by attempting to perform a Grim.
inal operation upon her. This verdict
brought to a close one of the most inn
portant criminal cases that has come
up in Windham county court in several
wears. The case went to the jury at
$50 Monday evening after a day spent
in arguments by the opposing counsel,
State Is Attorney r. C. Bacon and john
G. Sargent of Ludlow appearing in be-
half of the prosecution and +. B. Pin
gree of Bellows Falls and Gilbert A.
Davis of Windsor for the respondent.
The defence argued that Miss Martin
visited DR.. Ryder after attempting to
perform criminal operation upon her.
self and that while he was about to
make an examination of her she died
from the effects of the self-intilcted
wounds. The state claimed that the
respondent was guilty of using an IN
strument in an attempt to procure abor-
tion when such an operation was not
necessary to save life and that as re-
suit Miss Martin died. In charging the
Jury Judge Taylor stated that II they
considered the letters which the defend
ant claimed he had received from the
dead girl were fabrications that in it
self was inferential evidence of guilt.
He emphasized the fact that the state
must prove beyond reasonable doubt
every allegation in its case.
After taking the case the jury went
to supper and then began their consid-
Grafton; they came in once for lnstruc-
ton in regard to the different counts
in the states attorneys information,
but there seemed to be no difference OF
opinion in regard to the guilt of DR..
RYDER. 1t is understood that only one
ballot was necessary to feach the YER
dict. After the announcement of the
verdict Judge Taylor remanded the
doctor to the care of the sheriff. Coun-
sci for the respondent asked for time
TO file motions and this was granted.
The Judge then raised the bail from
$4,000 to $1,000 and adjourned court
until May Il.
Among the witnesses who testified
Friday afternoon and Saturday were
DR.. E. S. Allbee of Bellows Falls, DR..
II. L. Waterman and DR.. G. S. Pratt OF
Brattleboro. DR.. Dill of Bennington and
DR.. B. H. Stone of Burlington, all of
whom gave expert testimony. Edward
and Cleo Martin. father and brother of
the dead girl, Mrs. Kate Jones, an
aunt. and Miss Bernice Graves were
called by the state to establish the
identity of certain letters of Miss Mar
tin. c. H. Pratt, c. A. Harris, c. l..
Stickney and F. A. Dewitt were used
as witnesses to prove that the letters
claimed by the respondent to be from
the dead girl were forgeries. Photo
graphic copies of these letters were fur
nished the jury on which were A: &.
Merrill, W. B. Eddy and A. B. Ashley
of Brattleboro The penalty for the
crime of which DR.. Ryder has been
found guilty is from five to 20 years in
states prison.