The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1907-11-05
CONFESSED that
He SHOT With
LEFT HAND
Nurses Damaging Testimony in
Fairbanks Trial
THOUGHT ACCUSED WAS SANE
Several Times He Spoke to Hospital
Nurses OF His Killing Mrs. Mary
Grout.

Brattleboro, Nov. 4.-Some hard
knocks were administered to the de.
tense today at the trial in Newfane
of William Fairbanks, charged with
the murder Of his niece, Mrs. Mary
Page Grout. Three witnesses were
put upon the stand and only two were
examined TO any great extent, the re-
mainder Of the time being taken UP
by counsel and the court in raising
and disposing of objections.
1t had been announced that con-
fession alleged to have been made by
Fairbanks to Rev. III. r. Miles would
be brought out through Miss Elsie p.
McCluskey, superintendent Of the
Brattleboro Memorial hospital, where
Fairbanks was from the time of the
shooting on May 20 until July. The
testimony of Miss McCloskey was
damaging, but as constituting a con-
fession the statements which she tes-
titled that Fairbanks made were not
what the public had expected.
Miss McCloskey testified that one
night when 1t appeared probable that
Fairbanks would die from the effects
OF the two bullet wounds in his body,
Rev. Ii. r. Miles, one of the officials
OF the hospital, was called. She said
the minister asked Fairbanks II he
realized the crime he had committed
and that Fairbanks said he did.
Thereupon Rev. Mr.. Miles told Fair
banks in substance: Pray for your
self and when you are sorry for what
you have done, il you send for me l
will come and baptize YOU"
| Tho m I'M of nffara1 v,.n nd
Fairbanks cried. At another time, ac-
cording to her testimony, when Miss
McCloskey was dressing Fairbanks
wounds she said to him, you made a
very close hit" Fairbanks replied,
Yes, ! did it with my left hand. I
could always shoot as well with my,
left hand as with my right was
always considered good marksman."
The witness said Fairbanks asked
her If she could not keep him at the
hospital and give him position. She
said Fairbanks stated at the time, Il
don't know what they will do with me
for shooting that girl"
The other important witness was
Miss Blanche Martin, superintendent
of nurses, at the Memorial hospital
She talked with Fairbanks on several
occasions, once I'm the presence of
Miss McCloskey but usually when no
others were present, and never in the
presence of the officer In charge.
Once he asked her If they put the
white shoes and stockings on Mary
Grout, meaning the shoes and stock.
ings he had in his grip when he call
ed on Mary Grout the night Of the
shooting.
Miss Martin corroborated Miss Nc
Closkey as to what Fairbanks said
about shooting himself with his left
hand. She said that on one occasion
she asked Fairbanks, Whatever
made you do it?" Fairbanks replied,
You don't know all about it. ! killed
her, but she was as much to blame as
L. Witness said he told her after
wards, He was mighty sorry he kill
ed her and wondered what they would
do with him." She told him to keep
up courage. She said he talked about
not being used to cereals for break
fast and soup for dinner, and that he
preferred beans and pork and would
rather have a cornhusk bed than a
hair mattress.