The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1908-04-21
DEMAND HER
RELEASE
Mildred Brewster Brought
Back to Montpelier
FROM THE INSANE ASYLUM
Hearing on Petition for Freedom for the
Woman Found Not Guilty Of Muir
dering Anna Wheeler by Rea-
son of Insanity.

To-day, ten years after the Montpelier
tragedy which ended in the death OF
Anna Wheeler and her own incarceration
in the state insane asylum at Water
bury, after she had been declared not
guilty Of murder by reason of insanity,
Mildred Brewster was brought to Mont
pelier to appear at the hearing on the
petition for her release. This is the first
time that Mildred Brewster has been in
Montpelier since her trial, and, in fact,
the first time that she has been out Of
the confines Of the institution at Water.
bury since confinement.
The crime for which she was arrested
and tried took place just oil College
street, on Seminary hill in Montpelier,
on the morning Of May 30, 1925 The
girls were rivals for Jack Wheeler's IA
Yor, and the Brewster girl was very jeal,
Gus Of her rival. On the morning OF the
crime they started out for a walk and
when nearly in front of Jack Wheeler's
house the Brewster woman drew re-
volyer from her dress and shot Anna,
then leveling the weapon at herself. Both
We're taken TO the hospital, where the
victim of her rivals frenzy died, and
the other recovered, to be tried and after
q memorable session to be found mot
guilty, as noted above
Accompanied BY Sheriff Tracy and
Mrs. Tracy, the latter Of whom was re-
turning to her home in Montpelier after
q visit Ia Waterbury, Mildred came to
Montpelier this afternoon, reaching there
shortly before one o'clock. Riding into
Montpelier she was seated with Mrs.
Tracy and for the most Of the time the
two engaged in conversation, during
which the prisoner allowed her eyes to
wander about in nervous manner as If
Iaboring under considerable excitement.
but nothing more than would be expected
in any person under such circumstances.
She was dressed almost entirely in
black, neatly and we'll The only relief
from the sombreness Of her garments
was d dash of white in the decorations
of her hat. Shortly before two o'clock
this afternoon she was taken to the SUI
premc court room at the State House,
where the hearing was held.
Prior ID that time, THE deposition of
DR.. George s. Foster OF Putney. a super
visor Of the insane asylum, had been
taken as ii was necessary for him to
return to his home In his deposition,
Dr. Foster stated he did not consider
tho woman insane at any period of the
entire nine years during which he had
been supervisor of the asylum. when
he had occasion to zee her during his
official visitations. He was not super
VISOR when Mildred was placed in the
He recommended that she
be discharged from the asylum.
DIR. Foster furthermore said that ii she
had been committed to the institution
from probate court rather than from
i criminal court, she would have been
long before this.
Judge Alfred A. Hall presided at the
hearing, with Assistant Judge +. K.
Wells present The petitioner was rep
resented BY Attorneys wv. "A. Lord and
Fred B. Carleton, while states Attorney
Gates represented the interests of the
state. When the woman entered the
court room she was apparently quite
She was somewhat pale.
showing the effects Of her long eon6ne
ment.
John G. Cattanack is the official re-
porter of the hearing
The first witness summoned was DR.. |
". r, Upton, formerly an official at the
asylum.