The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1908-01-02
Horrors Of the Lake Paran Tragedy Revealed by the Testimony
Of Physicians and the Exhibition Of Blood Stained
Garments Alleged to Have Been Worn by the Victim
STAINS LIKE BLOOD FOUND ON MAHANs CLOTHES
Examinations Made by Dr. D. Gleason Of North Bennington on
Night Following the Crime and Later by State pahoIoss
B. h. Stone Of Burlington Revealed No Ev|.
dence Of Attempt at Criminal Assault

the pathologist attached to the state
laboratory of hygiene at Burlington
and that 1t was his duty to conduct the
autopsies In cases of homocide and
mysterious death. He testified that he
conducted the autopsy on the body of
Etnel Mahan at the home of the childs
rather but his testimony in relation to
the findings did not differ materially
from that of DIR. Gleason. The BODY.
he said, was opened to ascertain
whether or not there had been a Grim.
maj assault but no evidence of this
nature was revealed. He testified that
the child could not have screamed af.
ter her throat was cut and in his opin.
ion she could not have lived over two
minutes.
He testified further that he took TO
burlington with him stones from under
meath the Eastwood tree and grass
from the spot where the body was
found and that infallible chemical an.
alyses proved the stains on these ar.
ticles to be blood.
he further testified that he had re-
ceived from the express company a
package sent him by the states attor-
hey purporting to contain the clothing
OF Alfred Mahan. These articles con.
sisting of coat, shirt and handker-
chief contained stains which he had
analysed as blood. The witness also
produced child's waist and drawers
which the attorney general announced
TO be exhibits on the part of the state
as garments taken from the body of
Ethel Mahan.
=
mr.. Barber questioned DR.. Stone in
relation to the manner in which the
EXHIBITS had been kept since they came
into the pathologist's possession and
objected to their admission as eyi.
dence. The objection was not wholly
sustained and was under discussion
when court adjourned.
In the testimony of Mrs. Hall Tues
day afternoon she told of Alfred's hab.
IT OF swinging hard, high and continu.
ously for hours at a time. His habit
was to sit in the swing with his hands.
III his pocket and swing AS high as he
could make the swing go.
This witness also told of Alfred's
getting his revolver from her and put.
ing 1t In his inside coat pocket. After
ward. after he had MIXED she asked
MIN for the revolver and he took it
from his pocket and gave it TO her.
during that Sunday afternoon Alfred
| ate three or four times and quite heart
| lily each time. When ii was getting
dark and the search for tEhel had be-
: gun he got the lantern and went with
Mr. Humphrey and Mr.. Baker to look
! for her.
few minutes after the body of the
| enid was found Alfred came to the
mouse alone and sat down on the steps
ana cried. She noted that he appeared
very listless and stood and stared a
good deal. She identified the little
white hat that Ethel wore the day she
was killed.
Timothy McGinnis was next called.
he was in North Bennington the day
Ethel Mahan was found dead. He
was with Dan Mccarthy at the east
end OF the North Bennington pond at
. o'clock that day and saw Alfred Ma
nan with little girl near the rock cut
and going towards the Eastwood tree.
lie spoke with Alfred across the neck
OF the pond. He also saw German Ma
han, Alfred Hunt and several bows.
Mahan and the child passed into the
rock cut and out of his sight.
Dan Mccarthy was next called. He
lives about eight rods from the North
bennington pond but in the town of
Shaftsbury. On the afternoon of April
2S he walked over with Tim McGinnis
to Mr.. Harrington's near the rock cut.
lie corroborated Mr.. McGinnis' testi.
mony in regard to seeing Alfred Mahan
and the little girl and also her father
and Alfred Hunt. He stated that when
he spoke to Alfred Mahan his replv
was not very plain and he said to the
respondent. What is the matter AL.
fred are you getting bughouse?" From
where Andrew Nash was fishing one
could see the Eastwood tree and also
the spot where the child's body was
found. He and McGinnis saw Mr..
Nash fishing there on their way home.
Stewart Hall was next called. He
married Alice Mahan, daughter of
Thomas Mahan and sister of Alfred
Mahan who lived in the family with
him and his wife. He never knew All
fred to shave himself or to own a raz.
or. He, Hall, owned two razors. one
with black handle and the other with
white handle. He kept them on the
pantry shelf. He last saw the white
handled razor on the Friday mornine
before the tragedy when he used II tc
shave himself. He looked for IL Mon
day morning following and has since
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