Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1911-09-28
Plaintiff in $4,000 Damage Suit
Tells Of Accident.
Physician Declares That womau.s
Condition Will Never Improve and
Rupture OF Blood Vessels May
Result, Causing Denth.

uen county court Tuesday afternoon on
cross-examnation asked the plaintiff,
Mrs. Hill, If she ever knew of Mrs. Ever
lit A. Richardson, wife Of the steward of
the Ethan Allen club in 1909. Directing to
her. Mrs. Hill. being too much in the com
pany of Mr. Richardson. The witness re-
piled that she did not and that she never
knew that Mr.. Richardson had wife.
Mr.. Brown then asked the witness II she
had ever met Mrs Richardson in the Of
ace Of Attorney +. G. Webster and Mrs.
Hill replied that she had not.
In concluding the cross-examination
Tuesday, Attorney Brown dwelt long on
Mrs. Hills relations with Mr.. Richard
son, and once or twice Attorney V. A.
Billiard, one Of the lawyers for the plain
tiff, objected The court. however did
not sustain the objections
Attorney Brown also tried to prove that
Mrs Hill had been drinking intoxicating
liquor on the night of the accident, Octo-
Der 8. 1909, when an electric car ran into a
carriage in which she was riding. at the
terminus of Home avenue at Shelburne
street. Mrs. Hill replied that she had not
been drinking. and. to another question,
answered that she did not see the driver.
Z. F. French drink from a bottle.
The case. in which Mrs. Hill seeks
damages of $4,000 from the defendant
company. was concluded for the day at
four o'clock in the afternoon. when the
ease of the plaintiff was all put in. Mr..
Brown explained that the witness they
wished to examine had not arrived.
Tuesday afternoon the plaintiff. Mrs
Hill, told her version OF the accident as
result of which one eve Is blind and the
other sees but poorly. She sat facing
half way toward the jury. so that the sun
light from the west would not beam In
her eye
MRS. HILLS STORY.
Mrs. Hill testified that on the night
Of the accident she went to the Pap
pin livery stable to hire a team TO
drive to Queen City Park, where she
expected to a family named Wells,
whom she had heard wished to employ
seamstress to accompany them 70
New YORK. In the alley leading to the
stable she met man whom she after
ward learned was Mr.. French. Bos-
Ton travelling man. At the time she
supposed that the man was employed
at the stable She made bargain
with tho man and together they drove
20 Queen City Park She could noe
find the Wells family The cottage. in
which they were supposed to live. was
dark.
The accident occurred while the
.eam was on the return trip. Mrs.
lfill testified that she heard the car
coming and looked outside the car
riagc top and saw 1t approaching.
She did not remember that the gong
was sounded. The rear wheel of thu
wagon was on the track. The car was
about two lengths away when she saw
IT, and was coming fast, she testified
After the car struck the wagon. shs
testified. she remembered nothing. She
found herself in the hospital. buJ
didn't remember how she got there
Mrs. Hill testified at length as to
her illness. caused by the accident
She showed the jury her right eye
She told of noises in her head and Of
the failure of her evesight She hal
a fractured rib, cuts on the legs and
arms. and about the body. She was
IN the hospital for six weeks and con-
suited many physicians following her
discharge from the institution. She
said that previous to the accident she
had enjoyed good health Now. she
testified, she was unable to work be-
cause she could not see.
In answer to question put by her
attorney, Mr. Bullard, she said that
she thought Mr. French, her compan-
ion, careful driver.
You didn't think he was a careful
driver when the car hit the team, did
YOU" asked Mr.. Brown.
II did" was the answer
ATTORNEY BROWN CROSS
EXAMINES.
In conducting the cross-examination
Mr.. Brown tried, It appeared, to dig up
a family skeleton. Yelled questions
relating TO Mrs. Hill's husband We're put,
to which the witness answered promptly.
Mr. Brown asked the witness If she had
ever lived In Vermont previous to her
coming to Burlington in 1909
r do not recollect that | ever did" was
the answer
After putting other questions. Mr.
Brown again asked Mrs Hill II she
couldn't refresh her memory and remem-
Der whether or not she had ever lived in
Vermont
II can't recolect that ever did" she
replied again.
After Mrs. Hin had testified that her
husband was dead. Mr. Brown asked II
he wasn't living in Portsmouth, y. r..
two years ago. The witness laughed and
replied that he was not Mrs Hin was
also asked II she knew about her hus-
band looking for. her in this city when
she was here first. Mrs. I'm replied in
'he negative
DO you remember registering at the
Mary Fletcher hospital the first time as
Mrs. Richardson" was asked.
II do not" answered Mrs Hill
Mrs, Inn couldn't recollect of ever living
In Worcester or of ever having known
Mr.. Richardson previous to her coming
TO Burlington the first time.
Later in the cross-examinatiOn she
testified that her husband had been dead
about Is years and that he died in St
Louis.
The fact that Mrs, Hin didn't know
the name OF F.. F., French the man with
whom she was riding on the night Of the
accident, was made much of by Mr.
Brown. The witness contradcted her
self once, but the tangle in the testimony
was Strengthened out by Mr., Billiard on
redirect examination. This incident led
one to believe that Mrs. HIS memory
was very poor, affected by the accident
perhaps,
Her testimony ultimately proved that
Mr. French told her, while riding, that
his name was French. Mrs. Hin testified