The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1911-05-11
WOMEN At MURDER
TRIAL SEE HALF
NAKED MAN
Not Disturbed by Unusual Fea-
ture in Dodge Hearing
STATE SPRINGS SENSATION
Produces Letter Purporting to Have
Been Written by Woman charg-
ed With Heath's Death

Guildhall, May 1.-THE submitting
of evidence in the trial of Mrs. Flor
ente NJ Dodge of Lunenburg, VI, for
the alleged murder of William Heath.
a painter, was practically concluded
when adjournment was taken late yes
terday and Judge A. A. Hall, who is
presiding, told the attorneys that he
would expect them to be prepared to
deliver their arguments today II is
not believed, however. that the fate
of Mrs Dodge will be placed in the
hands of the jury tonight as the argu-
ments of the lawyers for the defense
and prosecution may be prolonged.
Spectators in the courtroom were
taken unawares yesterday when Mrs.
Dodge wrote down on piece OF paper
at the dictation of Attorney-General
| Sargent a referencefto "the man who
| shot MIR. Heath" The words dictated
! by the attorney general and written
| by Mrs. Dodge were as follows
December q, 1910.
The man who shot Mr. Heath was
TALL with heavy dark hair, and wore
a cap. They had words in shop
over money. After shooting he went
into the cellar for a few minutes,
then went over a fence and lay down
beside the fence. M. US.
When the encouragement had read
the text of this note from letter post
marked "Brookline, Mass, December
81" the letter and note were entered
as exhibits, together with the account
book of the womans relief corps
which contained entries admittedly
made by Mrs. Dodge The prosecu-
ton contended that the letter as well
as the note was written by the de-
PENDANT Horace w. Shaytor, d Port
land (Me) handwriting expert, testi-
fed that in his opinion the letter read
by the attorney-general, the note
written in the courtroom by Mrs.
Dodge, at the attorneygenerals die
tation and the writing in the relief
corps books were written by the same
person.
A positive denial that she wrote the
letter or that she was in BroOkline
Mass on December q, was made by
Mrs. Dodge. when placed on the stand
in surrebuttal Mrs. Dodge said that
she was at the home of sister in
Concord, VT, on that date, and hel
sister. Mrs. Robert Bennett, corropor
ated her testimony When the de
Tense rested, a recess of few
minutes was taken and then the prose
cution opened its rebuttal case, call
ing as the first witness DR.. w. Ii
) Leith of Lancaster, N. H., who testi
/ fed Tuesday as one of the experts fol
t the defense.
( In connection with Dr. Leith's ap
pearance on the stand yesterday, DR.
) Breitling, who is about the same heigh
; and size as Heath was, was requested
3 to bare his body to the waist, and Dr
: Breitling retired to the judges cham
3 Der to divest himself of his clothing
The courtroom was crowded witt
Y women, but not one of them accepte,
5 the judges suggestion that an oppoI
!. tunity for leaving the room was opei
|. to them and when Dr. Brietling, striI
( ped to the waist, reappeared in court
he seemed to be the object of unusua
attention.
Acknowledgement Sargent then ash
ed Dr. Leth to consider the evidenc
in the case, and, basing his action VI
Q on the evidence and the report OF tn
autopsy, to mark the spot on ID
n Breitlings body where in the wi
v ness's opinion as a physician, the Blu
= let entered Heath's body. DR.. Lett
was so exceedingly careful that he e.
amined DR. Breitliug for 10 or Is mil
- utes, feeling of his flesh and maxim
various measurements. but when
quarter of an hour had passed and h
al had not determined the bullets poir
N of entrance, Attorney-General Sa
Ct gent, visibly impatient, requested d
u Leith to step down from the STAN
: DR.. B. II. Stone of Burlington, tn
y state pathologist, who was then Gale
: without any hesitation indicated c
~ the body of DR.. Breitling the poll
go corresponding to the spot on Heath
w body where the bullet entered, al
If then he left the stand to make We
-, for DR.. Leith, who was again r
". called.