The Brattleboro reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1907-1912, 1911-06-02
SMITH MAY KNOW
HIS FATE TOMORROW
Slayer of C. C. Mundell Testified
in his own Behalf.
SAYS HE SHOT IN SELF DEFENSE
Attorneys in Wardsboro Murder Case
Made Closing Arguments This Morn
ing-Mrs. Smith Admitted She Told
State Attorney False Story.

Windham county, second murder
trial at the present term of court il
nearing its end, and the fate of Caspai
N. Smith of Wardsboro charged will
! killing his hired man Clark c. Mundell
on the morning of April q will probably
| be known by tomorrow night. The ar
guments are being made today and II
! is expected that Attorney General }. G
Sargent of Ludlow will finish his sum
ming up for the state this afternoon
| 1t is believed that the court will order
a recess until tomorrow after the argu
ments close and that the court S charge
to the jury will take only portion OF
morning the defense began its summing
up. A. V. d. Piper of Jamaica, chiet
counsel for the respondent, analyzed
| the testimony introduced on both sides
and was followed by State S Attorney
| Frank L. Barber, X. c. Bacon of Brat.
| tleboro closed the arguments for Smith
and the attorney general completed the
state S summing up. The case opened
at Newfane Monday morning and has
occupied the court S attention all the
week. Much of the testimony given
was of such a nature as to preclude its
| publication. The story of the death of
Mundel in Smith s home on the morn
ing of April 81, when it is alleged that
Smith returned home to find his wife
and Mundell asleep in the same bed
| has been told more or less in detail in
| this paper.
The case was called when court con
vened Monday afternoon. From We
nire of 80 talesmen the following Jury
was selected Merrill F. Proctor of Bel
lows Falls, hotel clerk; S. F. Cakes of
| Cambridgeport. farmer; Peyton R. Holt
of South Londonderry merchant; Ern-
! M. Glazier of Cambridgeport, farmer;
J. Edward Hall of Brattleboro retired;
Arad G. Fellows of Newfane, sawyer;
Henry NJ Roberts of Jacksonville,
farmer; Henry f. Stillwell of Bellows
Falls, retired; Will A. Wood of Putney,
farmer; Edwin G. Barnard of Bellows
Falls, jeweler; Henry Hazelton of Put
ney. farmer. The empanelling of the
jury took two hours. The state did not
outline its defense The first witness,
Dana H. Gilman of Brattleboro, took
| the stand shortly after A clock and
was the only person examined Monday.
Mr. Gilman exhibited drawings of the
Smith premises together with plan of
the first floor of the house which showed
the sleeping room of the Smiths. The
plans showed the route taken by Smith
through several rooms on the morning
of April 81, when it is alleged that he
returned home and did the shooting
which resulted in the death of Mundell,
May l. No attempt was made to show
the circumstances under which Smith
found his wife and Mundell Court ad-
iourned at o'clock.
That self defnse would be the line
of defense was indicated Tuesday when
Mrs. Amanda Smith, wife of the re-
spondent, told her story of the shooting
of Mundell by her husband. 1t was
evident that the woman was telling a
different story from that given to
the prosecution shortly after the affair.
The attorneys for the prosecution ap-
peared surprised as Mrs Smith related
the events connected with the tragedy
in her home on the morning of April 81.
Photographs taken by Frank Smead
of Wardsboro of the Smith premises
showing both the interior and exterior
of the house were introduced as exhibits