The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1911-06-28
FEW NEW FACTS
ON FIRST DAY Of
OUPL|S TRIAL
Only Routine Testimony Devel-
Oped Yesterday.
BRIEF CROSS-EXAMINATIONS|
Each Witness Told Similar Story of
Alleged Fatal Fight at
"Beartown."
BRIEF CROSS-ExAMINATlONS

Considerable progress was made
yesterday in the trial at Manchester
of Fred Duplis, the young French
Canadian from Rupert who is charged
with the death of Cyrus Motif Of
Sandgate. While a number of wit
nesses were examined but few adj
ditional facts concerning the actual
happenings at the dance in the Bear
town" dance hall on the night of
March II were brought out. The
larger portion of the testimony was
reiteration of the story, with added
minor details, as 1t appeared in the
newspapers at the time.
The state witnesses were each sub
jected to a cross-examination by At
torney Frank G. Archibald, attorney
for the respondent, but the examina-
ton in no case was severe. The at
torney drew from one witness the ad-
mission that he served a sentence in
Dannemora prison. Mr.. Archibald
appeared to be particularly anxious
TO establish the exact positions of the
actors in the drama and on one or
two occasions the efforts of the wit
nesses to determine the points of the
compass sent ripples of laughter over
the audience which were promptly
suppressed by Judge Taylor
One strange feature of the testi-
mony was the absence of converse
ton during the fight in the dance
| hall. According to the witnesses ex-
amined none OF the attendants at the
dance had anything to say. The
fighting seemed to have all been done
with fists without any verbal argu
ment.
IL had been expected that some
thing of a sensational nature would
appear in the testimony when Belle
White, the 16-year-old violinist in
| whose honor the fatal dance was Civ
en-, should be called to the stand but
in this the audience was disappointed
The young girl was in the witness
chair when court adjourned for the
day and ii is possible that the real
cause Of the quarrel may develop
during her further examination. 1t
has all along been rumored that the
tight between Amos Motif and Jim
Duplis originated over the young wo-
man who had left her place on the
musicians platform TO become the
partner of one of the young men on
the floor She testified just before
adjournment that she danced with
Amos Motif.
Mrs MofIit, widow of the alleged
victim of the ARRAY, was kept on the
stand but a short time and was
questioned principally in relation to
the condition of her husband after he
had been taken home on the morning
of March 49,
Amos Motif, son of Cyrus, was the
first of the participants in the fight
to be examined. He testified that Jim
Duplis without a word of explanation
crossed the floor and struck at him
The blow was blocked. Motif stated
that he had seized Jim Duplis by the
left arm and was holding him when
he was twice struck by Fred Duplis
who had entered the hall from the
floor below The first blow, the wit
ness said, struck the back of his
head knocking him to the floor. The
second blow knocked him senseless
|
blow hit him but presumed it was
over the eye for on the following day
his face was black and blue. The
witness told how he helped his father
into the wagon and drove with him tC
their home four miles distant and oil
the visits of the physician and his
death the Tuesday night following
During his cross examination the wit
ness said that he made no attempt tC
strike back during the fight. He sale
he knew 1t was Fred Duplis who
struck him, for he was standing il
position that permitted him to see
Wills T. White of Bennington ties
titled to the making of photographs
of the interior of the dance hall HI
pointed out in the pictures the ringi
made with chalk around small brown
spots on the floor which he had beer
told we're blood He also pointed on
smaller spatters of lighter shade OF
the wall, Attorney Archibald object
ed that the witness had not qualified
as an expert on blood but did no
oppose the Introduction of the pic
lures.
James Price, who said that he wa
20 years of age and was one of thos,
present at the dance, testified that h,
arrived at the hall between and Il
o'clock in the evening. He statet
that he saw the first and secont
: blows struck by Fred Duplis during
! the clash with Cyrus Moffit, but tina
after the second blow he went dow
stairs. He said thai he helped Cyru
into the wagon when he was takel
home the following morning and tina
he saw Fred Duplis leave the hal
He never saw Duplis again until tn
trial began.
On his cross examination the vii
, ness said that he thought Amos an
Cyrus Motif were trying to reac
Jim Duplis' throat at the time tn
s two Motifs had the young man upo
: the floor. He said there were seyel
al sticks of wood behind the stove q
!. the time and that several hours afte
n the fight he came down stairs an
+ saw Cyrus Motif sitting by the FIR
smoking. He remembered hearin
}, Amos call Jim Duplis names. Aske
I. how many times he said once.
s The last witness of the afternoo
o was Belle White who told of her pre-
ence at the dance and repeated tn