Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1911-09-28
Mr.. FRENCH WAS VERY SHY
Family Ties Deferred Him from
Being Witness.
Mrs. Mary Richardson Not Allowed to
Testify Yeste rday in Chittenden
County COurt--Mrs. Hill De-
mics Drinking Liquor.

at the Ethan Allen club was placed OF.
the witness stand in Chittenden county
court yesterday to TESTIFY In the case of
Mrs Adelaide q. Hill vs. the Burlington
Traction company, I'm which the plaintiff
seeks damages Of S2o00O for injuries sus-
tanned when car of the defendant com
pany collided with a team in which she
was riding. a treror of expectation ran
through the four women in the court
room.
The women. az well as the Interested
men. though, we're disappointed. for the
testimony which would have been given
by Mrs. Richardson. relating to the
acquaintance between her husband and
the plaintiff, Mrs. Hill was ruled out,
and the defendant company. whose wit
ness she was. was given exceptions. The
testimony Of Mrs. Richardson. In the
opinion Of the court, was intended 10
impeach the plaintiff on matters collateral.
THE MAN IN THE CASE
Fred Fremont French the man IN the
case, was the principal witness yester-
day. his testimony occupying a good part
of the day. French, who Is employed
by the Dayton Scale company of Dayton.
Ohio, as a travelling salesman, was the
man who was riding with Mrs. Hill on
the night of October :. 1903, when the car
collided with the carriage.
French admitted that he was an UNI
willing witness, and that he had tried
to avoid being made to testify The
reason for trying TO avoid being n wit
mes, he said, in answer to questions put
by Attorney r. f. Brown, was because
he wished to avoid undue publicity con-
corning ride with a strange woman.
you didn't wish your wife Or daughter
to know of it?" asked Mr.. Brown
Naturally not" was the reply
II developed that Mr. French was wit
ness because a process server in northern
Vermont had chased him in an automo-
bile and had served a subpoena on him
1t also developed that on Tuesday evening
French had seen both the attorneys for
the plaintiff and the defendant in an eff
fort to induce the court to excuse him
from tcstifyinC. Mr. French referred to
the testifyins as an ordeal
In a very well phrased sentence which
might have taken some time to compose
and which caused the court and some of
the attorneys to smile, Mr. French en-
planned how that on the night of the ac-
leading to Pappn's livery, he might not
have told her the truth in regard to him
self and his connection with the stable
Thus, the defendant company's witness
materially helped the plaintiff Mrs Hin
had previously testified that French had
told her he was connected with the stable
GENERAL Story OF MR.. FRENCH.
In general. the recollections OF Mr.
French on various points relating to his
acquaintance with Mrs Hill and Of the
details of the accident were hazy. He
expressed much doubt on many things and
attempted to intersperse a little pniloso-
ply with his answers
TO begin with, the witness was not sure
where he first became acquainted with
Mrs. Nm. lie might have gotten &C
quainted with her first at the postofce
and then again, he might not have.
on the night of the accident ho testified
that he caught up with Mrs. I'm In tho
alley leading to the Pappin livery At this
livery he put up the horse and carriage
hired by him in his business as salesman
He could not remember what conversa-
ton he had with Mrs. Hill beyond that
II led to an invitation to Mrs. Hin to ride
with him, which she accepted. After Mrs
Inn had returned from short visit some
where. where she changed her attire,
they started south and drove over Shell
burne street. They drove nearly to Shell
hurne. returned part way. and took n
road to the left, Driving along this road
they came to Home avenue, that leads
back to Sheburne street.
T,Jr,rS ,fpc mn
At this point of his story the witness
differed materially from that told by the
plaintiff. Mrs. Hill. inasmuch az he
denied going to Queen City Park or
driving to any cottage where family bv
the name Of Wells was supposed to reside.
lie testified that they simply "circled"
until they reached Home avenue.
STORY OF THE ACCIDENT.
Mt French's story Of the accident
itself did not differ materially from that
of Mrs. Hill, He saw the headlight of the
car but Mrs Hil did not see such a
light. His best judgment was that tho
car was so or 100 yards from the cross
ing. He thought he had plenty of time
to get across. so urged his horse along.
In his best Judgment the animal did not
respond to his urging as was its habit.
Perhaps II It had there would not have
been an accident. He didn't know
whether the horse was pointed northerlv
or southerly, as he couldn't gauge points
of the compass in Vermont. He thought,
perhaps. that the horse Was pointed
toward Sheburne way.
THE WHISKEY INCIDENT.
Mr. French adnittel HAVING q l,o,,l.
Of whiskey with him on that night.
from which he might have taken one
drink early in tho evening, He did not
remember that he preferred his flask to
Mrs. Hin following the accident. nor did
he remember Superintendent Jones OF
the Traction company trying to take the
flask from him in the office Of Dir. "
W. Bsylies, He remembered, following
the accident, that some person pickcd up
the flask from the highway and gave il
to him But small amount Of liquor
was gone.
STATEMENTS CHANGED
Tho statement that Mr.. French made
to the State public service commission
regarding the accident was compared with
the story given by him Yesterday The
two statements did not differ materially.
although the witness changed some of the
statements made TO the commission. lie
denied telling Superintendent Jones that
he miscalculated the distance across the
trolley track.
Tuesday evening Mr. French met the at
torneys for the officials OF the Traction
company in the office of John j. Flynn.
when he was asked to give his version OF