Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1912-03-14
INSANITY DEFENSE
|NTHEPL0OF CASE
Trial of Man Who Shot officer
Christopher Miles Begun in
County Court.
JURY WAS SPEEDILY DRAWN
State S Case Not Completed When
Adjournment Was Taken
after Verbal Clash between
Opposing Attorneys.
JURY WAS SPEEDILY DRAWN

DelusionaI insanity and perhaps som
other kinds, is to comprise the defense
to he put forth by Joseph Ploof charged
with shooting Police Officer Christopher
Miles on june iG. 1all. at IS Ward street,
where Miles had gone to arrest Ploof on
q charge of breach of the peace. P1oof's
trial began in Chittenden county court
Yesterday morning and will proba bly,
occupy all of to-day The respondent Ia
represented by Attorney V. A. Bullard
and Acknowledgement Sargent and
States Attorney n. Il. Shaw are con-
Quoting tho prosecution.
The case yesterday was marked by one
Or two interesting features one of
which was the impeachng Of one Of the
States witnesses by the prosecuting Of
fcers. after the witness had had n fit in
the witness room and been revived by
dash Of cold water In his face The counsel
'or the defense also revealed during the
lay that a strong insanity defense is to
be offered by Ploof, a defense which may
branch out into a wide consideration of
insanity in various forms. The last
feature Of the day was clash between
Attorney General Sargent and V. A.
Bulard. when the prosecuting officers
aad used the grand jury minutes for
the purpose of impeac ching "a witness. The
Ploof case will doubtless furnish some
further interesting points to-day. when
The witnesses for the defense are called
The State did not complete its case last
night and will call more witnesses this
morning
JURY SPEEDILY DRAWN.
A bullet in ones back feels somew hat
ike the sudden blow from heavy axe
recording to Police Officer christopher
Miles. who took the stand in county
court Yesterday.
The jury in the ploof case was speedily
,rawn and considerable progress was
made in the case at the morning session.
The jury is as follows:
Adna Tcrrien Richmond
:. NJ. Williams, Charlotte.
A. o. Porter. Wiliston.
Charles Wilcox. Westford.
Thomas Shean. Milton.
Andrew Liberty. Huntington
r. NJ Whitcomb Essex Junction
y. H. Kcrynor Richmond.
j.. {. rav. Essex Junction
\. T.. Lamb Milton.
George y. Roberts. Shelhurne
Homer Phelps, Williston
The principal witness Yesterday morn
ng was Christopher Miles. who testified
concerning the occurrences on the morn
ns Of the shootin" Miles said he went
TO the house on Ward street with a war
rant for PloCf. He was sent there by
John Ryan. assistant day chief of the po-
jcc department..
Miles testified that he reached the house
between $50 and nine O'Clock. and as he
was entering the house he met Ploofs
mother and sister They told him Ploof
was In a room upstairs and he went tu
the room whore he found Ploof and
read the warrant to him
FELT LINE AXE BLOW.
The officer said he told Ploof to g.,
ready to 90 to the police station with him
and he would wait for Ploof down
stairs. Miles testified that he turned to
go down the stairs and had gone about
four steps when he heard a shot from
b gun and felt blow in his back.
GLOW did i, feel'" asked States At
torney Shaw.
THE only way ] can explain the feel
ing" said Miles. "is to say It felt as
though someone had taken the handle
Of n heavy axe in both hands and struck
me IN the back with the axe blade"
The officer testified that after Ploof
shot him. Ploof raised both his hands
high above his head and started to hack
Into the room he had just come out Of.
How did Ploof look?" asked Mr.
Shaw
He looked ugly then" replied Miles
about his look when you read the war
rant to him.
NO. he looked just as he does now
except that he has bleached out a little
since then. He was tanned up some then :
Did you notice whether no had beer
drinking"
II do not think he had. did not snel
any Intoxicating liquor"
Miles was wearing the coat he had or
1t the time Of the shooting and he dis
played the bullet hole in the back Of tn,
coat to the jury. The blood stained shr
and undcrshirt worn by the officer wer,
also placed in evidence
On crosse Examination Attorney Bullart
questioned the witness concerning his ac
quaintance with Ploof and whether Ploo
had any knowledge that there was war
had known Ploof for some time.
Miles said no objection was made I,
his arresting Ploof.
What was the first you saw OF Ploo
when you went 10 arrest him."
He came out OF his room without hi
!oat or hat"
"What did you say to him.
II said. Hello. PloOf"
nrt ,R L.,
between you and Ploof?'
mot thing or the Kind that | eve
knew about"
The witness said he read the warrau
TO Ploof and told him the charge di
not amount 90 much. Miles said he di
not thdnk tho charge that n man ha
been Quartcling with his wife was Yer
serious one. compared with other Of
lenses. lie said Ploof did not ask rnuc
(COntluued nm mage 81