The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1913-10-20
WREN MURDER
CASE HEARD
On Motion for a New Trial
for Killing j. Stewart
Hamilton
NEW EVIDENCE
WAS THE GROUND
Motion Heard by Judges at
Concord - Decision
Was Reserved

Concord, n. H., Oct. 20.-The argu.
ments on the motion for a new trial for
John H. Wren, convicted of the murder
of j. Stewart Hamilton in Hinsdale on
Feb. 5, 1913, were made before Chief
Justice Robert G. Pike and Associate
Justice Robert n Chamberlin at the
courthouse Saturday. Decision was re-
served
The application is made on the ground
of evidence discovered since the trial
which, if it had been presented to the
court at the time, might have materially
affected the result.
| This had to do with postoffice money
order receipt which is said to have been
| found in the chimney in the house oc-
cupied by Wren before his sudden de-
parture from Hinsdale following the
murder and which had been sent to
Hamilton by woman in Rhode Island
The receipt played an important part at
the trial.
Since the verdict against Wren was
rendered it is alleged that the letter,
containing the receipt and some other
articles belonging to Hamilton, was
found in the ice the day following the
(, murder, by the crew of construction
train near where Hamilton's body was
discovered. Thinking that they might
play some part in the case in the event
of the capture of the murderer the
papers were dug out and were taken into
the cab of the locomotive and and laid
on the boiler head to dry.
1t was further declared that while the
crew was engaged in the operation of
the locomotive a gust of wind swept the
interior of the cab and carried the re-
ceipt out of the window. A persistent
search was made for it, but it could not
be found
Several days later, it is stated, a
young man went to the house to search
for evidence against the prisoner. His
attention was called to a chimney cap
which had been apparently recently dis
turbed and he investigated, but found
nothing. Then, according to the testi-
mony at the trial, the thought came to
him that anything placed in the chimney
at that point must have fallen to the
bottom Therefore he went to tie eel
lar and on opening the door into the
chimney he found the receipt
The contention of the counsel for The
prisoner was that the receipt had been
planted in the chimney by the detectives
engaged by the government on the case
for the purpose of throwing suspicion on
Wren. who had left suddenly after the
murder, in order that they might come
in for the reward should the authorities
secure his arrest for and conviction of
the crime.
To the claim that Wren had tried to
burn the receipt they pointed out to the
court that the discoloration on one cor
ner of the receipt had been caused by
the heat of the boiler on which it had
been placed to dry out and that its APP
pearance was indicative that it had
never been in contact with fire.
It was argued that the testimony of
the members of the crew finding the
papers, which was not available at the
first trial, was material, and that its
presentation to the pury might might
have established in the minds of the
jury reasonable doubt as to the guilt
Of Wren They, therefore, ask the court
that a new trial may be ordered to
enable them to introduce the new facts
bearing on the case.
The prisoner, who is still in the
Cheshire county Jail, through stay of
sentence granted by the court until the
motion for new trial can be deter
mined, was represented by Messrs. Mad |
den. Benton and Pickard of keene, while |
Atty. Gen. James p. futile and 0rville |
Z. Cain, solicitor of Cheshire county, APP |
peared for the state.