The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1913-05-08
State Sprung a Surprise in
the Wells Murder Trial
To-day
WIFE OF RESPONDr
WENT ON ~, &c S'NAND
Told How Her Husband Had
Tried to Make Her Com
NIT Suicide


surprise in the Wells murder case in
Franklin county court to-day by putting
Mrs. Anna Wells on the stand against
her husband, who is charged with caus
ing the death OF his son, Louis, aged s,
by administering poison in the form OF
arsenic Mrs. Wells is charged with the
before the jury before her trial was
called was evidently entirely unexpected,
the plan having been carefully kept u
secret by the state.
Mrs. Wells made it plain that she
was there from choice and that she un
derstood she was not obliged to testify
against her husband.
Question by Attorney General Brown.
Mrs. Wells said her husband brought
her oranges while she was in the county
Jail. two at one time and six at another,
in which there was paris green. He told
her to tell her attorney, S. S. Gushing,
that they had been given her by Mrs.
Julia Fisher his sister. Mrs. Wells also
said that Mr.. Wells brought her some
paris green in little tin box and told
her to take it because the people thought
he killed the children and if she took the
poison it would save him.
Mrs. Wells also said he told her to
act as if she were insane. and she did
try to make the jail officials think she
was insane the day the poison was
found on her, because Wells told her
that if she didn't take the poison or act
insane they would kill her in the electric
chair and burn her body with acid. She
promised him, testified the witness, that
She would take the poison, but she didn't
take it.
Mrs. Wells testified that woman de-
tective was in the Jail the day the paris
green was given her. She said that from
that day till the day she was searched
and the poison was found on her she
cried most of the time, and the detective
woman asked her what she was crying
about.
Coming to the alleged crime itself,
Mrs..4Wells said that the morning the
children were taken sick Mr.. Wells got
up before she did. He had condensed
milk with his breafast and went to his
work as usual, being about the dining
room and kitchen only short time. He
ate his breakfast an hour before the
Others and when she got up she poured
the condensed milk into a pitcher on
the table. Marie and Louis, the chill
dren, had some of the milk twice and
this was after all the Others had been
served.
Mrs. Wells testified that she herself
was sick that morning, just as the chill
dren were, vomiting as they did. The
children were taken sick, sheA said, about
two and half hours after eating.
Said Wells Bought Rat Poison,
Mrs. Wells testified further that she
was with Mr. Wells when he bought
some rat poison. She said that neither
Louis nor Marie could have raised the
trap door leading into the cellar and
that there were no stairs leading to the
cellar.
The woman told of receiving three let
ters while she was confined in the coun-
ty iail before her husband was arrested.
She showed two of the letters to her
husband and he said he thought Julia
Fisher wrote them. The third letter she
didn't show her husband because her at
tornev advised her not to. She said
that in one of the letters was threat
to Kill Mrs. Wells baby. One of the en-
yelopes. she testified, was addressed, she
thought, by her daughter, Augusta
All these letters were admitted as
evidence BY the court.
fslrinc Mrs. Wells testimony, the re-
spondent watched his wife closely and
was visbly affected and i'll at ease.
Attorney w. r. Austin for the re-
spondent. was informed this morning
that subppnaes for the respondents
witnesses were in the hands of the Off
rers and that the witnesses would be
called this afternoon. This is taken to
mean that the state will finish its tes-
timonv either this afternoon or early
There are 80 witnesses Tor
the respondent.
Testimony About Insurance.
Lillian Mossev. boarder at the Wells
house. told that Mr.. and Mrs. Wells
quarreled frequently and that Mr.. Wells
did not appear to like Louis.
Arthur sherman OF this city testified
Yesterday afternoon. He was the insur-
ance agent who had insured the lives OF
the Wells children The policy for Marie
called for SS4O5 and that for LOUIS
S4sO5 Mrs &. +. Bombard, sister OF
Mrs. Wells. told how the respondent had
rallied his wife insane, and at one time
he said that in order to save them both
She ought to act a. II she were insane.
She said that the respondent had told her
be was going to commit suicide and
the witness also said that Mr.. Wells de-
,lared that in order to save himself he
would have to take a false oath.
Other witnesses late Yesterday alter
noon were Drs. Stone and Whitney. who
we're recalled. and Enos Ladue OF Milton.
90 - ~ KT.f4a ,thn testified con-