The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1913-05-13
A GENERAL DENIAL
OF THE ACCUSATION
Denied Taking Poisoned Or
anges to His Wife
in Jail

| You give poison To that chiid askeu
Attorney W. r. Austin in Franklin coun-
~ court to-day of his client, julius
Wells, who is charged with the murder
of his son. Louis, aged 8, by admin
istering arsenic.
mo, did not was the reply in de-
lnial Of the accusation of the state.
| The respondent, when he first took the
stand to-day in his own defense, was
rather nervous and i'll at ease and he
wept and s9bbed at Intervals but later
he recovered his composure and appeared
calm as he made complete denial OF any
connection with the death OF the boy.
| Moreover, Wells denied he had taken
Ipoisoned oranges or paris green to his
wife when she was in the county Jali,
accused of the same crime as he is now
being tried with. He also denied that ne
/ had told Mrs. Wells in jail to commit
suicide to save him. On the contrary,
| he declared he was trying TO save his
wife because he did not believe her gull
Ity, and he did not now think she was
! guilty. He never tried to divert suspi-
icon from himself.
| The respondent explained why he had
suspicious OF other meRbers OF the fam
lily. He had not had much to do with
the Fisher family and he was suspicious
| OF them because when the children were
sick they vomited pieces OF meat, and
| the Fishers had sent them some meat
| for Thanksgiving. Also Mrs. Julia Fish
er gave his mother, Mrs. Mary Pariseau,
some headache medicine; and that was
| the reason why he was suspicious OF
them. He said he spoke of Lena Fish
| er with suspicion because Mrs. Wells had
told him something.
| Wells testified that he searched their
thousc after Mrs. Wells had been arrested
but he found no trace OF poison. He did
mot know of any possible source OF ar
senic except from rat poison.
/ The respondent was shown the awl
(which was found on Mrs. Wells in pris
| on. and he declared he never had seen
lit before; never saw the tin box or the
rags with paris green on them but he
| identified larger tin box as one he
| had seen. Wells asserted he never tried
to conceal anything from anybody.
Respondents Daughter on Stand.
Augusta Wells. aged l6 years, the re-
| spondent's daughter. was put on the
stand during the forenoon and she as
serted that her father loved his chill
dren. Other witnesses testified to eyi-
ldences of love which the father had for
| his children.
| Peter Lunian Of Swanton, relative OF
Mr.. Wells, testified that he visited Mrs,
Wells in iail. when she said some un-
known man had told her that If she
wanted to get out of Jail she might
do so BY swearing it off on her husband;
but she told Mr. Luman she couldn't do
that because she didn't believe Julius
knew anything about it.
| A letter written by Mrs Wells was
received in court as a standard OF her
handwriting. The state objected to i
| being received in any other way, and
later the court will pass on whether 1t
shall be admitted to show that Mrs.
Wells was inaccurate and that her tes-
Itimony was not entitled to the same
weight as that of person whose MEM
ory is good and testimony accurate.
Mrs. Wells Had spells"
! Among the witnesses during yester
iday afternoon were DR.. l.. G. Holcomb
and DIR. c. l.. Sanderson of Milton, d. e,
Furman. an attorney of Swanton, Man
lev Giord of Milton, Lena Fisher, niece
iof the respondent, and several Others.
Lena Fisher said at one time she was
EMPLOYED at the Wells home. She told
of Mrs. Wells sitting on the floor and
throwing a quilt over her head, but lat
er she was all right. She told of other
strange actions and said at one time
/ they hid the knives from her Witness
| said Mr.. Wells treated the children well.
On cross-examination she explained fur
ther about Mrs. Wells spells
/ DIR. Sanderson told of treating the
Wells family while they lived in Milton
and told of three calls he made when
Mrs. Wells was out of her head, but
l the attacks we're temporary and her
mind would clear after an attack. At
one time he called she got away and was
Il then digging near the cemetery, saying
she was digging grave for her chill
ldren. She talked and mumblcd TO her
self. The witness said Julius was inter
lrstad in the children always. On cross
examination DR.. Sanderson said that
cerebro- spinal meningitis was her all
ment at the time of the cemetery cpl
( sode
DIR. l.. c. Holeomb testified to attend
ing Mrs. Wells frequently and said he
noted nothing abnormal in her ecndi-
Ition.
! Miss Esther Root told Of eonyersing
with Mrs. Wells in Swsnton in regard
to an alleged burglary at the Wells home
and said that Mrs. Wells said two men
had entered the house snd told Of their
/ burning her with acid. Witness was
/ freouent visitor and told Of Mr.. Wells
good treatment Of the children.
Paul Root Of Swanton testified con
eerning the length Of time the Wells
/ family lived in his house. and told Of
the alleged burglary. The children al
wavs acted as II they loved their ia
Z ther.
Other witnesses were States Attorney
iIadd. Mrs. Burchard. Joseph Wells la
/ brother Of Juliusl. :. II. Martin. Swan
ton merchant Fred Brault q Swanton,
! Peter Fisher. brother-in-laW of Wells,
Mrs. Joseph Wells, who testified con