The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1913-05-14
JULIUS WELLS ON
STAND TELLS
HIS STORY
Murder Case at st. Adams
win End Today
RESPONDENT IS IN FEARS
Describes His Suspicious of HI,
.Wife's Relatives and Refutes
Her Stories.

other witnesses had testified this
morning in the. Wells murder trial
the respondent, Julius Wells took
the stand to testify in his own be-
half. For nearly two hours he
answered the questions of his at
torney, Warren r. Austin, and this
afternoon he was under cross-eaml,
nation by Attorney General R. E.
| Brown At o'clock the defense
rested 1t is expected that the state
will begin its rebutta tomorrow
morning.
When Wells first went on the
stand this morning he sobbed and ap
peared nervous but soon recovered
| his composure. He denied that he
poisoned his small son, Louis, and
said he never thought his wife did it
| nor did he think so now. He admit
ted that he said that if she did it
was while she was crazy. He said
he was suspicious OF the Fishers be-
cause the children vomited pieces
of meat when they were sick and the
| Fishers, with whom he had little to
do, brought the family meat Thanks
giving day and put it in the barn. He
said the meat was so dirty that Mrs.
Wells had to clean it before she
cooked it. He said he had heard re-
ports that his sister. Mrs Julia
| Fisher, gave their mother. Mrs.
Mary Pariseau. some headache pow
ders or capsules and for that reason
he connected the Fishers with the
| case He was suspicious of Lena
Fisher because Mrs. Wells had told
him something He said he knew
| Alfred Rose was detective while
they were both in jail He denied
telling Rose that Mrs. Wells had con
fessed. The respondent said he told
Rose that If Mrs Wells committed
| the crime she was insane. a belief to
which he now clings.
The respondent denied taking any
| poisoned oranges or paris green to
his wife while she was in Jail. He
said his wife told him that Lena
| Fisher took the oranges to her.
Wells said he never told his wife to
commit suicide. to save him. The
respondent said his wife gave him a
letter TO mail to her from Swanton.
He said in this way he found out she
was writing letters TO herself. He
declared that his efforts had been
to save his wife and he never
thought people suspected him. I'm
der cross-examination the respond
ent told of trying to have DR.. A. l..
Cross of Swanton find out who
bought poison at the store.
Mr.. Wells said he never told his
wife to act as If crazy and said he
did not know she was going to. Re
ferring TO an alleged burglary Wells
said he did not know about 1t. He
said he thought his wife wanted the
money and took it, telling the burg
larry story to conceal the loss. There
were four such occasions he said.
The second time he thought she was
not right mentally. He said he
carried apples and bananas to the
Jail but no oranges.
Among the witnesses this morn
ing was Peter Luman, related TO the
respondent by marriage. He said
that while visiting Mrs. Wells in jail
she said some unknown man had
told her she might get out of Jail By
accusing her husband but she told
witness she could not do that as she
could swear julius knew nothing
about It, letter. written by Mrs
Wells. was introduced as a sample
Of her handwriting. but objection
was made by the state to its beinA
received to show that Mrs. Wells is
inaccurate and that her testimony is
not entitled the same weight as tina,
of a person whose memory is good
and testimony accurate The court
will decide upon that point later.
Augusta Wells, 16-years-old daugh-
ter of Mr.. and Mrs. Wells. told of
the times her mother had said the
house was burglarized. She thought
her father got rough on rats but did
not know where the box was kept
after some of the poison was put in
the cellar.