The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1913-11-14
ACCUSED MAN
ACCUSED ANOTHER
Louis Gomez, Respondent, Said That Ra-
fonel Poras, Now Absent, Shot
Matthew Gordon in the Leg
at Northfeld.

Further testimony that the state had
made mistake in arresting Louis Co
mez, instead of Rafonel Poras, for shoot
ing Matthew Gordon in Northfeld one
night last summer when Gordon and Il
woman companion were met by two men
was presented by the defense in the
trial in Washington county court for !.
sault with intent to kill. Come a
self went on the stand late ~ .ay
and, while admitting that he W one of
the two men, he asserted that Poras
was the fellow who did the shooting,
that he himself never had a revolver
and didn't have one that night. Poras'
present location is uncertain.
In the first place one witness, Ric
ardo Fernandez, went on the stand and
presented the defense's first evidence
along the line that the state had a
case of mistaken identity on its hands
He said he boarded at the same house
with Poras; he heard three shots on the
night in question:; later Poras came in,
pulled out a revolver opened it, letting
three empty shells fall, and then reload
ed the weapon.
Next came A. Fernandez to the stand,
he being brother of Ricardo. He board
ed at the same house. He saw Poras
the next morning after the shooting but
hadn't seen him since, but he got let
ter in July, in which he was informed
by Poras that the latter had left his
revolver in an old shoe in the house.
Witness said he went to the place indi-
Gated by the letter. found the revolver,
discharged it to unload it he also found
three empty shells in his brothers room
On being cross-examined. A, Fernandez
said he didn't tell Chief Donohue of the
three shells, although he had talked with
him about the shooting; also that he
found his letter from Poras a few weeks
ago after Gomez was arrested.
Pedro Mier, another boarder at the
same house in Northfield, testified that
he saw Poras come home the night OF
the shooting, take three shells out of
a revolver and reload the weapon. The
witness started to say that Poras told
him about the shooting, but the evidence
was not admitted.
0noreo Monte, who lived at Hardwick
when Poras was there, testified that he
went into q Hardwck store and picked
out revolver for Poras about year
ago, which revolver was like the weap-
on shown to the witness in court. He
had seen this revolver again at North
field. but never again at Hardwick.
At this point the respondent was TAX
en- to the witness stand. Born in Spain
27 years ago, he had lived in America
four years. On the night in question
he was invited by Poras, whom he had
known two days, to 90 up King street
in Northfeld; they saw man and
woman on the edge of the road; they
walked by several steps but didn't speak
TO them; Gordon spoke first, saying:
What are YOU doing here 2" to which
Gomez replied: Nothing"
Witness then said that Gordon came
down into the road and lit him Gomez,
on the right cheek; then shot was fred
and Gordon seized Gomez and threw him
TO one side, afterwards running; then
came more shots. The witness said he
saw Poras fire two OF the shots and
heard the other. He didn't have re-
volver, be testified,
Being cross-eXamined as to why he
had gone away from Northfield, the re-
spondent said he was afraid to tell
about the shooting for fear he himself
would get shot. Other witness were put
ON the stand to show that Gomez was
inclined individual.
The arguments were made in the case
his forenoon and the case went to the
1lrV at nnnu