The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1914-07-22
TESTIMONY OF MRS. WAKEFIELD
 IS REVIEWED Lawyers Objections Fail to Halt Reading of Her
 Statement WITNESSES DESCRIBE FIGHT WITH FLEW Heard Husband Call "I.et Me Up, Jini' After
 Their Tussle

New Haven, July zZ-The tr1a1 CT Mrs. Bessie J. wagehe1d for the mur- der of her husband, William O. Wake field, in June of last year, moved slowly in the superior court today. Most of the morning session was taken up with the reading from transcripts of the notes of the first trial of Mrs. Wakefield. The calling of Coroner Eli Mix and the testimony of one or two other witnesses as to the relations be- tWeent the Wakefield family and that of James PleW, who has already been executed for the murder, furnished the only interesting features. Coun- sel for Mrs. Wakefield fnterposed ire quent objection to the reading of the previous trial records but the cbjec- tions were overruIed in each instance by Judge Joel H. Reed.
 Counsel for the accused woman would not say today whether she would go on the stand. As usual she followed the testimony attentively and appeared more at ease than before
 G. M. Holmes. a reporter at the previous trial of Mrs. Wakefield, re- stunned his reading of the transcript of opened at the point where he left off at adjournment yesterday. He was reading from his notes of Mrs. Wake fields testimony. In this way the story of the quarrel between P1eH and Wakefield in the 1atter's home where. heard the fight in the bedroom and the exclamation of her husband, "Jim. let me up."
 Mrs Wakefield went to the bed room, according to the testimony and took revolver from P1ewss hand and removed a cloth from her husband s face There was a. strong odor of
 t, ~, cz1,<, t,fS4 41.e revolver near shed door, getting it again the next day. She returned to the house and, found the two men sit ting on the edge of the bed Her husband appeared angry.
 Attorney Devine. of counsel for the accused renewed. his objection to the continued reading of these shorthand notes. He was overru1ed. MT. Holmes was permitted to read certain portions or excerpts from his notes as desig- mated by States Attorney filling, MT. Devine again made objection and was again overruled- The story of the fight between Wakefield and Plew was again read. including the remark of Mrs. Wakefield, 'sHe was choking my man." When the men left the house they were together about 1O:3O and Mrs. Wakefield went to bed. Wake field did not return that night
 There was no cross ss-exam1nation Of MT. Holmes but he answered a few questions as to the custom of re- porters in taking notes and the tran scription of them foA the record
 Miss Mabel w. Carter, who also re- her notes. To her testimony. MT. De- vine made a general objection and was overruled.
 Mrs Edith Small, now of Poughkeep- sic, N. r., was called She testified that she had lived in Midd1ebury with l~ I-f<- had two children, one of whom died. Mrs. Wakefield acted as nurse for her in the early part of 1912 and took care of the remaining child, Flew paying the board. Her further testimony had to do with the relations of the Plew and Wakefield families.
 Charles IT. Hyde, Of Bristol, head of the furniture company in that town from Wfilh Mrs. Wakefield bought household furniture on the insts 1nlent plan in 1912, testified to her purchase and also to her surrender of goods, with the explanation that her hus- band had deserted her and that she could not keep up the payments. This testimony was corroborative of that given last week by the bookkeeper of the furniture concern. It is the states contention that at this time Mrs death while claiming that he had de- serted her.
 Charles C. Mitchelson, of Bristol. superintendent of trolley lines there, testified as to time tables in 1912. the time PIew and Mrs. Wakefield made their trolley trips.
 Charles Baldwin, of East Bristol, testified as to a conversation he had with Mrs. Wakefield after the murder, when she told the witness that Wake field had disappeared. He lived at the South street house, Bristol, when the WakefeIds resided there. Plew was with Mrs. Wakefield that morn ing. He did not hear any of their gether.
 Plew handed Mrs Wakefield a let ter which she read and cried. P1ew told him that Mrs. Webster. Mrs. WakeheId's. mother, was sick, the let ter said and that was the reason Mrs Wakefield cried.
 Theodore F. Downey, the state po- liceman of Bristol, was recalled, He had raked over on July the ground where the body was found in the Cheshire woods. His rake turned up nothing.
 At this point Judge Reed warned Attorney Bauby, of counsel for the accused, who had been questioning the witness, against asking unimportant questions and proIonging the trial.
 E. M. Auger, assistant clerk of the superior court identified the court Juames Plew. The indictment is the same as that upon which Mrs. Wake field is now being tried. Recess was taken at this point.