Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1914-03-05
BUFFUM VERDICT
IN FIRST DECREE
Jury Finds Woman Killed Hus.
band with Poison, but Rec
Ommends Mercy.
IS OUT NEARLY 5 II HOURS
Is Sentenced to Die in Electric
Chair at Auburn Week of
April Emotion for
New Trial Denied.
is OUT NEARLY s II HOURS

|
guilty of murder in the first degree for
poisoning her husband Willis Buffum,
who died on August "a The verdict
carried a recommendation for mercy
Justice Brown at once pronounced the
death sentence, fixing tho week of April
| & for her execution in the electric chair
| at Auburn. She VIII start for Auburn
| tomorrow morning.
When Mrs Buffum heard the verdict
, she never lost her cold composure She
| was standing when the foreman an
nounced the jurys finding. and she "e-
| NAMED her feet without wavering,
| pale faced and sullen. Beside her sat
| her mother and her little son, Francis,
who awoke to hear the sentence. She
| kissed him good bye, Attorney Collins
at once moved for a new trial. An
appeal will be Immediately paced before
the court of appeals for stay of eXecu
| ton and new trial.
| The jury returned for instructions
once during the five hours.
I'VE wish to know asked Juror
Gere. whether we can find a verdict for
! anything other than murder. first de-
gree"
Judge Brown referred them to his
charge outlining what the law requires
| That did not satisfy.
There Is one point on which we have
| grave doubt" Mr.. Gere continued I'VE
have doubts about the methods used to
get the confession
faint IN CONFESSION.
May | ask the court to charge" said
| Attorney Collins, that If the statements
! obtained at Niagara Falls were Initiated
! by illegal means the presumption of law
, is that the subsequent confession would
have the same faint unless the contrary
clearly appeared"
! The court so charged.
| While the jury was out Mrs. Buffum
sat inside the rail with her mother on
her left and her brother Arthur, on her
right. Nearby was her little son Fran
els, - years old. When the jury filed
in, Mrs. Buffum watched enc, man in
tently. Elmer Gere, the foreman, arose
and said:
1--WE find the defendant guilty of the
murder as charged in the Indictment.
with a recommendation for leriency"
| Mrs. Buffum looked quietly toward the
| Judge. Then adjusting her coat about
! her shoulders, she moved close to the
bench She asked Mr. Collins to come
with her He stood beside her as she
| raised her right hand unwaveringly and
answered the questions rs to sge, par
cntage and education.
Justice Brown said
I'm view of the evidence, Mrs. Buffum
| no other verdict than the one reported
| could have been found by the jury The
state exactly prcscrbes the penalty for
the awful crime of which you are con-
| victed and the court has no choice. Much
AS ] would like to show YOU the lcniency
| and the mercy urged, | must sentence
! you. | sentence you to be put to death
! In Auburn prison some time during the
week of April 5, 1914"
MOVES FOR NEW TRIAL.
Patrick S. Collins, the woman's attor-
| ney, after the sentence moved for new
| trial on the grounds that the jury had
| had access to newspapers, that the court
| had erred in charging the jury contrary
| to law, that there had been improper
| rulings during the trial and upon all the
| exceptions taken during the trial.
Judge Brown denied the motion
| After the jury had filed out. Mr. Collins
| talked to Mrs. Buffum. He cautioned her
| not to try death in the jail, not to at
tempt her life. He said: Don't let this
worry you. You will not die in the chair
| Just brace up"
Fifteen minutes after the jury retired.
Juror Gcre asked whether a verdict less
than murder. first degree. could be con-
sidered Mrs. Buffum smiled when she
h,.. Ia.
rail with her mother and brother.
Justice Brown began his charge to the
jury at $3.50 p. m. and made an exhaustive
summary of all the evidence In the case.
carefully balancing statement against
statement He said that If the jury de-
clded that improper methods had been
used to secure the confession of Decem-
Der 10 in which Mrs Buffum said she
poisoned her husband Willis Buffum, the
jury should not consider it. The confess
sion in itself. he said, was not sufficient
to convict unless there was other proof
that a crime of murder, first degree, has
been committed.
SPECTATORS BRING LUNCHES.
In response to question from a
juror. Justice Brown said that the
death of Laura Buffum from poisoning
after the similar death of her father
could be considered only as it illus
trated the symptoms of poisoning a0d
it's effect on the human system.
So great was the interest in the trial
o-day that country folk began 20 ar
rive in Little Valley as early as five
o'clock in the morning. They brought
their lunches and sat through the en-
tire session from nine o'clock until the
jury retired.
Mrs. Buffum had a handk crchief con-
stantly to her eyes as her attorney
Patrick s. Collins, made n final plea
for acquittal. He told the history of
her life and education, picturing her
girl married at Is to n farmer. work
Ing on a farm and raising n family
of seven. always faithful. always low
ing toward her family despite the vile
charges her husband had continued
during the 20 years of married life.
BLAMES DEAD MAN
Mr.. Collins insisted that the confession
had been secured by threat and fear. by
drink, by persistent bounding of the pri-
vate detectives and the use of fake telc-
ed that Willis Buffum had a suicidal ten
dency, a mind deranged by drink. and had
himself caused his own death and the