The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1914-12-31
INTENDED TO BREAK
THE LIQUOR LAW
But Don A Bisbee Testified He Would
Not Have Sold Wood Alcohol Had He
Known the Liquor to Be Such.

Middlebury, Dec. 3l,-Don A. Bisbce
| the Bristol man charged with mansaugh
ter in connection with the deaths OF |;
men, supposedly from poisoning by wooc
alcohol, sold to them by the prisoner
was on the stand for one hour late yes.
terday afternoon He told the court oi
ordering and receiving from a firm in
Troy ten gallons OF liquid supposed
to be cologne spirits, which he admitted
he intended to sell contrary to law. Some
Of this liquid, he said was sold to Cyrus
ICurry, the victim whose death forms the
present basis OF the case
"Wouid you have sold wood alcohol,
Bisbee was asked, I'll you had known it
TO be sueh %
On the point of breaking down and
with tears in his eyes, Bisbee replied
Il certainly would not have sold it if
| had known it to be wood alcohol"
II sold from four to five gallons Of
alcohol week, he added. "All those
who died were my friends. some very
personal friends"
Bisbee asserted that the liquor came
to him labelled cologne spirits from
/ Ivy ~ - = HEHt AHI llhL ne WAS HOb
aware of the real nature of it. Counsel
for the state announced that it was con
ceded that the Troy firm shipped "col
ogne spirits" but declared that man
tof Bsbec's wide experience should have
known the mistake.
Bisbee said that be was a graduate in
medicine of western university and
rad practiced five years in the West and
two years in the East. From 1881 to
1904 he had been a druggist and for the
past ten years has conducted general
store, selling patent medicine, but not
filling prescriptions
His wife obtained divorce two wears
ago. Since he has been in jail he has
written a dozen rTTiers to Mrs Lillian
Brandow, who, at various times, had
been employed in his store, and she has
answered four cr five of them Accord
ing to the testimony Of Dir. Bisbee he
wrote III one letter:
u didn't write you yesterday as ! eX
pected Donoway 50 that | would know
what to tell you. You must remember /
about the ten-gallon can and label, il /
being cologne spirits and how spelled?"
After the noon recess DR.. c. F Whit |
ney was called by the defense to describe /
the contents of the cologne spirits and /
the value of the same
Attorney Page then called Mrs Bran
dow, who was asked to identify the can
" hich figures in the case She said that
the name on the can had been obliterated
by daubing it over with shoe blacking.
Sne identified Il by the labels. said il
anne by express and that it was opened
n her presence.
Woman Worked For Bisbee
The stuff in the can was put into small
ans and bottles which were placed in
heir usual position on the shelf and
fterwards she Wasatd of the label on
he can with water The can was then
hown to the Jury. She Also stated that
here was another package delivered BY
Xpress which contained bottles in car.
ons.
Attorney General Barber asked how
oug she had known the doctor and
he said for he past = or 3 years and /,
hat she had worked for him several ,
lines 2 week end at times had spent I
ONE time in the store. but never at
ended the store except when he was
resent She was at the store when the :
vpress arrived and helped the doctor in !
implying the can but did not knew that :
q sold liquor az that time. When the Z
ans arrived She said she heard Bis :
re say, "cuss the stuff I will get out OF . ,
in the spring
The witness said that She had not I
rttcu Bisbec, hut thst she bad re- !.
lived three Or four letters from him. I
nd that H. always addressed her as 4
Dear Friend"
She said -hc di3 not read q letter from
isbec saving - would ten hr, some
ling she must remember and that Don.
way would not take his case unless he G
as sure OF winning. and that She had
, letters Of his al the present time
She said she helped in emptyinc tho
~ and put the contents In the onc-pal- .
N cans and that She did not know of "
IN coming ten days prior 10 the one ''
cntiored and d.d not know that il was e'
"a for and was never present when u
luor was sold and did not see Mrs 20
imhail buy anything but on hearing Y
the death Of sam King She notified ~
r. Bisbec at midnight but did not erase Hi
bel on the can AZ that time. She was u
quainted with KING and had seen him y
ere at the stne also know 0'Rricn ga
BE- others she aid not know Sic never %
reited letter from Bisbcc directing "
q ~ destrot the stamp - the an ~
,m = 4. Thompson s Sons Attorney oi
re tar tiia defpH.e then called station qH
sert Fi.k 81 Nrw Haven Junction aa
IS vas shown paper uaieh BE- ideu
ied. hat AID not have tEr records ~
p anrre-s eUuuanE vita him ~
M
LOST MONEY on MILK p,