Norwich bulletin. [volume] (Norwich, Conn.) 1895-2011, 1915-05-13
BURLINGTON FOUND NOT GUILTY
Because of InsanySevera Witnesses Testify in Superior
Court to His Theats to Kil-Queer Actions Described
DIR. Pollock of Norwich State Hospital Said the AMIN
Improved While Patient There.

Several witnesses in the criminal SUI
| perior court this morning told of as
saultS made upon them and of threats
/ to kill them by Roy Buddington of
Groton. Buddington is being tried for
4 attempting to poison Fred E. Whipple
| of Poquonoc with a dose Of arsenic
| last March. The trial of the case was
| started Tuesday afternoon.
The jury received the case late in
the afternoon and brought in a YER
| dict Of not guilty on account of in
sanity. A commission is to be appoint
ed to inquire into Buddington's sanity
| to determine whether he ought to be
committed to the asylum again.
Buddington, who is about 20 years
of age, was in the court room sitting
beside his father and Attorney John
C. Geary, who is defending him. He
sat most of the time with folded arms,
looking neither to the right or left.
Threatened to Kill Him,
Amos A. Champlin, janitor Of the
town hall and school, was the first
witness. He was asked by State At
torney Hull to relate the incidents of
dington to which Attorney Geary
raised an objection, stating that il
wasn't pertinent. Judge Shumway
| ruled that the state is evidently try
| ing to prove that the accused is ir-
responsible in which case the testi-
| in. State Attorney Hull stated that
| he was not trying to convict but try
| ing to show that Buddington is not re-
sponsible.
Champlin testified that he was at
| tackled by Buddington about two years
| ago with the threat "T'll kill you"
| the threat being prefaced by an oath.
Charles l.. Burrows, the next wit
ness, remembered when the school
| house in Poquonoc was burned and
| 60, Il 49,
| date as Nov. 3, 1912 He told of find
| ing a boat which had been at Smiths
| lake on the edge of the woods about
| three eighths Of a mile away and he
also told of arriving upon the scene
of an attack by Buddington on A. G.
| Weeks as it was finished.
State Attorney Hull tried to intro
| duce the record of an assault made
| by Buddington upon a little girl to
which counsel for the defense objected
and it was ruled out by the court.
Postmaster Weeks Testifies.
| A. c. Weeks, the postmaster at Po
| quonoc, told of an attack made upon
| him by Buddington about two years
| and a half ago. He said it was get
| ting dark and he was making change
| over his money drawer when Budding
| ton came up beside himu and said
| something. Surprising it was one of
| the children, who had been playing
| in that vicinity, he didn't look up. The
next thing he heard was the remark
from the person standing beside him
| that he had set fire to the barn and
now I am going to kill you" The
| witness looked around and saw the
| man with an uplifted bolt about two
| feet long in his hand over his head
ready to hit him. He warded off the
threatened blow with one arm and
with the other hand he grabbed the
mans throat. He succeeded in down
ing him and it was while he was down
that he recognized Buddington, whose
face was black with dirt Budding
| toms father came along about that
| time and he turned the boy over to
| him.
The boys remark about setting fire
to the barn led him to investigate and
! he found that a lighted match had
| been dropped near a stack of hay
close to the barn.
Threat to Shoot.
William Copp of Groton, brother of
| Bolton A. Copp, told of Buddington
stealing his bicycle about three years
ago, when Buddington threatened to
| shoot him.
| Mrs. Ida C. Dexter, wife of Andrew
| Dexter, was called as the next wit
ness and told of an assault made upon
| her four year old daughter by the
accused. The assault took place about
| three years ago at which time only one
| IIOuS6 SODdIdlSu Il0I llOIu6 1IO1n lIl0
| Buddington home.
Attorney Burrows on Stand.
| Warren B. Burrows, prosecuting at
the complaint by the girls father the
day after the assault and of going to
| the Dexter home that night.
A short time after the Dexter mat
ter, the witness said that he was sit
ting in his office one afternoon when
| hn &nIn IL
ed him if that was Warren Burrows.
| He replied that it was and the voice
| said This is Roy Buddington. Stay
right there for L am coming over to
kill you" Burrows said that he rec
ognized the voice as Buddington's.
| j. In the meantime, when he first
| heard the voice, he called to State Po-
| 1iceman Jackson. who was in State
Attorney HulPs Office and told him to
| listen on an extension wire which the
state policeman did. They both re-
manned in the Office, but Buddington
didn't show up
Was in Insane Asylum,
DR.. Henry M. Pollock, superintendent
| of the Norwich state hospital testified
| that Buddington had been a patient
| at the institution. He was received
| Nov. 81, 1912. When he came to the
hospital, Buddington was considerably
disturbed. He had Authorizations,
| talked disconnectedly and incoherent-
ly, but in a comparatively short time
he became quiet and caused little
trouble.
In the following February, Budding
ton ran away, but he was apprehend-
ed and taken back to the hospital after
some resistance. He seemed to i'm
prove rapidly and to such an extent
that his father often took him for sew
eral days at time. His father was
DESTROYS of having him released, but
knowing Buddington's history he
deemed it i'll advised. He regarded
Buddington as an imbecile and con-
stitutionalIy deficient, the grade of his
mentality being below the normal of
that of a boy of IT. He said that he
was morally deficient and that his
ideas of right and wrong were not
marked He advised against his re-
lease and permitting the boy to re-
turn to his old surroundings, but con-
scented on condition that he be taken
out of the state. DR.. Pollock thought
that If he was allowed to get back 1t
would be dangerous to the community
in which he lived.
The defense introduced several wit
AVs.DeO.Ie+S