Norwich bulletin., 1915-11-23
WESTERLY MANSLAUCHTER CASE
Taken Up Monday at Adjourned Session of Washington County Superior Court-Testimony Occupied All of Afternoon Session and Court Adjourned Until Tuesday Morning-Local Laconics.

The adjourned session of the su- perior court for Washington county convened in Westerly, Monday morn ing, Judge George T. Brown presiding. The first case assigned for trial is Crosby, charged with manslaughter in the reckless driving of an automobile on the Watch Hill road, August Is, 1915. which struck and killed Iona as- let. six years of age. The case as- signed to follow was of a civil na- ture and brought by Albert aslet, fath- CT of the girl. against Andrew J. Mar tin, owner of the automobile driven by Crosby, the plaintiff seeking to re- cover $15,000 in damages for the loss of his cchild. Attorney Fowler, coun- sel for Martin, stated that these cases were so closely related, the criminal and the civil, that it would be unfair to have any part of the jurors who served in the criminal suit, to act upon the civil suit, and therefore ought not to be tried at the same session of the court. Attorney Roche counsel for VaSlet, insisted that the trial be at the present session, as witnesses for the state in the criminal case would be available for the plaintiff in the civil suit After some discussion counsel for defendant asked that the civil case be continued to the Febru-
 
 for trial for the first jury day in Wes
 terly.
 The jury empaneIled for the trial of
 the case of the state against Edmond A. Crosby is composed as follows:
 Amos A. Champlin. Roger F. Dunham,
 Nathan Saunders, Herbert A. Babcock, of Westerly; Marcus Maglone, John
 W. Phillips, of North Kingstown; Will
 lard c. Wye. Charles J. Clark. Everett
 H. 'Whitmrash, Stephen E. Davis, T~0N |,
 ston; William A. Tyler, of Exeter;
 Charles P. Eldredge of Charlestown; Charles W. Rowe of Richmond
 John J. Dunn and Albert P. West
 are counsel for Crosby and the state is represented by Assistant Attorney Town Solicitor Harry B. Agard and the voluntary assistance of Attorney Clarence E. Roche, counsel for plaintiff in the civil case.
 At 11.20 the court took recess until 2 o'clock, to give the jurors time to be
 taken to the scene of the fatality so that they could better understand the evidence that would be introduced. At the opening of the afternoon ses- tosto stated to the jury that the case which they were to consider is a charge brought by the state against Edmond A. Crosby, charging him with manslaughter, the unintentional killing of a human being by the reckless driv- i ing of an automobile, that resulted in the death of Iona Vaslet. Mrs. Vas l let. with Iona, her little brother and | a babe in arms, was on the way to Watch Hill to spend the day. She left Westerly on a car that she supposed was going to Watch Hill, but instead | the car went to Pleasant View, and the passengers for Watch Hi1l including I Mrs. Vaslet and her three children, got | off the car at the station near the 1 switch. with the intention of taking 1 the car following for Watch Hill. While waiting for the car a large au- tonobile bus came from Watch Hill and stopped opposite the station to l take the waiting passengers to the Hill before the trolley car came along. Mrs. Vaslet and her children and the other passengers in waiting crossed l the street to get into the auto bus. The bus was filled with passengers and there was no room for Mrs. Vas let and her children. She then start