The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1915-03-08
HALIFAX CASE IN
MUNICIPAL COURT
Charge Is Made Against Eli S. Cooke
which He Says Is Wholly False
Witnesses Say They Peeked.

Another disagreeabIe ease with its
origin in Halifax is occupying the at
tentiOn of Judge F. L. Barber in the.
court today and promises to
extend into this evening or over
through a part of tomorrow. 1t in
wolves Eli :. Cooke, prominent resi-
dent of Halifax, and Mrs. Emma Stan
eliffe, a widow, who is under the guard
ianship of Mr.. Cooke. 1t is claimed |
that she has property to the value OF |
from 81, 800 to $4,000 and Mr.. Cooke is
accused of improper conduct with his
ward.
The weakness of the state s case
thus far is the very evident personal
interest of its witnesses and an APP |
parent i'll feeling on their part toward |
Mr.. Cooke. The hearing is on the ques
tion of whether there is sufficient evi-
dence against Mr.. Cooke to hold him
for trial in county court. There has
been hard feeling on the part OF the
Niles family toward Mr.. Cooke, and
the latter claims that the accusation
against him is absolutely false.
Some evidence for the prosecution
was taken behind closed doors two
tinued its ease in open court this morn
morning involved the question Of how
much of a room was visible from a
cellarway if one looked through a
stovepipe hole which was well filed
with hot stove pipe. This feature
of the case refers to the home of Ed
ward Niles. where Mrs. Stancliffe has
been making her home of late. AS Mr.
Niles is unable to use his left exc much
of the direct testimony and testimony
on cross examination had to do with
how much of the room was visible by
the use of the right eye only.
Ralph !. Phillips and Ralph Winu,
! both relatives by marriage of the wo-
man, testified as to what they had
seen. aud upon cross examination tes-
Titled to not having had much to do
with Mrs. Stancliffe until the agitation
over her relations with Mr. Cook had
/ been started. Mrs. Stancliffe is over
so years of age and Mr.. Cook is over
l70.
Both Phillips and Winn denied that
they had sought to be appointed
guardians of Mrs. Stancliffe. Phillips
admitted on cross examination that he
and Ralph Winn had prevented re-
Gently an attempt TO have Mrs. Stan.
feiffe moved from the home of Mr.
Niles. On that occasion Constable
Reed, DR.. Thomas, Perle Crosier and
Mr. Sparks went to the Niles 5 home
for the purpose of removing Mrs
Stancliffa.
Phillips said, in answer to Il question
as to whether he had not desired tc
be appointed guardian, that he would
mot take the Job for $1,000. He said
1.-THE woman lived at his house week
af h,lcI InF
to the home of her brother, John. when
they We're to have company one day
iand never returned. He never heard
that she had made complaints over hi:
treatment of her.
Mary Niles, II. daughter Of Mrs Eva
Niles, testified that she had seen the
respondent and Mrs. Stancliffe kis.
each other when he entered the room
occupied by the woman. Her place OF
vantage was the stovepipe hole, usei
apparently by all the witnesses for thC
prosecution.
Court took q recess at 1910 unit
80.
Chase & Chase appear for the de
Tense and State 5 Attorney Hughes fo
the prosecution.
) The early part of the Afternoon
= session was taken up with testimon,
Of Newton Stone of Valley, who testi
: fed that the reputation of Mrs. Nile
was ''about level c. s. Chase o
counsel for the defense forced the wit
. ness to admit that "perhaps he ha
: told the lawyer this morning that he
reputation was below par.
. Other witnesses who testified for tn
respondent as to his character an
reputation included Charles II. Vast
:. of Jac ksonyille, Fred Miller of Hall
; fax. who said he ''went down to tn
Icesspool often enough to hear an
: stories being told;'' William B. Wa,
!, ren, seIectman of Halifax who coul
y not tell how many years he had bee
selectman, Albert G. StetSon, forme
! postmaster of Jacksonville, Otis v
/ Amidon, a former selectman of Halifa
II and Emory F. Reed, merchant G
Jacksonville. All knew nothing deros
. latorv to Mr. Cooke 5 character.