The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1915-07-02
POLAND TO TESTIFY
THIS AFTERNOON
Will Be Last Witness Against His Wife
in Contested Divorce Case-De-
fense to Start Today.

The contested divorce case of CIar
ance A. Poland of Putney, superintend-
ent and acting manager of the Cole
paper mill of that town, against Flor
ence L. Poland was begun yesterday
morning in county court. The court
will sit Saturday in an effort to com
plete the case this week. Many resi-
dents of Putney have been summoned
as witnesses and many others are at
tending court, for the testimony is far
reaching.
Mr.. Poland, in his petition for abso-
lutte divorce and the custody of two
minor children, seven and nine years
old, charges intolerable severity and
misconduct on the part of his wife.
The case of Mrs. Poland, who has pc
titioned for separate maintenance and
the custody of the children, has been
consolidated with that of her husband
and both are being tried at the same
time. Frank E. Barber and Robert c..
Bacon are attorneys for Mr. Poland
and Mrs. Poland is represented by
Gibson s. Daley. The Polands went to
Putney about eight years ago from
Windsor Locks, Conn, where they had
lived for some time, Mr. Poland taking
at that time the superintendency of
the paper mill Both have a wide ac-
quaintance in that vicinity
Witnesses for Mr.. Poland were call
ed to the stand yesterday with the in
tention of proving that Mrs. Poland
had been guilty Of using intoxicating
liquor to excess frequently and had
been in several compromising situa-
tions, and some of them also reviewed
the disturbance at a fraternal meeting
when it was claimed Mrs. Poland as
saulted another woman, claim that
later was the occasion for the arrest
of Mrs. Poland.
A deposition from Edna Fuller of
Maiden, Mass, who had been formerly
in the employ of the family, was in
troduced, and among others who were
called to the stand yesterday were
John Bolhger, blacksmith of Putney
Mrs. Maud Harris, Frank and Dalbert
Howard, Miss Jennie Crawford, all of
Putney, and Mrs. Manning Clark of
South Vernon.
Both parties to this suit filed peti
tions May Is, 1914, Immediately fol
lowing scene at n fraternal meeting
Mrs. Poland was given custody of
the two minor children pending trial
at the last term of county court and
Mr.. Poland was ordered to pay Sl2 a
week for the support of the family
Several other orders in connection
with the case were made later
Evidence in behalf of Mr. Poland will
be completed this afternoon, with Mr.
Poland as the last witness against his
wife. 1t is expected that considerable
| evidence on Mrs. Poland s side of the
case will have been put in before the
| adjournment of court this afternoon.
| Witnesses who testified this morning
| all with the intent to show that Mrs
| Poland habitually drank liquor to ex
cess and had been guilty of miscon
| tduct, included Mrs. Edna Ketchum OF
Putney, Clayton Coane of Brattleboro
Mr.. and Mrs. Ben Howard and Johr
Underwood, whose wife Mrs. Poland
alleges was guilty of misconduct will
Mr.. Poland, all of Putney Another
witness this morning was DIR. L. H
Bugbee of Putney, who testified that
in 1908 he treated Mrs Poland for the
liquor habit
Mrs, Underwood was put on the
stand as the first witness of the after
noon session and was to be followed by
Mr.. Poland as the final witness on that
side of the case.
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