The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1916-04-05

nell.
Walter stated that his father told
Congdon he would 'knock his block
off if he didn t unload those logs :
Congdon replied that he had nothing to
do with the logs. Witness stated that
his father directed him and his broth
err, Newell, to unload the logs. When
they had unloaded the logs at the lower |
pile they started for the pile which was
up the hill. Here they found two sleds |
loaded with logs, witness stated, also /
saw Gibson, Scion Spaulding and Will |
| liam Morse working there. He imme |
diatelv started in to take the logs of |
one of the teams, he declared, when /
he heard a great commotion and, look
ing up, saw the men running towards
them and heard them say: = Get away
from those logs and let them alone
At this point Gibson, with a cant
hook, was standing within 10 feet of
his father, Walter declared. He said
that his father said, Stop right where
you are, Gibson; you know better than
this. | want you to unload those logs.
. Gibson then threw the cant-hook at
my father with such force as to double
him up witness stated. Walter then
started for Gibson with the sled stake
and a struggle ensued. Witness kicked
Gibson away from him.
About this time witness heard two
shots and Gibson settled to the ground,
AS soon as witness could get to his
feet he went to Gibson S assistance
cut his pant leg and with a strap bound
up his leg Then he sent Scion Spauld-
ing to get his father S team to take
Gibson to his home. In his cross-ex-
animation he told practically the same
story.
Mrs Leighton, the wife Of the
murderer, a good-looking woman about
40 years old. said that on Feb. p she
sent Wallace, her young son, to notify
her husband of the trouble in the
, woods. In the meantime she stated
that another son, Newell, had been
! down to the log pile and had trouble
with the men. She told of Newell COM
ing into the house with his face cut
, and bleeding and covered with snow,
: and that he later took his gun and re
, turned to the woods. This frightened
: the mother, she said, and led her to
send for her husband, fearing there
p would be serious trouble, and that New
. ell might be killed. This was all She
y knew of what took place until after
. the affair.
Wallace Leighton, the 12-year-old son
f of the defendant, was the next witness
), This little fellow, who has been the
. man of the family since the arrest OF
"
! sawed and split all the wood used i'll
- three stoves since Feb. "a, besides tax
- ing care of Il number Of cows and {
! horse for several weeks, came int
court and smiled assuringly at his faith
] err as he took the witness stand The
- father 5 eyes filed with tears while h,
- listened to this little fellow, who's.
~ head barely came to the top of thl
Judge 5 bench, tell the court what h
" knew of the affair.
- He answered the questions promptly
He told of how he went after his latu
y err en- the morning OF Feb p, teliins
- him when he arrived at the Joslvn
~ THAT there were some men il tn
~ woods and they had half killed New
~ ell - He told of their stopping at tn
Joslyn house. where they picked up tn
- sled stakes. BY the tilpe Attorne
e. Trainor had finished his eZaminatio
L the tears were rolling down the cheek
~ of the little fUf4Ow. He vvae-vFoss-es
amined briefly and sebbed eltN: TIA
answers to the state S attorney III
Quiries and left the courtroom sobbin.
The defendant next took the Stant
and for nearly four hours he was g
amined and cross-examincd by Attorne
Trainor and Attorney General Barbe
l. He said that when he reached the 70
- pile Congdon was there, and as L
= jumped out of his sleigh Congdo
- laughed at him. Witness told Congdo
that he wanted him to unload the los
and get off his premises or he woul
knock his block off
in At this time, he stated, he did ne
n know Newell had a gun with him unit
y he asked him if he should bring h
-" gun along. He told him to do so, IA
-, reason being, he testified, to frighte
;. the other men. Later he heard con
l. motion and saw the men running dow
- the roadway with Gibson a little b
) hind.
= When Gibson came up to him he sal
"a Stop right where YOU are, boys; C1i
4 son, you know better than this.
At this point Gibson threw the can
1 hook he was carrying at him, witne
stated, and it struck him across ii
stomach and doubled him up. Gibst
then grabbed Spaulding's canthoo
Leighton stated, in an attempt to stril
him again; then Gibson told the ms
to "gets into the boys
Leighton said that he then fired
gun, aiming toward the ground al
near Wheeler's feet. Wheeler Jump
back, he stated. While witness "
reloading his gun he said that Wheel
b c+o fop Il