The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1916-10-06
Conner Tells Story of Trip
to Boston on Fatal
Day
PRINCIPAL OF HIGH
SCHOOL TESTIFIES
Chief Witness in Prelimina-
ry Hearing at Noun
tainview, N. H.

Mountain View, n H., Oct. 6.--Wheth.
er Frederic L. Small, the former Boston
stock broker should be held pending
Igrand jury investigation of the murder
of his wife, Mrs Florence A. Small, who
was beaten, shot and strangled to death
at her home here, which was burned to
cover the crime, on Sept. rs, or relieved
of the charge of murder on which he is
being held, was the issue of a hearing
in the district court yesterday.
The prosecution, prior to the afternoon
recess, introduced testimony from f. G..
Conner, principal of the high school, that
the cord which strangled Mrs. Small re-
sembled closely a cord which her husband
used to manipulate the lever on his motor
boat.
This cord, the witness said, had been
removed recently from the boat, together
with other articles.
Conner, who also writes insurance. told
|of SmalPs summonng him to his home
last February and, after subsequent ne.
gotiations growing out of that call, buy
ing joint insurance policy for $4,000
covering both himself and his wife,
The trip which Small made to Boston
on the afternoon of Sept. 28, which
was ended with his receipt of news OF
the fire and the disappearance of his wife,
was described by Conner, who accompa
MED Small as his guest. Small changed
the plans for the Boston visit, accord
ing to the witness, deciding only Thurs
day morning to make the trip that day
Conner told of their visit to Boston,
with a dinner at hotel, attendance at
a theatre, and return to the hetel where
a telephone call awaited Small
Because he stood just outside the door
OF the booth, Conner testified. he heard |
the entire conversation. Frank f. Fer. |
zen, hote' proprietor at Mountain l,tw, I
told Small, he said: We've had Il BIZ. /
fire up here. Where is your wife We've /
searched everywhere and cannot find her
We're afraid she is in the ruins
Connor testified that Small exclaimed
my God, can it be true? I'm al alone
in the world. I've lost my pet. II cant
be true"
The hurried return trip by al 3tGo
b@c and the arrival OF Small at y,
-uins were described by the witness, who
stated that the defendants conve, sation
and bearing were natural.
In his examlna ton OF the ruins Of the
Small home Como. said he saw Ii oiaz-
ng object, which he covered with water
I'D louHd ii to be IL 9ody, later dent
ed as that of Ms ierlail The e4ance
.hich had caused t to drop into pool
VI water in the L1er.uent mad preser cd
rom the flames the head, with evidence
/ knotted cord go ,tu the neck .i3ws
, Inch had fractur u Inc skull and a bull
ct wound.
Small did not see the body az that
ime On leaving the ruins of his home,
lonnor testified, Small exclaimed:
There's $4,000 worth of jewelry in there
hat | have no more use for. Anybody
an have it."
Common testified he was positive Of the
lose resemblance between the cord
which encircled Mrs. Smalls neck and
hat which directed the motor boat lever,
ecause, he said, on cruise with the
malls and Mrs. Conner the lever had
ecome damned and Conner was called
pom to fix it. He noted especially, he
aid, the composition of the cord at that
me.
On visit to Small's boathouse since
he murder, Connor said he found the
ord had been removed from the boat
Irs. Conner corroborated her husbands :
as to the resemblance between
he cords, and Ferren testified in corro
oration of the telephone conversation
it'll Small.
Small's actions when he left home for
he trip to Boston were described by
Gorge Kennett, who drove him to the
alton. Kennett said he went to the n
mall home in response to a telephone h
III. Arriving there half an hour be- W
re the appointed time, he found Small =,
Waiting him at the door. In leaving, \,
lie witness said, Small turned and said 90
food bye" apparently to Mrs. Small. nj
e did not see her, he testified, nor did r.
see any waving of hands or anythins :,
Sc to indicate her presence in the house. !
Under cross examination Kenneth ties n,
fed that Small had greeted him with -,
lie words: well, George, I'm glad r
III got here early" :,
w. S. Chase, rural free delivery car ~
,r, who also writes insurance, told of ~
gotiati with Small regarding insur- d,
ice, and Charles Sagell, a grocer, testi- 81
d to his observations of the Small ~
iIsehold. ~