The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1916-07-31
State Begins Examination
of Witnesses Regard
ing Auto Smash
MISS WALKER TELLS
OF BERN NARDSTON TRIP
Says Boyd Had One Drink of Whiskey
There Thomas Said He Smelled
Liquor but Would Not Have Thought
Boyd Was Intoxicated

The trial by jury of Harry Boyd,
charged with disturbing the peace by
driving an automobile July 3 in such
manner as to trighten several people
and inlnre others, was begun this
morning before Judge Frank +. Barber
III the municipal court. At the noon
recess the state had not finished pre-
senting the case for the prosecution.
Boyd was driving In automobile July
3, which coliided with the covered
highway bridge over the West river,
crashed into a carriage in which were
riding Mrs. j. c. Newton and Mrs
Henry Gilfeather and knocked down
Nelson Derby. Mrs. W. NJ. Randall.
one of the three occupants of the au-
tomobile, was thrown or fell from it
in the bridge and was seriously injured.
The first witness was Miss Edith
Walker, one of the three who were rid
ing in the machine at the time of the
accident. She testified that thev had
been to Bernardston and that Bovd
drank only one glass of whiskev. She
did not see him drink anything else.
| She was questioned at length regard
ing her testimony at the inquest. but
! denied that her story then had been
! lttiHNitHt lHdl II WAS lHIS morning.
| She testified about the trip home and
| that the machine first hit the inside
/ of the bridge, caromed against the
carriage and later hit Nelson Derby,
who was walking through the bridge,
! Benjamin A. Crown. a photographer,
testified as to some pictures taken by
him July of that part of the bridge
where the machine struck the bridge.
! Police Chief George Wilson testified
1 to visiting the scene of the accident
soon after it was reported and identi-
| fled piece of two-bv-four upright
that he had found on the floor of the
bridge as one that had been broken
off
f. r. Thomas, at whose house BOYD
and Miss Walker telephoned for
physicians and other aid. testified that
he smelled liquor on Boyd s breath
but that when the respondent got ont
of the machine and walked around to
icrank it, he would not have thought
from his actions that he was intoxi-
Icated. He testified that the bridge is
i2l5 feet long and that the accident
Happened 40 feet inside from the
southern end of the bridge
/ Mrs. Gilfeather testified that she
and Mrs. Newton were driving toward;
Brattleboro in the bridge on THEN
fright hand side when the machine en-
tered "like lightning struck the
fright hand side of the bridge, hit the
rear wheel of their carriage. spring
ing the axle and doing other damage
Their horse ran nearly to the top OF
the hill before they succeeded in stop
ping it. She went back into the bridg.
and found Mrs. Randall living on thu
floor, bleeding and unconscious. Sh,
denied that there was another automo
bile in the bridge. Mrs. Newton cor
, irohorated the story of Mrs Gilfeather
Alonzo Wheelock, employed on the
Frederick Holbrook farm, testified that
he was driving north from Brattleborc
and when at the top of the hill aboui
300 yards before reaching the bridge
an automobile containing three people
whom he did not know at the time
passed him. He said that the machine
was travelling at 40 miles an hour
few seconds later he heard a crash am
screams. When he got to the scene ht
recognized Boyd and identified Mis-
Walker as another of the party.
The case is being continued this af
ternoon. State s Attorney o. B. Hughe
, appears for the state and Attorney Har
rie B. Chase for the respondent.