The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1916-07-21
PLANNED TO BE
RID OF HUSBAND
Mrs. Fetch Arranged to Elope, It Is
Satd-Dr. Rowland Tells of
Williams S Statements.

CHELSEA, Vt, July 21.-Dr. VIII
ham Il. Rowland was the main witness
for the state yesterday at the trial in
Orange county court Of Otis Williams.
indicted jointly with Anna Felch for
the alleged murder of her husband,
Joseph Felch, in Topsham last April.
DIR. Rowland testified that from Oct
10 to ID he was in daily attendance ut
the Williams house when the respond
ent S daughter was born. On the night
of the child Is birth, the witness said,
Williams called him into the kitchen
and approached the matter of his re-
lations with Mrs. Felch. Williams said
he was to leave that week for Mere
dlth, n. H., where he was to be Joined
later by Mrs. Fetch. He said he was
physically run down and unable to do
his work.
The doctor said he asked him if it
was right to desert his wife and baby,
to which Williams replied that he
might soon tire of Mrs. Fetch, but for
the moment he was completely under
her influence. He told the witness how
Mrs. Fetch had attracted his attention.
even going to the fields to help him in
has work on her husband s farm He
said Mrs. Felch had a bitter aversion
for his wife, and believed her husband,
who knew nothing Of her love for him,
to be in the way lie suggested She
would find a means to rid herself of
her husband, and it was Mrs. Felch :
suggestion that he 20 to Meredith. She
was to give him 800 and Join him af-
ter she had withdrawn 800 from the
friend, taken what money was in her
husband 5 qoeketbook, sold horse,
COW and a pig, which were her proper
Ity, which would bring the sum up to
$500.
Dr. Rowland advised him not to be
foolish. He called at the house twice
afterwards, but did not meet the re.
spondcnt On Nov 9, the witness said.
he met him in the road. The respondent
said he was then on his way home from
Meredith, as Mrs. Felch had been I'M
able to raise the $4o0.
Williams said he was going to buy
back his furniture and live in the
Paine house in TopSham. He assured
| the doctor that in the future things
would be different. The next time the
witness saw the respondent was at the
home of George f. Mills at Topsham
and was Informed that his relations
with Mrs. Felch were the same as for
merly. He did not see the respondent
between that time and the dav OF the
shooting.
= Stanley c. Wilson. Of counsel for the
defense, asked the witness why he had
never told Felch about his converse
tlons with Williams. The doctor 5 an
swer was that he considered it "a pro.
fessional secret and also none of his
business. The attorney asked if he
would think man crazy or fool who
would tell a stranger such 4 story on
their second meeting.
The doctor replied that he did not
consider Williams normal Asked if hc
considered the prisoner crazy or men
italy weak. the witness replied
Neither, = that he was "psvchologi
cally queer and not quite normal
Pressed for an explanation, the doctor
said he considered Williams mentality
more or less below the average -
Mary Williams. wife Of the respond
ent. was recalled during the morning
session and asked about blood stains
on handllerchiefs and white clothing
found in the Williams house at the
time of the search. She refused to al
NIT that they were carried by her hus
| band. and she could give no eNplana-
ton how they became blood stained