The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1916-12-28
SAYS SMALL WAS
ABUSIVE TO WIFE
County Solicitor Hin Says He Has Evi-
dencc That the Accused Man Even
Made a Threat TO XIII Her.

osslpee, n. H.. Dee. 2s.-'rhe case upon
which is based the states charge that
Frederick l.. Small strangled aud shot bis
wife, Florence A. Small, afterwards ar
ranging fire which almost destroyed
the evidence of the crime, was outlined
to-day 10 the jury by County Solicitor
Walter d. II. Hill.
His summary of the prosecutions ma
terial indicated that testimony not pre-.
viously made public would be brought
out. Threats by Small 60 kill his wife
and abusive treatment OF her would he
related, he said. An insurance policy OF
S20. 900, obtained BY Small as a joint in.
strument covering the lives OF both and
payable 10 the survivor, was emphasized
as link in the eircumstantial chain.
Wires, spark plugs and alarm clock parts
found in the basement OF the cottage
would be the subject of testimony OF
witnesses regarding possible use in con
nection with starting the fire, the sole.
tor stated. He told the jurors also of
an inventory of the contents of the cot
tage drawn up carefully in minute de-
tail and found in small satchol after
the fire.
The jury yesterday afternoon made the
Journey of five miles from the courthouse
TO the cottage at Mountain View in a
large pung drawn by four horses while
Small and his guards were conveyed in
a smaller sleigh. Automobiles carried
the rest of the party, the judge counsel,
the official stenographer and the news
paper correspondents.
County Solicitor Walter ID. II. Hill In
dicated where the doors of the house had
been, the position of a revolver relative
to the spot where the body was found,
the site Of Small's workshop in the rear
of the house and the location of neigh
boring cottages.
Sydney +. Stevens, for the defense, di-
rected the jury's attention TO a hatchway
door, over flight of steps leading from
the outside of the house to the cellar and
to cleat on the inner side which served
as fastening for the door Mr.. Stevens
pointed out that under this cleat, when
it was in a position that would leave the
door unfastened, the paint was scarcely
damaged. while the rest of the door had
been seorched and partly burned away.
1t is understood that the defense will
contend that this evidence supports its
theory that in Smalfs absence tramp
entered the house, killed Mrs. Small, set
the fire and left by the hstchway door,
leaving il unfastened. The state asserts
that Small after shooting his wife, beat
ing and strangling her, went away. leav-
ing some device that would start the fire
hours after he had departed.
Returning from the scene OF the muir
der the jury's attention was called to the
lonely road through the woods about
mile in length, from the lake TO the main
highway. The jurors were then driven
to the village of Mountain View, where
they boarded train for Ossipee. They |
covered the same route that Small took !
on Sept 2s. when he left his home and |
started for Boston.
Mrs. Small's mother, Mrs. Elizab beth |
Curry, of Dorchester, and Miss Norma |
Curry sister of the murdered woman, |
arrived in town last night, ready to 20 |
on the stand for the state. With them |
at dinner at the hotel were Ex Police In |
spector candy" Houghton of the Bank
squad, who is with them as escort; also
Alexander w. Clark, policy registrar OF
the life insurance company in which the |
mutual $4,000 policy taken out by Mr..
Small, was written by Z. c. Conner. This
policy is expected to figure largely in
the states case as offering sufficient |
motive for the crime Also there was
fire insurance on the cottage, in excess
Of the actual value of the place.
The responses made yesterday by /
Ialesmen would have been exceedingly |
pleasing to advocates of the abolish
ment of capital punishment.