Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1916-04-06
LEIGHTON MURDER
CASE WILL GO TO
THE JURY TO-DAY
Respondent Takes Stand and
Declares Shot That Killed
Gibson Was Not Fired
at Victim.

Woodstock. April 5.-The case of
Charles Leighton, indicted for the mur-
der of a. c. Gibson of sharon which
has been on trial in Windsor county
court for several days, will probably go
to the jury tomorrow morning. The evil
dence was closed this afternoon and the
arguments begun.
Leighton, who, it is alleged, fired the
fatal shot that killed Gibson, took the
stand in his own behalf. He said that
three days before the shooting Gibson
came to see him about the logs the
ownership Of which led to the fatal
quarrel. Gibson said then he did not
believe what Leighton said about the
lay of the land and the boundary lines
and ended by stating he was going to
have the logs anyway. On the day OF
the shooting Leighton and his sons, who
had taken gun and skid stakes with
them for protection, found Gibson and
his men loading the disputed logs. Two
teams We're already loaded. Leighton
| directed his boys to unbind the loaded
| logs The boys obeyed, but when they
reached the second team, a commotion
resulted and, Leighton testified, he saw
several men running towards him, carry
| ing cant hooks.
Leighton then said to them:
stop where you are. boys. You
know better than this Unbind these
logs and get off these premises"
Gibson threw his cant hook at Leigh
ton and it struck the respondent across
the stomach and on one elbow and
| doubled him up. Gibson grabbed an.
other cant hook from Fred Spauldina
and showing him back, told him and the
other men to get into them" Gibson
drew his cant hook back to hit the re-
spondent again Then Walter Leighton
tackled Gibson.
| Leighton fired shot into the ground
as Wheeler started for him. Wheeler
came towards him again. and again h,
fred toward the ground, not intendnf
to hit either Wheeler or Gibson Wheele,
then started to run. but Leighton tolo
him to stop and go to help Gibson VIII,
had thrown his hands up and said:
I'm shot"
Leighton then told of the binding I'D O
Gibson's leg and sending him away. II,
said he did not threaten to shoot any
body at any time, He went home an,
then to Sharon and delivered himself II,
=. /
and his two sons We're taken 10 Wood
stock and placed In Jail, Leighton de
clared he fired into the ground in from
of Wheeler to drive Wheeler back, a
he feared the latter was going to hi
him with his cant hook. A long cross
examination did not materially chang
, Leightons evidence.
:. DR.. II. C. Jackson Of Woodstock fol
Of examining the respondent at the In
and finding an abrasion on the lef
elbow and a tenderness In the reglo
of the stomach on the evening OF tn
shooting. The next day he found
bulging or swelling in the region of III
stomach, He was in bed feeling badl,
I The doctor also found a wound q
Newel's nose. He found no recent ir
= iures on Walter.
y Loren Pierce. lawyer. of Woodstoc
was called as an expert on rifles an
= their use. having had much experlen,
q I'm military organizations lie shove
the tendency of high power rifles to nj
= upward on firing, especially when hel
= loosely I'm one hand, as 1t was said II
= respondent held his,
y. The state put the four Gibson tean
: sters on the stand as witnesses in p,
k buttal They denied striking at anv ,
,s the Leightons or running toward ~
: RESPONDENT, or that Gibson threw h
s. cant hood at him or grabbed one FRO
Y Fred Spaulding. They denied all appre
s. sions attributed to them by the Ieig,
It tons and they did not say or hear GA
Is the threats or commands, of whi,
lLeightons accuse them.