The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1916-07-24
Whether Human Blood or
Not, State Chemist Could
Not Determine
HANDKER-
CHIEF INTRODUCED
State Is Nearing End of It's
Evidence in The Felch
Case

Chelsea, July 2i,-With the reconven'
ing OF Orange county court this after,
noon at o'clock, the state entered upon
the second week OF its case against Otis
Williams, jointly indicted with Anna
Felch, for causing the death of Joseph
Felch at Topsham on the night of April
%. The appearance on the stand of Ir-
win Worthley, a stenographer employed
by States Attorney f. 5. Williams,
promised 70 provide a dramatic climax
to the line OF prosecution followed by
the attorney general and the states at.
torney during the week just closed 1t
is through Worthley that the state ex-
poets - bring out the confession al.
legged to have been made by Williams,
ia confession that was admitted by the
court just before adjournment Saturday
noon and only after the defense had
vigorously opposed its admission as evi-
dence.
There is feeling here that the state
will rest after Worthley is excused from
the stand, although one or two witnesses
may be recalled TO the stand While
the hot weather of last week seemed to
have whitening effect on the spectators
court, jury and attorneys have stucl.
manfully to their task and there appears
to be desire on all sides to expedite the
trial as much as possible.
Between the time court announced its
decision on the preliminary hearing as
to whether Williams statement should
be read and the hour OF adjournment
Saturday afternoon, three witnesses were
examined Charles jenkins of Meredith,
n, H., Sheriff A. A. Reed of Williams
town and DIR. c. f. Whitney OF Burling
ton. state chemist. jenkins testified that
in November, 1915, the respondent, VIII
liams, came to the mill in Meredith
where the witness was working and ap-
Piled for employment; that the witness
had conversation with him in which |
the respondent told him he had left mis- |
wife and was going to get a bill'' from
per and take unto himself for a wife |
one Anna Smith of Topsham. The re.
'pondent was an old acquaintance of the |
witness and the witness also at one time |
Knew an Anna Smith of. Topsham, but |
lid not know at the time they were con-
'ersing that the Anna Smith he once
Knew was then Anna Fetch. Witness
aid he was advised of that fact however,
when he talked with his wife on arriving
lome that night.
Sheriff Reed followed Jenkins on the
tand. He testified to taking the re-
pOndent from the county Jail around
lay 10, to his former home in Waits
river, where Williams led the officer to
certain room, took up some floor boards
nd found a bottle that originally had
ontained morphine. Which bottle and
Is alleged contents, it is said, may play
n important part in the so-called con- {
ession.
DIR. c. f. Whitney then testified as to :
he finding of blood stains on the boots '
lready shown by the state to be the l
oots worn by the respondent on the
light OF the tragedy. The chemist tes
fled that he was unable to state wheth-
r or not it was human blood, as the '
mount was so limited that he was uu- l
BILE to make an analysis that would de- t
,rmine whether it was human blood 4
the blood of some lower animal. A 5
inderchief was also identified by the {
itness as an article placed in his pos C
ssion by Deputy Sheriff Gale of Brad +
rd, who had already identified it, as
le he found in the Williams house in t
aver with mems attire only. From b
lis handkerchief many portions had been il
1t out, holes which Dir. Whitney testi- 5
d he cut out himself for the purpose d
determining whether or not the blood r
as human blood. In closing DIR. Whit Fl
" testified that his analysis showed o
e blood to be human blood. t