Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1917-09-13
WOMAN
TOLD Or ATTACK
Kerwin Describes Hiding of the
Girls Body-His Mother
Faints in Court.

st. Johnsbury. Sept s.--The Caiedonia
county courtroom never had held suoA
a crowd as gathered to-day in the Brad:
shaw murder trial to hear the star wit.
nesses or the State. In every aisle men,
women, and children stood, crowdins
right up to the railing Of the bar.
Eilery Gray resumed his testimony
this morning and said in searching for
the child the first night they heard .
noise, which was afterwards believed
was lamb bleating. The next day tho
respondent joined the search and the
witness asked her why she killed that
poor little girl. Mrs. Kenerson replied
All did was to put my hand on her
throat and Mrs. Hicks took a club and
struck her In the back. She wasn't dead
when we left her In the bushes"
Just before this conversation, the Wit.
ness said he heard some one say Get q
rope" and Arthur Young replied IT have
a good one in my auto" Witness
thought Mrs. Kenerson must have heard
the first remark as she was only three
rods away. He haid Mrs. Kenerson did
not appear frightened any time, but
looked depressed.
DR.. B. H. stone Of Burlington, State
pathologist. testified that when he saw
the body II was badly decomposed, soft
parts OF the flesh being entirely unrec.
ognizable and bones falling apart. At.
torney-General Barber then put a series
of questions as to whether this condi-
ton might indicate the cause of her
death, to all of which the attorneys for
the defense filed exceptions. DR.. stone
was asked IL this condition Of the body.
with no broken bones, might or might
not Indicate that she met death BY force
or violence and he said 1t might be eth.
er. Continuing, he said II might indi.
cate she met her death by choking, BY
blow on the head. by a stroke with a
club, or by a blow on the back.
On cross-examination he said this condi.
ton might indicate she met her death by
falling, by exhaustion by constant falling
coupled with fright and that his examina.
ton did not lead to the conclusion that
the child met her death by violence
John Kerwin occupied the stand the en-.
tire afternoon and after his story Of his
confession as to finding the body and
hiding 1t he made rather sorry spectacle,
continually contradicting himself He said
he lied to Lawyer Porter in his conversa-
ton with him in the Jail few weeks ago,
that he lied to Lawyer Writer'S in the TAIL
when he told him he knew nothing about
the case. that he would lie to get out OF
Jail and that probably he had lied in his
testimony this afternoon.
1t was during repeated contradictions
that kerwin's mother tainted away and
was taken out of the crowded room
All his contradictions came in a sruelline
cross-examination by Lawyer Porter,
which lasted two hours and which will be
resumed tomorrow morning, but the de.
Tense could not break down his direct
testimony as to his part in hiding the
child's body on the night Of July s.
He testified that late that night Mrs,
kenerson woke him up and told him she
had some business for him. that they left
the Kenerson home together and walked
to the Ellery Gray farm, whore they
found the body Of the child.
When he asked Mrs. Ksnerson what this
meant she replied III you open your
head will smash your brains out" She
then gave him the body and he carried It
about a mile to the place In the Ellery
Gray field. where 1t was afterwards found.
He dropped 1t there because he saw
light and was afraid. They then both
FASTENED back home. running some Of the
way.
He said this was the same story he told
the officers In Jail and that Afterwards
Sheriff Worthen was exceedingly kind to
him. while before his confession he refused
him papers and kept him In solitary con-
finement. Notwithstanding searching
examination the witness denied that
Sheriff Worthen had ever promised him
to help him get free II he would confess
the crime or have the charge against him
changed to adultery He described his trip
with the officers to find the body after its
disappearance and first said he tried to
find 1t and later said he did not try to
find it and did not want to hnd It.
| The State will introduce tomorrow it,
Boston detective. who is expected ia
produce an alleged confession from Mrs.
Kenerson. This will probably close its side
Of the case. The defense has . few witt
nesses. 1t is believed this mysterious case
will close the middle OF next week.