The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1917-09-07
Says Mrs. Kenerson Went
with Him to Field Where
Girl Was Murdered
DESCRIBES HIDING
OF GIRLS BODY
Kerwin's Mother Faints in
Court-Dr. B. H. Stone
as a Witness

st. Johnsbury, Sept. THE Caledonia
county court room never had held such
crowd as gathered yesterday in the
Bradshaw murder trial to hear the ster
witnesses of the state. In every aisle
men, women and children stood, erowding
right up TO the railing of the bar
Ellery Gray resumed his testimony
Yesterday morning and said in searching
for the child the first night they heard
a noise, which was afterwards believed
was lamb bleating. The next day the
respondent joined the search and the wit
ness 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 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 someone say Get
rope and Arthur Young replied 81 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 said Mrs. kenerson did
not appear frightened any time, but
looked depressed.
DIR. B. II. Stone of Burlington, state
pathologist, testified that when he saw
the body it was badly decomposed, soft
parts of the flesh being entirely unrecog-
nizsble and bones falling apart. Attor
ney General Barber then put a series of
questions as to whether this condition
might indicate the cause of her death, to
all of which the attorneys for the defense
filed exceptions. DIR. Stone was asked if
this condition of the body, with no brok. |
en- bones, might or might not indicate |
that she met death by force or violence |
and he said it might be either. Continu- |
ing, he said it might indicate she met
her death by choking, by blow on the
blow on the back.
On cross examination he said this CON
dition might indicate she met her death
by falling, by exhaustion. by constant
falling coupled with fright, and that his
examination did not lead to the conclu
sion that the child met her death by vio-
lence
John Kerwin occupied the stand the
entire afternoon and after his story of
his confession as to finding the body and
hiding il he made rather sorry spec
tacle, continually contradicting himself
He said he lied to Lawyer Porter in his
with him in the Jail a few
weeks ago, that he lied to Lawyer Wit
ers in the jail when he told him he knew
nothing about the case, that he would lie !
% get out of Jail and that probably he
lad lied in his testimony this afternoon.
II was during repeated contradictions I
hat kerwin's mother tainted away and :
vas taken out of the crowded room. i
All his contradictions came in a Cruel
ing cross examination by Lawyer Por- v
er, which lasted two hours and which c
vas resumed this morning, but the de- r
ense could not break down his direct 4
estimony as to his part in hiding the t
hild's body on the night of July s.
He testified that late that night Mrs. \
emerson woke him up and told him she
ad some business for him, that they II
1T the Kenerson home together and :
-alked to the Ellery Gray farm, where I
ney found the body of the child. i
When he asked Mrs. kenerson what Il
MS meant she replied: IF you open u
our head will smash your brains out. ."
he then gave him the body and he car Z
ed it about mile to the place in the Z
llery Gray field. where it was after "
ards found. He dropped it there be-
tuse he saw light and was afraid.
hey then both hastened back home, run :,
ng some of the way.
He said this was the same story he
Id the officers in Jail and that after
ards Sheriff Worthen was exceedingly r.
nd to him, while before his confession bs
refused him papers and kept him in 10
litary confinement. Notwithstanding a 10
arching examination the witness denied n
at Sheriff Worthen had ever promised IN
m to help him get free if he would con- ba
IS the crime or have the charge against co
m changed to adultery. He described st
) trip with the officers to find the body he
ter its disappearance and first said he be
led to find it and later said he did not tic
Y to find it and did not want to find it. he
The state will introduce to-day its Bos NJ,
n detective, who is expected to produce wa
alleged confession from Mrs. Kener- po
\. This viii probably close its side of fri
E case. The defense has few wit
sses IL is believed this mysterious
Ie will close the middle of next week.