Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1917-09-13
WAS SCARED INTO
HER CONFESSION
Mrs. kenerson Declares Detec.
tive Threatened to Bring
Body of Girl to Her.

st. Johnsbury, Sept. s.-For over three
hours yesterday morning Mrs. Kenerson,
indicted for the murder of little Alice
Bradshaw on July s, was kept on the
stand and for the last two hours Attorney
General Barber in his searching cross
examination failed to break her general
testimony that she always loved the child.
that she never harmed her, and that she
never left her house the night claimed
by the State that she and John Kerwin
hid the body. Twice during her testimony
she began to cry, but soon recovered her
composure, though she appeared very
pale as she gave her testimony. limping to
the witness stand from her seat. Court
adjourned soon after noon until Monday
at nine o'clock. with the respondent still
under cross-examination. The defense has
only a few more witnesses and the first
Of the argumets may be reached Monday
afternoon. The usual crowd Of men,
women and children was present. One
woman has been coming all the week. driv-
Ing six miles to Lyndonville and travelling
10 miles on the cars to st. Johnsbury. Her
husband has accompanied her every day
but one.
Continuing her direct examination yes
terday morning with Lawyer Porter In
terrogating. Mrs. Kenerson said she hurt
her ankle in the spring and that It swelled
badly. This had panied her ever since and
It panied her when she went berrying with
Mrs. Hicks on July g. She said on the
night of July she did not leave the house
after she returned from the Bradshaw
house. nor did John Kerwin to her knowl-
edge She denied that she ever told Kerwin
IF you don't keep your mouth shut
will smash your brains out" nor did she
ever tell Kerwin that she helped kill the
child.
did you tell this to sheriff worthenT"
II presume did
Witness said she remembered that the
sheriff told her after this: "You must tell
everybody this same story and I will let
you go home" Witness said she after
wards told this same story to others.
Asked II she heard tho conversation about
getting rope when they were all search
ing for the body In Gray's pasture she
said yes" When she heard this she said
she was scared Of her life.
Mrs. Kenerson said when the Boston
detective, George Leith, first came to her
cell he asked her II she would like to see
a lawyer and she said. "yes." 1.-THE next
morning found out he was a detective"
Ibid he say he represented the attorney
general?"
II think he did"
Witness then described in detail the first
conversation with Mr.. Leith when she
told him that she and Mrs. Hicks aban-
doned the search for the child that after
noon because Mrs. Hicks told her the child
was probably at her grandfather's.
Then the detective said:
tn11 thn .
a liar. II you don't tell me the truth 1
will bring the child's body into the cell
and lay 1t on the table,
Witness said he added, 1.-THE body is in a
terrible condition and its eyes are out"
She said after this she presumed she told
him she killed the child and she pre-
sumed" that she finally told him she did
1t alone. II was SO scared l didn't know
what was saying
Are you scared now?'
mo"
"why?"
II have the jurymen and my counsel to
protect me-"
Have you had any protection before?"
mo"
"Or when you were telling these stories ?"
mo-
In closing her direct testimony she said
her ankle was in such a condition on July
8 that she could not walk over a mile.
Attorney General Barber followed with
two hours OF cross-examination. fire.
quently going back to her previous testi-
mony and jumping from one phase of the
whole situation to another. Mrs. Kenerson
sometimes answered more than the Ques-
ton implied and was frequently inter-
rupted by the attorney-general for so
doing. In attempting to prove intimate
relations with other men than her hus-
band the court ruled out this line of ques-
tions to which the State filed exceptions.
But enough testimony was given to prove
that she was often in Kerwin's company.
both day and night. and she said they had
been close friends.
In describing in detail the two berrying
trips with Mrs. Hicks on the day of the
child's disappearance the attorney general
tried to pin the witness down to the exact
time Of every occurrence of that day, but
Mrs. Kenerson said she had no timepiece
and gave the time on the different &C.
casions as she recalled 1t. She said she
loved Alice Bradshaw. gave her candy
when she had 1t. but would not want to
trust Mrs. Hicks. Witness said she had q talk
with Alexander Dunnett and denied that
she ever told him she belonged to a gypsy
gang.
Have you any remembrance that you
authorized him to say that the child was
possibly picked up by gypsies?"
II don't think did,"
Asked about the condition of the horse
she bought Of John Bradshaw she ans
wered that II was a good little horse for
the price and that you couldn't expect
| to get much of q horse for &40"
Mrs. Kenerson repeatedly said that the
sheriff and officers used no violence toward
her and behaved like gentlemen. but said
they asked things that were not right II
was at this point that the witness broke
i down and cried for several moments The
conversation with the detective was Their
gone over again with the witness, only to
elicit the additional fact that after the
first conversation with him Lawyer Por.
ter advised her not to make any more
talk.
In series of questions about a certain
| trout brook on the Bradshaw place the
ey-general failed to get any ad-
missions from the respondent that she
knew anything about It or any other
brook around there. or that she had
promised to 20 fishing there with Mrs
George Ford on July 8. the day after
Alice disappeared. Lawyer Porter
objected to this line Of testimony al
immaterial and the court sustained his
| objections. to which exceptions were
| taken by the State and allowed, The
| attorney-general then went over the con-
versations again with Mr.. Leith and after
describing how Leith threatened 70 M.