Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1917-04-19
FALSE AFFIDAVIT THE CHARGE
Woman on Trial in United States
Court.
Fair Haven and Bennington Physicians
and Druggists Plead Guilty to
Violating Anti-Narcotlc Law
and Pay Fines.

A good start was made at the adjourned
session OF United States court in this
city Tuesday in the case of the United
States vs.. Catherine E. Havens, who Is
charged with a violation of the pension
laws in that she swOre to an untruthful
affidavit. There were three pleas OF guilty
to charges of violation of the narcotic
laws of the country. and one plea of not
guilty In the evening Frederick s. Platt
clerk Of the court, issued several first
papers to would-be citizens of the United
States five Of them being soldiers.
Those who pleaded guilty to the charge
of violation of the narcotic law were Dr.
T.. V. G. Baldwin of Fair Haven. who
issued prescriptions which were filled by
Green Brothers Of that place. Green
Brothers, the, druggists, were fined at
this term of court. Baldwin was fined
yesterday $50, and paid. DR.. E. B. Daley
of Bennington also pleaded guilty to the
Indictment filed against him and was
fined the same amount. also paying. In
dctments were also found against G.
Lewis HARDWOOD and his wife. Elizabeth
+. Harwood. druggists, of Bennington.
The former pleaded guilty. was fined $50
and paid Mrs. HARDWOOD pleaded not
guilty and her case was continued.
Warrants were issued Tuesday against
Henry Diamond, the Russian Jew, and
Haskell F. Butler, the colored porter. both
of whom were taken from the Montreal
sleeper at Alburg on the charge of SNUG
Cling narcotics into this country from
Canada. The warrants were issued by
Judge Harland b. Howe. who Is pre-
siding over the term of court now holden
in this city, being approved by United
States District Attorney Vernon A.
Billiard. Both Of the men are charged
with violating the act of February 3, 1862
as amended, making it illegal to I'M
port opium or its derivatives into this
country. A bag containing 100 ounces oil
herOin and several ounces of morphine
was found in the porter's locker. the
porter claiming that it was the property
of Diamond. who was taken off at Alburg
from the next train from Montreal The
warrants were served on both men and
it Is probable that their cases will be tried
at the present term of court. $. X
Moulton is attorney for Diamond and
A. L. Sherman is Buffers attorney.
Several witnesses were heard Tuesday
in the case of the United States VS..
Catherine Ravens. District Attorney
Vernon A. Billiard is prosecuting. and
the defendant is represented by James
j. Barry of Schenectady, n. Y.
The jurors drawn to hear the case are
c. c. Kinney of Grand Isle. Herbert
Smith of Barre, John Carey of Fayston,
George Willard of Jericho. r. B. Wright,
John H. McCuen and William l.. johnson
of Burlington. A. T. Curtis of st. Adams.
John Flint of Winooski. H. L. Shaw of
Stowe, Horton Doty Of johnson and Har-
Ian Shattuck of Eden.
1t is claimed by the government that
Mrs. Ravens swore to an affidavit sent
by Mrs. Fannie Wentworth to the pension
department at Washington. d. c.. to OBJ
tain a widows pension her husband. Will
liam H. Wentworth. being a veteran Of
the Civil War; that the affidavit con-
tanned a false statement made by Mrs.
Ravens, who stated that Mrs. Wentworth
had not married since the death of Went
worth: that Mrs. Havens was a witness
at the wedding and had signed the we'd
ding certificate.
The Rev. Homer T. Titus of Keeseville.
N. Y, was the first witness called by the
government. He testified to having united
Mrs. Fannie B. Wentworth and one An
drew J. Cobb in marriage His testimony
also tended to prove the marriage certifi-
cate introduced as one of the government s
exhibits. The paper showed that the
couple were married by Mr.. Titus on May
that Mrs. Ravens name appears on the
paper as a witness.
Meta Mills. of the bureau of vital statis-
tics of the State department of health of
New York, stationed at Albany, testi-
fed to having found the marriage certifi-
cate in the files of the bureau, and testi-
fed as to it's validity.
Edgar II. Wood of Rutland. a notary.
testified to having made the affidavit
sworn to before him by Mrs. Ravens. He
stated that he first wrote it in lead pen
Gil, had it corrected to her satisfaction
and then typed. reading it to her and
correcting it again before he handed it to
her to read and for her to sign.
Alexander Meek of Washington. d. c.,
of the office Of the bureau of pensions.
testified to the papers filed at his Office
by Fannie Wentworth in an effort made
by her to get a widows pension. The
application, he said. was still pending.
A. b. Tarwater. special examiner of the
pension bureau. testified to having inves-
tigated the application of Fannie Went
worth to obtain a widows pension. He
Travelled to Rutland and obtained an afii-
davit from Mrs. Ravens in which she
stated that she did not know that Mrs
Wentworth had Remarked since the
death of her husband. the survivor of the
Civil War. His business. he stated. was
to investigate the merits o. applications.