Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1917-07-05
MRS. FELCH HAS
A POOR MEMORY
On Trial for the Murder of Her
Husband, She Appears Wear.
ing Mourning.

Chelsea, June 28.-Mrs. Anna Felch,
being tried here in Orange county court
for the murder of her husband, Joseph
Fetch. occupied the witness chair all day
to-day. She maintained her composure,
but on cross-examination failed to re-
member many things The little room,
which holds perhaps $50 or 900 persons,
was packed with crowd that followed
the respondents testimony and her cross
examination by Attorney-General Barber
with eager interest. Mrs. Fetch wears
mourning and has the appearance Of good
health.
The morning was occupied by her direct
testimony and the entire afternoon was
given over to her cross examination.
winch was concluded when court took q
recess at five o'clock. She will probably
be on the stand for an hour or SO to-
morrow morning. 1t looks now as though
the case would not be finished by Satur-
day, as had been expected.
Mrs. Fetch in her testimony this morn
ing made categorical denials of all of
Otis Williams's statements concerning
their alleged illicit relations Much of her
story this morning had to do with the
night Of the murder and the morning fol-
lowing. She stated that her husband left
the house about $3.50 on the night he was
shot, that she did many Of the chores at
the barn, that she was i'll during the sup
per hour and later and that after she had
gone to bed she called to Josie Pero.
She told OF arising Easter morning al
five o'clock. Of lighting a fire, and finally
of going with Josie Pero and little Ber-
nice. her daughter. to the sugarhouse.
She asserted that, standing on the
threshold door. after Josie Pero had gone
In. she was transflxed with horror to sec
the body of her husband and told how she
called to him three times. Afterward.
Josie ran from the sugarhouse. and the
witness put a block of wood against the
door, and the three started across the
field to the home of Mrs. Felch's uncle,
Thomas Smith. She said she did not
see any gun at the sugarhouse nor
could not remember any talk about a
gun until they reached Mr.. Smiths.
From Mr.. Smiths the trio returned
to the Felch house, where they saw viii.
liam Cunningham and Otis Williams
talking in the yard She asked Otis IL
he took the gun home the night before
and received negative reply. Where
upon the witness went on. she went into
the house. looked for the gun, but did
not find it. and examined a cartridge
box in the pantry. only to learn that
seven cartridges appeared to be missing.
Mrs. John Felch and Tom Smith had
arrived at the house. Tom and John and
VIII went to the sugarhouse, she added.
and 1t was upon their return that she
gained her first intimation that her hus.
band was dead. Afterward she said, she
saw DR.. Rowland and asked him If Joseph
had killed himself. His reply in the mega.
tive. she said, was the first intimation
that he had not killed himself The
witness said she was in the house when
the body was taken from the sugarhouso
to the school building at Waits River,
and that she did not see her husbands
BODY between the time she visited the
sugarhouse and when she attended the
funeral at John Felch's on the following
Wednesday.
! In the cross-examination this afternoon,
Attorney General Barber questioned her
calmly and slowly. 1t was noticeable
that while Mrs. Felchs memory was re-
markably good as regarded her side of
the case, 1t was extraordinarily bad
otherwise. Innumerable times. she made
replies to Mr.. BARRIERS questions. with
II don't remember" He questioned her
| in regard to alleged conversations with
Otis Williams. with Josie Pero, and with
former States Attorney Frank Williams.
and on almost every important point she
was unable ito remember"
Mr.. Barber asked her where she was on
the Friday afternoon preceding Joseph 8
death and she replied that she was at
home from 2:3O until evening. She denied
that any one called. Mr.. Barber asked her
II the Rev. Mr.. Green Of Waits River
called and she said that he did not.
Mr.. Barber stated afterward the State
would show the Rev. Mr.. Green did call
and that Mrs. Felch, Otis Williams and
one other person were in hiding in the
house.
She denied having had any conversation
in which she said that up to that time she
believed Joe had taken his own life. When
asked II after DR.. Rowland had told her
1t was not SO that some other person had
killed Joe. she had had a conversation
with former States Attorney Frank Will
liams In which she told him that Joe had
committed suicide. she replied that she
was unable to remember" Mr.. Barber
read her slowly four or five typewriter
pages OF Mr.. Williams conversation with
her. and Mrs. Felch repeatedly replied
that she could not remember.
The State will call Mr.. Williams to-
morrow to prove it's contention.
How many more witnesses the defense
will put on is not known