St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1917-11-07
JAMES F RnNER
ACQUIT ED ON
DEATH CHARGE |;
Released on Lack of Evil
dence by Judge blanchard
at First Hearing
DEATH OF MRS RIMER
/ CLAIMED MYSTERY
State, However, Fails to Pro
duce Evidence to
Prove Guilt
Especial to The CaIedoninn.)

Especial to The Caledoninn.)
Hartland, VT, Nov. flames F. |
Rimer, who has been held on suspi-
cion at the Woodstock Jail since the
death of his wife, Mrs. Hattie M.
Rimer, in an automobile accident Oct.
16, was acquitted here today at the
preliminary hearing, of the charge of
murder, by Judge H HI. Blanchard.
The decision of Judge Blanchard
brings to an end one of the most in
teresting cases presented in the courts
of this section. The hearing was held
| in Damon hall.
The state was represented by States
Attorney w. S. Pingree, for Windsor
| county, and the respondent by Ray
mond Trainor of White River The
respondent was brought to the hear
ing from the Woodstock Jail by Dep
uty Sheriff D. K. Daley. The state in
troduced the evidence of Is witnesses.
including DR.. G. e. Ward of Hart
land, VT, and of an expert, DR.. Chas.
f. Whitney, of the state laboratory of
hygiene, of Burlington, who perform
ed the autopsy on the body of Mrs.
Hattie Rimer, assisted by DR.. Ward,
Nj. II. Degnan, chief of police of
White River, Deputy Sheriff Daley,
and =. A. Robbins, nephew of Mrs.
Rimer.
All testified TO admissions and
statements made by the respondent
after the accident concerning the
cause and circumstances SURROUNDING
It, The principal witness for the state
: was Mary Robbins, sister of the
deceased, who. had lived with the
Rimer family for about three months
prior to the automobile accident in
which Mrs. Rimer met her death. She
testified to an attempt which she
claimed was made by the respondent
to poison his wife on the Sunday pre-.
l ceding the accident, which occurred
at o'clock Tuesday evening, Octo-
, Der 18th
t Mrs Rimer was with the respond
ent and his wife in the automobile al
the time it plunged over the embank-
ment, and she and the deceased were
4 thrown down the decline to the brook
E Which was a distance of about A
!, feet. She testified to outcries made
S py her sister after she was thrown
d from the automobile, and to hearins
:. the woman cry, Hes doing it, three
0 times. The witness claimed that he
S sister was afraid previous to the ac
t cldent that the respondent would d.
t her harm. She testified in detail a.
e to all the facts and circumstances sur
rounding the home life of the Rimer
: md the last ride the respondent, hi
: wife and herself took in the automo
: bile before the fatal plunge and VIVA
). happened at the bottom of the elf
: after the plunge was taken. She wa
f subjected to a most grueling and sub
:. tie cross examination by Attorne.
e Trainor and admitted that she wa.
dazed and frightened. When eros
examination was completed her testi
many was greatly shaken, and il
many essential particulars an infer
ence could be drawn of uncertaint,
and unre1iability
= DIR. Whitney testified in substanc,
to performing the autopsy and max
: ing the analysis of the contents of thu
a deceased woman,s ston1aeh. He at
!. tributed the cause of death, in hi
: opinion, TO dilation of the heart ac
u eompanied. with shock. Upon cross
: examination he was unable to stat
: that in his opinion any person eauses
the death of the deceased. The othe
> witnesses all testified in substance t,
: finding the body lyias face down il
o the brook at the base of the cliff, tn,
S condition of the ear, the condition o
t. the sembankment and the road an,
g Of distractions at the side Of the road
n No testimony was introduced by MI
d ! Trainor II behalf OF the responder
Y at the hearing, the respondent rely
i ing upon the fact that the state ha,
g failed to- introduce sufficient evidenc
Ill to warrant the court in binding tn
i i respondent over to await the actor
v Of grand jury.
S Judge Blanchard at the close of tn
+ evidence for the state decided tina
on the evidence he was not justified il
e holding the respondent for trial, AM
II discharged him.
i Bessie Rimer, the daughter of tn
d respondent, has remained in this vi
). entity while her father has been con
/: fined in jail awaiting the hearing.
n She was the first to congratulate
/. him. The respondent was general
i congratulated by the townspeople, an
the decision of the court seemed t
meet with universal favor.
Mr. Rimer went to Woodstock to
night to get his things from the Jail
d and will continue to reside at hi