The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1917-01-03
STATES CASE
NEARING ITS END
Circumstantial Evidence
Against Frederick Small
is Accumulating
TESTIMONY ABOUT
FIRE SETTING DEVICES
Prosecution Attempting to Show Blaze
That Destroyed House Was Started
After small's Departure by Means of
Electricity.

OSSIPEE, n H., Jan 3-The state to-
day continued its work of gathering the
loose threads of eircumstantial evidence
by which it seeks to connect Frederick l..
Small with the murder of his wife, Flor
ence \. Small, and with the fire which de
stroyed his home and almost removed evil
dence of the crime on Sept. %, last There
were indications today that It's direct case
was nearing completion.
I)r B. 4. Carleton, garage keeper, tes-
titled that some OF the wires which he
found in the cellar OF the Small cottage
led under the coal pile. The prosecution
had announced that il would attempt to
show that the fire was set some hours
after Small left for Boston by an electri-
cal or candle-light contrivancc
1t was DR.. Carleton who removed from
the neck OF Mrs Small the cord, which,
according to expert testimony, caused
death He showed the jury how the moose
was formed and the cord tied with a
square knot at the back of the neck Dr.
Carleton testified that notwithstanding
close search OF the ruins after Small had
stated they contained $1,000 worth OF Jew
clry which anyone might have, only few
pieces were found.
The following hypothetical question was
asked the witness: Assuming that you
had spark plugs, copper wires, an alarm
clock, a coil, dry cells, gasoene and kero-
sene could you set tire 10 take place with
in 10 hours afterward?'
His answer was: Yes, if the materials
We're new
The defense objected to the admission
Of evidence relating to ire setting devices
and took exception to the ruling OF the
court that the question and answer should
stand DR.. Carleton explained that he had
had experience with wires and coils in his
garage.
CroSs-eyamination Of DR. Carleton by
Scwall w. Abbott counsel for the defense
developed a statement by the witness that
If the location OF the telephone in tn,
Small house had been changed and the
wires left in their former position and i
a stovepipe had been supported by wire.
these facts would have accounted for the
WIRE and nails found in the cellar. Coun
sci also questioned the witness regarding
the defects in the spark plug discovered
in the debris
DR.. Carleton testified that in his opin
ion it would have required at least 20 min
utes to commit all the assaults on Mrs
Small as charged by the state While ol
the stand yesterday DIR. Hodsdon eX
pressed the opinion that all of these as
saults could have been committed in fly
minutes.
Edwin S Thompson of North Conway
an electrician, told Of searching in tn
ruins of the cottage and identified Gel
: man silver wire and a coil which he foun
there. Answering a hypothetical questio
+ similar 10 that asked Dir. Carleton tn
j. witness said that with materials named
fire could be produced at any time With
n 10 hours after setting the apparatus. Q
i eross-examnation he said that man t
: work such an apparatus would have {
t have experience with electrical equipmen
and would have to test his apparatus Sc,
l. eral times.