The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1917-06-26
SH(.5LD SWAP
s HUSBANDS
] So. Felch Had Suggested,
s Laughing When She
Said 1t
LIKED WILLIAMS
EYES AND HAIR
A Witness Said Mrs. Felch
Declared Joe Shot
Himself

Chelsea, June 26.-Odds and ends of
evidence in the case which the state
hopes to make out against Mrs. Anna
Felch, on trial here for the alleged mur.
der of her husband, Joseph Fech, at
Topsham in April, 1916. were presented
yesterday and to-day, with the possibil-
ity that the prosecution will have rested
when court takes a recess late this aft
ernoon. Much that has transpired since
the appearance OF Otis Williams on the
stand has been in the nature of compile
mentary testimony, although the state
yesterday and to-day introduced wit
nesses whose stories compelled the clos
est attention. In notable instances
stiffening of the defense has been OBJ
served, particularly in the severity with
which witnesses have been cross exam
med.
Five witnesses were used by the state
this forenoon. Mrs Blanche Avery, an
aunt OF Joseph Felch, told of conver-
sation with the accused on the Monday
| following the tragedy, in which Mrs.
Felch said she thought they would find
out who killed Joe. To which the wit
ness said she replied: tThey certainly
WILL" and mentioned the fact that the
| murderer might become known through
the Identification of finger marks. Ac-
cording to Mrs. Avery the respondent
then said they might find her finger
marks on the gun, as she had moved it a
few days before Feleh's death. At the
funeral, the witness went on, the ae-
cused did not seem to show any grief un-
til the mourners took leave of the re-
mains, when she wept. Witness also
noted that Mrs. Felch seemed to eve
closely the people attending the funeral
as they walked past the casket. Mrs.
Avery was cross ss-examined but briefly.
Myron J. Buck. the Bethel engineer
who was sent back to the sugarhouse to
complete measurements desired by the
state, swore that the distance from the
ground to the point in the wall where
the state alleges the muzzle of the gun
was pushed through, was 80 inches.
The last witness this forenoon was
Mrs. Mary Williams, wife of Otis Will
liams, the young man who is now serv
ing a life sentence at Windsor for com
plcity in the murder. Mrs. Williams
said she used to accompany her husband
to the Feleh farm and went to the barn
frequently with him. They were liv-
ing on the Payne place, some rods be-
low the Felch farm. On one occasion,
soon after Otis had returned to the Felch
farm after taking his dinner at home,
the witness continued she started for the
Felch home. She saw no one about the
place and after walking through the
rooms in the house she had seen no one.
Going to the barn, she said she tried
three different ways of entering the
building. only to learn that they seemed
to be locked from the inside. She went
to another barn. which she found un-
locked, but there was no one to be found.
Witness then told of starting toward
her own home on the Payne place. Once
the Felch buildings were out of her sight,
she related, she left the road and climbed
to knoll. Looking back toward the
Felch buildings, she testified, she saw
Mrs. Felch coming from one of the barns
alone Witness also told of going to the
Felches' on the morning after the muir
Ter. Mrs Felch, she said, met her at
The door and kissed her, something she
had never done before. Mrs. Williams
,aid the accused cried that forenoon and
Witness also quoted Mrs. Felch as say
ng that she loved the name of Otis. On
he cross examination it was brought out
hat the latter statement as credited to
he accused by Mrs. Williams was made
me day when there was talk about nam
ng the Williams baby The witness
lad mentioned tentatively name which
included Otis for the baby, when Mrs.
1elch made the remark.
On the redirect examination, the wit
ess said that her statement concerning
er knowledge of Otis Williams move
nents on the Saturday night of the muir
er was untrue as given at the inquest
ear ago. and that her statement on the
tand this forenoon was the truth. The
efense had succeeded in obtaining from
irs. Williams a comparison of time
worn TO at the inquest and the time
bout which she testified to-day. it being
vident that there was discrepancy. In
pr final statement in redirect examina-
on. the witness said that Otis left the
ouse around o'clock on the night Of
elch's death and didn't return until II,
r thereabouts. Hitherto. il was brought
ut. Mrs Williams on one occasion,
smely at the inquest, had said that
Pr husband TetuENtN Hollf nollt tiHlN
ter o'clock that Saturday night and
manned at home
Miss Florence Pero told of seeing Mrs.
alch at the postoffice on the Monday
orning after the death of Felch and
at the accused seemed indisposed TO
IL and acted as II she were depressed.
Alfred Follansbee testified that some
me in October. 1915, he attend a So
sble in Waits River. He saw Anna
.lch and Otis Williams there. he went
B. and in talking with them he learned
al they had walked together a dis
nee Of two miles TO attend the sociabie.
illness testified presently that he did
I see Mrs. Otis Williams or Joseph
leh at the sOciable.
ID was a quiet sabbath in Chelsea. and
len court reconvened at , O'Clock yes
-dav afternoon. jurors. principals and
lrt attaches alike seemed 20 have bcrr
.shened by the respite. Accompanied
the deputies the jury attended churrh
ndav aud spent the remainder Of the
y in and about the courthou-c
The first witness 90 b. called was Wit
m Cunningham. a neighaor of tho