Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1917-06-28
MRS. FELCH COOL
On THE STAND
Woman Being Tried for Murder
Denies Illicit Relations with
Farmland.

Farmland.
Chelsea, June 27.-Mrs. Anna Feich,
who is being tried for the murder Of her
husband Joseph Fech. on last Easter
eve in his sugarhouse at their farm homo
in Waits River. took the stand in her own
behalf this afternoon in Orange county
court and made sweeping denial Of all the
stories Of her alleged Illicit relations with
the farmland. Otis williams, now serving
9. life term for his share in the crime. Mrs.
Felch went on the stand at four O'Clock
and was still testifying at fve when ad-
1ournment for the day was taken.
Mrs Felch was calm and at timer
dramatic. When denying testimony In r.
gard to her relations with Williams, she
became vehement in her utterance. Attor.
questioned her.
She denied in toto the story related hy
Williams Of the course Of his affair with
her. She asserted that she was never on
the hay NOV with him. In testifying In
regard to the story told on the stand by
Josie Pero. her former maid. now Mrs.
Mccormack. that she (the maid) he'd
gone once to the barn, found Otis Will
liams in the haymow. had been prevented
from going UP there by him, and had
later seen Mrs. Felch going up through
the lot towards the house, the respondent
| admitted that she did 60 UP through the
| lot. but that she had been down to the
barn to look after the ducks.
Mrs. Felch was preceded on the stand
this afternoon by Myron Buck. the Bethel
engineer. who made measurements Of the
sugarhouse whore the tragedy occurred
| 1t was the purpose Of the defense to show
| that the bullet which killed Joseph Felch
| could have been fred through a hole
| on the upper right corner of the door
Mr. Buck testified that line from the
hole In the door to a point on the board
beyond where Mr.. Felch was sitting when
he was shot, would have passed through
his head. On the cross examination. how
ever. conducted by Attorney General Bar
ber. Mr. Buck testified that a person
| Of the height Of Mrs. Felch. the respond
ent. whether on one knee or both could
have raised or lowered the gun to bring
| 1t in line with Mr.. Felch's head. in ac.
| cordance with the angle as testified to by
| DR.. Stone. who performed the autopsy.
| Fred Smith. brother Of the respondent.
| young man 25 years Of age. testified
that Otis Williams told him on the Mon
| day or Tuesday after the finding Of the
| body OF Mr.. Felch. that he, Williams. was
as good as in tha electric chair, that il
they tried to do anything with Anna he
| would plead guilty. On the cross-exam-
ination. he admitted that he had never
| told that story to any person other than
Attorney Hoar. counsel for the respond
| ent, and that he had told It to him last
| summer.
DR.. Stone was called to the stand to
testify In reference to clothing worn
by Felch at the time Of his death.
/ Tot o. -
this morning to the increase In the de-
ceased's estate after his marriage. and
indicated that the increase was due to
the combined efforts of both husband and
wife. Mrs. Felch, mother Of Joseph.
spoke Of being pleased with Annals mar
riage to Joe. Of the pleasant relations
between the families until the death of
her son. She recalled the Halloween
party mentioned yesterday. which Mrs.
Felch and Williams were said to have
attended. saying that Joe Felch was
absent in Bradford and did not get home
on the night that Williams and the
accused were alleged to have gone to
the sociable. She also said that her son
| stopped at her house and at his inst ance
she called Mrs. Felch on the phone and
talked with her.
| Otis Williams was recalled to the stand
to show that he had brown eyes and at
the request Of Attorney Hoar walked be.
fore the jury. On redirect examination he
said the murder was committed on a very
dark night. and that he couldn't tell
whether the respondent knelt on the
ground or on a box. He said he looked
through the crack previous to the shoot
ing. saw Felch inside. although he did not
know whether he moved in the time inter-
vening between his observation and when
the gun was fred.
| Fred Bagley Of West Topsham told Of
seeing box or feet long at tho end Of a
shed attached to the sugar-house. Richard
Farnham. brother-in-law Of Mrs George
Mccormack Josie Pero). said that Anna
Felch and Josie Pero came to his house on
the Sunday before the murder and stayed
from 1000 a. m. to 400 p. m.. and that the
accused invited the Farnhams and Peros
to come over to the Felchs' on the follow.
ing Sunday for sugar party. He said he
was preparing to 60 the next Sunday
morning when he heard Of Joe's death.
Ellery Emerson. a carpenter. testified
to working ~ days for Joe Fslch in the
fall Of 1915 and that he took his meals
at the Felch farm, while lodging at Otis
Williams house. Witness said he never
saw any signs Of familiarity between the
accused and Williams. but on the cross.
examination 1t came out that he was with
Williams only hve days during his stay
at the -Felch farm and that Anna was
working near him only one day. George
F. Miles told Of visiting the sugar-house
on the morning after the tragedy and
said he noticed a box some feet away
from the crack in the sugar.house wall.
Once he used the words three or four feet.
On the cross-examination 1t was indica ted
that he meant three or four boards away
and that the boards were six inches wide.
Witness said he sat near Mrs. Felch At her
husbands funeral. that he saw her cry
and that she took on badly" after reach.
ing home.
| SAID FILM WAS PACIFIC