Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1918-04-11
AIKEN
DENIES. ALLEGATIONS
Plaintiff in SANDER Suit Against
Fred Cherrier Declares There
Was Nothing Out Of the Way
In His Relations With Defend.
ants Nephew

ants NepneW
For about six hours Thursday, including
all Of the forenoon and the greater part
Of the afternoon, the Rev Orlando r.
Aiken, formerly pastor Of the Fairfax
Methodist Episcopal Church, was on the
witness stand under direct and cross
examination In his suit for $4,000 dam
ages for alleged slanderous remarks made
by Fred c. Cherrier of Fairfax.
, Mr.. Aiken was directly questioned by
Attorney M. g. Leary. During the ex-
animation he admitted that none Of the
Cherrier family attended the annua! choir
supper after he had personally invited
them and reserved three chairs for Mr..
and Mrs. Cherrier and Bernard Hicks.
He took some apples to Mrs. Cherrler.
following the disagreement between the
Cherriers and himself, and Mrs Cherrier
accepted them and his apology for any
wrong he had done them He knew Fred
Cherrier, the nephew Of the. defendant,
before he (Aiken) had asked him to haul
wood. but not intimately. AS to Sunday.
June II, on the day. the alleged immoral
acts with young Cherrier occurred in
Marvin's lane the witness declared there
was nothing or at any other time. Inn
mortal in his relations with Cherricr. He
talked about the church and religion
In Marvin's lane that day He admitted
teaching Hicks to swim but there was
nothing wrong in their actions When
asked about his health in reference 10
damages. the witness said his health was
poorly since the time Of the rumors and
the church trial.
Attorney Elmer johnson for the de-
PENDANT cross-exami.ied the pastor The
witness denied ever huggng Cherrier on
| the front porch Of the Aiken home. He
denied that he ever told young Hicks that
| the Cherriers were working him too hard
He said he had heard that young Hicks
was not morally good about four weeks
after he Aiken) came to town but he
allowed Hicks to come over to his home
and associate with his three daughters.
He did not believe the rumors then but
did later when he discovered a letter that
Hicks wrote to his youngest daughter.
Mr.. Aiken admitted visiting his mother
in Newport and that he roomed with
Bernard Hicks. He also admitted that he
had taken young Cherrier there on a
visit and roomed with him. He gave
Hicks a pair Of trousers because Hicks
said he needed them.
lengthy and quite heated argument
was then entered upon by counsel for
both Sides when Attorney johnson fol
the defense attempted to introduce a
postcard sent to Hicks by Aiken from st
Adams on Thanksgiving day, 1916. At the
end OF the short message was the Latin
word "Amo." which means II Love you
The plaintiff admitted that II was his
writing on the card that he had writer
the card but claimed that part Of thu
bottom line where the word in Latin wa.
had been tempered with and erased
Aiken also claimed that the word was no
Latin but French and was "AmL" mean
Ing friend. This was finally admitted a,
an exhibit later in the afternoon afte
the attorneys had shown 1t to the jur,
under glasses. The marks on the care
where the plaintiff claimed he could sc,
something had been erased were declare,
to be crosses.
Mr.. Aiken admitted that he kisse,
Bernard on his birthday. He did no
speak to him when he and Cherrier saw
HICKS on the 18th of June last year IL
Marvin's lane because young Hicks ha,
been forbidden by his parents to hav
anything to do with the witness. He ad
mitted that he had been to the Cherrie
nome and asked Mr.. Cherrier to sign ,
paper retracting his alleged statements
IN regard to his conduct with the boys
This the witness stated Cherrier refused
10 90. He also admitted that he had bee,
10 visit Frederick Bell of Swanton in re-
gard to not testifying at the present tria
out denied that he had ever promised Bel
substantial reward IL he would refus,
10 TESTIFY. Aiken said Bell refused I.
agree to his plan. He failed to remembe,
tnat several superintendent of tn,
Methodist Episcopal conference of tn,
state told him that IL he did not memo
his ways and tell the truth he would
be removed from the conference, Thi,
was stated as occurring at the last Metho
dist Episcopal conference at Newport.
Then Mrs. Aiken was called to tn,
stand. She testified that she mendet
HICKS clothes because he asked her to
Inc health OF her husband had been yer,
poor since the church trial. so Mrs. Aikel
tesuned' and worse during the last thre
or iour weeks, and that he had bee,
unoer the Doctors care. Cross-examined
she admitted that the increased poo
dial r' - ''
tvs witnesses for the defense wer,
."en introduced by consent Of counee
o'n potn Sizes owing to death in tn,
| | S'AS "RHcoScS ana VINO WtSh0;
20 Dc excused early. They were Mr.. an,
MRS. Albert M. Greenwood of Fairfax.
Mrs. Greenwood was the first witness
she testined, under examination OF Attor
ney Johnson. that she saw Aiken an,
FRED Cherrier sitting on the back porcl
OF the Aiken home one Sunday afternoon
ono or them had an arm about the necI
OF the other and their faces were yer,
close When asked IL 1t was reelstcripI
aHecttion she said she thought II locke,
mushy. On cross-examination by NJ. q
, Leary she said she could not tell lust hoy
anectionate or mushy they were.
, Then her husband was called, He sail
tnat Cherrier had his arm about Aiken
neck and that Aiken had his arm abou
: Cherrier's waist and they had their face
close together and acted like a couple O
Y lovers. He was SO Disguised that he too
;, only one look. He admitted that he ha
:. seen Aiken and young Cherrier roll abou
a on the rear lawn of the Aiken home an
Q that the aston had pinched Cherrier's le
and made him Jump several times. III
also said that Aiken tried to sell him hi
= automobile on the excuse that hi
! (Aiken's) health was poor and that tn
0 doctor had ordered him to stop DRIVING
Hicks was clothed well, so witness Green
J, wood stated.
g MILK PRODUCTION
An interesting comparison of the DIFF
ferent dairy breeds is made in Farmer
Bulletin 1893, OF the U. 8. Department @
Agriculture. The averages given per co,