Norwich bulletin., 1918-12-30

 sented before Judge John H. Barnes on a charge of assault and burglary. The original charge was breach of the peace and burglary, but City Attorney Robbins had the charge changed to read: That on Dec. Royal G. Holmes with force of arms did commit bur- glary and while in the perpetration of asid burglary with great personal vio- fence did feloniously assault and wound one James Lennen of said Nor wich.
 States Attorney Hadlai A. Hull was present and sat with Attorney Roo- bins.
 MT. Holmes was not personally put to plea but he entered a plea ot not guilty through his lawyer, J. J. .Des- mond. Mir. Holmes sat with his bonds- man, John R. Tarrant, throughout the proceedings and followed the testi- mony with apparent interest.
 The case was not presented until about 9.30 o'clock owing to confer ence of the lawyers. The first wit ness for the state was James Lennen, a retired sea captain, upon whom it is claimed Holmes made the assault Captain Lennen told of his eating at Ellis restaurant on the night of Dec 5th and that he left the restaurant about o'clock and went directly to his home at 40 Boswell avenue. On the way he met Dwight Hodgh and spoke to him. Captain Lennen said that he entered the house by the back door, which he locked behind him. He said the back door opens into an en- tryway that leads into the dining room. He crossed the dining room to the electric switch and tried to turn on the light, but it failed to light. He claims something hit him on the shoulder and knocked him down and then he was pounded and pounded. He yelled You'll kill mel" and kept on hollering. Both his eyes were full of blood and he lay near the switch near the kitchen. He said finally several people came, Mrs. Roland being the first. She tried to light the dining room, but did not. Then a light was lit in the kitchen and Mrs. Roland bathed his face. He said the officers and MT. Roland and pr. Cassidy came and John Tarrant and Mir. Holmes. He did not know when Mir. Whitney, Q representative of The Bulletin, arrived
 MT. Lennep then described the fur nishing of the dining room and said that his safe was located at the right hand of the room as you enter. The light is over the table in the center o1 the room and is a drop light.
 Here Attorney Robbins produced 2
 paper which he showed to Captaif
 Lennen and asked him what 1t was
 Tt is my note," said Captain Lennen He said it was a demand note fol | $500 at per cent, dated Feb. il l 1916, made out by MT. Holmes fl 1 favor of Captain Lennen, with iuteres paid up to February of 1918. 1 He said the note was in his saf' 1 on Dec. 2d when he came from Putnam | at 4 o'clock, as he saw it there. MT
 Lennen identified one interest endorse ment on it as that of his hand ant 1 the other as that of MT. Holmes. H.
 said he had not given the note to MT Holmes and that he saw it in his saf' 1 on Dec. 2 He said the next time h. saw it was at the hospital, when i i was shown him by a police officer ol 1 the night of the assault. He told 0
 his safe being unlocked from Dec.
 to the time when he went to the hos
 pital He also identified the envelop
 in which the note was kept.
 He said that he had seen MT. Holrne on the afternoon of Dec. 4th and ol
 the afternoon of the 5th and that h
 next saw him after the assault. H
 also said that he and MT. Holme were the only ones that knew tn combination of the safe.
 Here Lawyer J. J. Desmond took Ii the cross examination of the witness his questions were sharp and he de manded direct answers. MT. Lenne
 said that he had stayed in Putnar seven or eight days and returned hom
 on the 2d of December. He said h went to Holmes office, then homt
 where he unlocked the safe and locke
 at the papers. He wasn't sure whic
 ones he took out but thought one wa
 a note of the town of Tiverton, F. ]
 and he sent this note to Tiverton. H
 said he did not recall any other paper
 there were so many. He said Holme
 note was in a drawer over the Tive1
 ton notes.
 Lawyer Desmond asked him if | , took it out. Captain Lennen appeare
 to be uncertain as to whether he di
 or did not but stuck to the fact th5 he saw it there. Finally he said | did take the note out\ to look at bt
 Scould not tell whether he opened u envelope or it fell open. Here Car tain Lennen appeared confused an , MT. Desmond said: T don't want
 distress you, Mr. Lennen." "Well, yo are very much returned Captai |
 badi" After a few more question Mr. Lennen left the stand. He al peared to have felt the grilling of Nj Desmond very much, as his hant shook and he was not steady on h
 feet.
 ] In the cross examination MT. De- mond brought out the fact that Nj , Lennen had given MT. Holmes fir access to his safety deposit boxes ar Z allowed him to draw money and ha1 access to his securities.
 f Mrs. Mary T. Roland was the ne, l witness and she testified to being
 home on the night of Dec. 9th al = remembered hearing Captain Lennt come in about g o'clock. She said : was a few minutes after this that sl
 heard Captain Lennen call out You T kill mel" She said she told her hu V band and they both ran out down u 1 1 stairs outside to the Lennen apar e ment, She said she found the do n open to the Lennen part and went il :: tried to light light but could nc F then told her husband to strike V match and light a light in the kitche Il Here she saw MT. Lennen cover e with blood standing in the middle t the room. She bathed him. Then t q officers came and Mir Whitney. tn d MT. Tarraht and MT. Roland and I : Louis T. Cassidy. She said Mir. Whi e ney was there when MT. Holmes can - She said MT. Holmes went to t f kitchen and the captain said 'HeI e Royal" and MT. Holmes said 'Do1 s talk, captain" Then MT. Holm
 went to the dining room and sat dow If She said MT. Holmes did not go near If than three feet to the captain. s e said MT. Holmes took out a cigaret e and gave one to Officer Carroll, W l. sat down beside him. She said tn I. Officer Carroll asked Captain Lenn q if the safe was locked and the ca d tain said "Yes" and went to see. TT :" was just before Captain Lennen W