Norwich bulletin., 1919-10-16

i testified. that he had made a prior at 1 tempt two weeks beroe, to assault the child.
 :: The major part of Constable Grim shaw's testimony wasv vcorroborated by Raymond Mitchell and by his brother. Floyd Mitchell. who were in the auto mobile party With Constable Grimsha " when the Weich boy was arrested. W. F. Jackson. Willin1antic investi- gator for the state attorneys. office. told: of visiting Attawa,tsan and Of in : specting the location where the. al 1 legged assault was said to have taken . bruslls and wild cherry trees have grown up This wall is about so paces. in the rear of the Weeks home and the home where Welch lived. tAe apart.
 4 somewhat dramatic Incident mark
 ed the approaching close of the states
 side of the case. Counsel for the state
 permit them to place Bessie Weeks,
 the alleged svictim of the assault, up-
 on the witness stand and to have her
 mother accompany her there. but not
 to speak to her or coach her in any
 manner while she was testifying. This
 was agreed to. with the understand ing that. the mother was merely to stand beside the child so that the lit tie girl would retain her composure
 Asked by MT Bill if she understood the meaning of an oath and as to what would happen to her if she did not tell the truth, the tiny girl said: God will punish if I tell what is not l true. At this point, however. Judge i Haines expressed himself as not sat | isfied that the child was a qualified 1 witness and she was withdrawn from 1 the stand The court then declared a brief recess.
 William Welch. a keeper of a store l at Attawaugan, was called as the first witness for the defence. following the | recess. MT. Welch said he was in no 1 degree a relative of the accused. It alleged assault had taken place at about noon on September B.. Mir. Welch testified that during the noon hour of that day Ernest Welch came to his store and bought a bottle. of so- da and had remained there about 20 minutes.
 Mrs. Sarah A. Caffery, who lives near the Weleh store testified to see ing Ernest Weich sitting outside the Welch store during the noon hour of September s, and that while she kept mo- accurate account of the time the boy remained there. it approxi- 12.34 D. m.
 Willis H. Shippee of Killingly. tes- tifying for the defense, stated that Ernest Welch had been pupil under 1s17 to June 1919, at the Killingly l Center school and that the boys | moral habits always had been good; | that he was recommended by Super | Horace Turner of KiiiiHgly's schools and that the boy was popular with the studnets and well behaved toward girls. Mir Shippee described the boys record as excellent as to 1 chastity. #
 Following Mir. Shippee Ernest Welch | was called to the stand to testify in | his own behalf. He said that he had | lived in Attawaugan since March 1. | He said that he had not seen Bessie | Weeks on the day he was accused of | a ssaulting her and that he had not 1 given her any money. He first heard | that he was accused of assaulting> her i when Constable Grimsfiaw came to him on the evening of September s. for the purpose of taking him into custody.
 Asked if he had been frightened by the manner in which he had been questioned at the time by Constable | Grimshaw the boy said he had and | that he was told that he would be put | in the police station at Danielson if | he did not tell what he knew she had | told Grimshaw, through fear what he thought would be best.' rather than be locked sup.
 The state did not cross -axanaine | Ernest. and there the case rested.
 Following the arguments, and the charge by Judge Haines. the jury re tired at 245. returning twice for in | before the verdict of not |
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