The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1920-07-24
Trained Nurse, Whose Love Af-
fair with Accused Man Has
Not Been Shown to Be Motive
For Alleged Crime, Tells of
Frequent Meetings and Auto
mobile Trips.
PATHETIC SCENE lin
JAIL IS REHEARSED
State Unable to Complete It's
Evidence Because of Illness of
Stenographer Present When
Second Alleged Confession of
Wife Poisoning Was Made to
Attorney General Archibald.

The state was unable today to com
plete its evidence in the trial Of BY
ron NJ. Pettibone of Bennington, who
is charged with the murder of his
wife by poisoning, and which has
been in progress before Judge Stan
ley NJ. Wilson at Manchester since
Monday, because of the illness Of
Miss Nellie r. Hogan of Bennington,
the stenographer who made the notes
and the transcript of the second al
legged confession of the accused made
to Attorney General Archibald on
June 16.
Miss Helen Irene Guillow, the
trained nurse whose love affair with
Pettibone the accused man denied in
his confession to be the motive for
the alleged crime, was the principal
witness called by the state today.
Miss Guillow testified to frequent
meetings with Pet'ibone both before
and after April 6 and that she be-
came acquainted with him on the oc-
casion Of her grandfather's funeral
March IA.
The witness admitted several indis-
Ieretions with the respondent, once at
the Troy hospital, where Pettibone
underwent an operation for the re.
Imoval Of tonsils and where the wit
ness was employed as special nurse,
and on several occasions at the Gull
low home at Sodom.
Sste's Attorney Graves was called
to the stand and testified to a visit
by Miss Guillow to pettibone at the
county jail in Bennington shortly af-
ter his arrest. Miss Guillow, the
states attorney stated, said, kissed
the man behind the bars and exclaim-
ed "Oh, Byron, why did you do it?"
Pettibone's reply was, BE calm,
you're safe.
Clarence Miller, clerk at the Ward
pharmacy, was questioned at length
regarding the methods of keeping and
selling strychnine and the records
kept of sales. His testimony would
indicate that the bottle of the drug
alleged to have been taken by Petit
bone may have been one that was
sold in December to DR.. S. X. Wilcox
land from which a portion had been
Iremoyed
The defence opened this afternoon
and placed Edward C, Brown of the
Wood detective agency upon the
stand The detective was questioned
a. some length by Attorney ]. c,
Jones who took about the same course
as in the cross examination relative
to unfair methods of obtaining the
alleged confession. The detective in
reply to questions said that he did
mot understand the attorneys mean
ling when referring to third degree
methods.
Court took a recess until o'clock
Monday afternoon.
Almost at the opening of the ses-
sion yesterday afternoon Judge Will
son ruled tha' the confessions and
other statements which had been in
question as to admissability should
be received as evidence and the
prosecution promptly proceeded to
get the confession made to county at
torney Collins NJ. Graves before the
Jury.
Previous to the reading Of the
confession James X. Wood was re-
called to the stand with the jury pres
ent and the circumstances attending
the six hour session at the Benning
ton cour, house were gone over for
their benefit. Attorney Jones for the
defense again cross questioned the
wi ness much as he had done when
the jury was excluded, endeavoring
to indicate that the so-called prepara
tion of the respondent for the con
fessiou was done under questionable
methods and circumstances.
Before the reading Of the confes
sion, Miss Lena Evers the steno
grapher for the Wood detective
agency, was called to the stand anC
testified to the six hour session anC
to the taking of the confession. She
further identified the transcript o
the confession and with the consen
of the council for the defense the
confession was read to the jury by
Attorney General F. c. Archibald, I
lis understood that the defense CLAIM
and are allowed an exception on the
admission of this matter as evidence
In the confession pettibone admits
carrying the strychnine, which hi
says he secured at the drug store o
Dan Ward without the knowledge o
Mr.. Ward or any of his clerks, for
few days. He intimated that he ha
! been thinking Of doing away wit