The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1920-06-21
ACCUSED MAN SHOWS
NO EMOTION IN COURT
Apparently but Little Disturbed
When Chief of Police Brazil
Repeats Confession Alleged to
Have Been Made Last Tuesday
and Laughs at Jokes Of At
tOrneys.

Byron NJ Pc tlbone, who has been
held al the county Jail here since
last Tuesday charged with having
killed his wife by poisoning on the
evening OF April 6, was given a pre-
liminary hearing before Judge Will
liam j. Meagher in municipal court
this afternoon and was held for the
grand jury. Judge Meagher declined
to consider a proposal to grant bail.
A special grand jury will sit at Man
chester where the June term OF Ben
nington county court is in session, at
10 o'clock tomorrow forenoon. In
case the grand jury returns a verdic,
as seems probable, it is understood
tha. the state will move for an i'm
mediate trial The defence is expect
led to contend thai the trial should
be continued 10 the December term cf
court, which is held in Bennington,
on the ground that it would be impos-
ls.ble to prepare the case for the pres
ent term Of county court. nal
The court room was fairly filled
with spectators this morning but the
number was not so large as had gen.
orally been expected. Pettibone is
apparently bearing UP well under the
enormous strain to which he has been
Subjected for nearly week. Persons
who have seen him say that he has
Improved in appearance during the
past few days During the forenoon
| he spoke to a number of his friends
and looked exceedingly cheerful for
a man charged with frs. degree muir
der There We're several occasions
for a laugh and smile during the
examination in which Pettibcne
joined as though he were no more
concerned in the proceedings than a
curious spectator.
Pettibone was represented at The
hearing by James X. Batchelder and
Henry Chase. States Attorney Col
llins NJ Graves appeared for the pros
ecution. Mrs. James Mckee acted as
Icourt stenographer and Sheriff Perry
| B. Gardner had charge of the prison
er.
Only two witnesses were examined
\ DR., r. NJ. Gardinier, who attended
Mrs. Pettibone on the night she died
! and Chief OF Police Brazil who was
present in the jury room at the com
! ty court building with States Attorney
Graves when Pettibone made his al.
legged confession.
DR., Gardiner testified that he was
called to the Pettibone house on
School street al 1915 o'clock on the
evening of April and that he arrived
"a 1880 and that there were three per
sons in the house, Mr.. Pettibone, Eu-
gene Rice and Mrs. Petlbone. Mrs.
Pettibone, the physician said, was in
bed Mrs. Pettibone was rigid when
The arrived, the physician said. indi.
ca ing that she had been in convul.
sions. Other commissions followed
lasting six or seven minutes. The
physician prepared a sedative con
sisting of three bromide tables dis
lsolved in wa er of which he gave the
lpatient two teaspoonsful. Eugene
Rice got the glass for the bromide.
The physician also tes flied that he
gave the paien. three hypodermic
injections Mrs. Pettibone's pulse
was rapid but she was able to talk
between commissions. She was asked
by the physician il she had taken
any hing and replied that she had
taken salts. In reply to his question
she replied that the salts tasted bitter.
On cross examination DR.. GARDINER
testified tha' bo.h Epson and Rochelle
salts had a bitter tase.
Chief of Police Brazil testified that
he and States Attorney Graves saw
lPettbone in the jury room at the
county courthouse building last Tues
day. That there were present in the
room beside Pettibone, himself, the
states attorney Mr. Wood and Mr.
Brown and a young woman who he
understood was stenographer. He
didn't know the young wcman's name
but he said she was blond and that
he thought he would know her il he saw
her again This answer raised q
laugh in which Pettibone joined and
the court raped on the desk for or
de-.
Chief BRAZIL testified that when he
and the sta'e's attorney entered the
room the prosecuting officer warned