The Caledonian-record. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1920-current, 1920-12-08
CHARGE ATTEMPT
TO GET MONEY
IN SMITH CASE
Complete Denial of Alleged
Assault In Morse VS..
Smith Suit On Trial

The first case to be tried at the
December term of the Caledonia
county court was that of Mrs. Fanny
Morse VS.. Arthur L. Smith. This is
a case in tort where the plaintiff
claims she was raped by the defend
ant and that defendant is the father
of her child. The defendant denies
both allegations. The plaintiff is rep
resented by Shields and Conant and
the defendant is represented by the
firm of Porter, Writers and Long
more and J. Rolf Searles.
After the jury was drawn the
Court announced that the evidence
was such that all minors would be
excluded from the Court room
throughout the trial Of the case.
Lawyer Conant stated the case to
the jury, saying that the case was
an alleged assault committed on the
plaintiff by the defendant on Jan,
|. 1917, and at divers other times, and
that on Nov. 10, 1913. child was
born to the plaintiff which she claims
was begottcn by the defendant.
Lawyer Porter said the evidence
would tend to show that the plaintiff
has been married; that she had one
or more children by her husband !;
that while she was still married she
was employed in Mr. Smiths grocery
store. Lawyer Porter said that while
she was employed there ber conduct
was Objectionable TO Mr.. Smith; that
she painted her cheeks and smoked
cigarettes; that after she was dis
charged she made threats TO Mr.
Smith, and at this late stage she had
come into court accusing him of rape.
He said the defense would be COM
plctc denial of the charge Lawyer
Porter said in closing that the plain
tiff had written a letter TO Mr.. Smith
threatening to leave lie child on the
doorstep, and had also tried to get
money from the defendant
Nh Smith was the first witness and
was kept on the stand nearly an
hour answering the many questions
put to him by Lawyer Conant. He
said that Mrs. Morse was employed
in his Main street store about Aug.
l, 1917, and continued in his employ
about four months. He thought that
later she was employed at Fairbanks,
but didn't know when she left town.
He distated to his wife a letter sent
10 a Hartford, Conn, lawyer, the let
ter being typewriter on a Royal ma
chine. He denied ever writing Mrs.
Morse, but said he had received let
tors fro mhcr. An envelope purport-
ing to be in his handwriting was
shown him and he denied having
written it. He said he talked with
Mrs. Morse several times after she
left his employ; had been riding with
her in his automobile while she was
in his employ, but never afterwards.
Being shown a letter the plaintiff
received he denied he even wrote it or
saw it before. In tn course of the
examination it developed that he had
given 800 to the .irl's mother, Mrs.
Brown, He said this was loan that
had never been repaid and that he
gave it TO Mrs. Brown upon being told
that their household furniture was in
the freight house awaiting shipment
to Hartford, and that they did not
have he money to prepay the freight.
The charge slip from the store was
produced which he admitted was
genuine and it bore the date of Oct.
T. 1917. A letter Of three typcWrit-
ten pages was then shown him which
be denied ever seeing before. On fur
Continued on page G)