The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1920-01-08
Just Before Case of State
VS.. Harry Liberty Went
to the Jury
CHARGE ASSAULT
WITH INTENT TO KILL
Mrs. Joseph Robinson of
SWanton Had Identified
Him as Assailant

st. Albans, Jan. S.--The case of State
VS.. Harry Liberty, who is charged with
assault on Mrs. Joseph Robinson of
Swanton, with intent to kill and muir
der, went to the jury in Franklin coun-
ty court short time after noon to-
day.
Liberty testified this forenoon that
he had not been in this county for 10
was committed in Swanton he was in
Montreal and met George Clark, with
whom he was once in a circus. The
two bought four quarts of liquor and
put three quarts in suit case, which
Clark had Clark tied the case up with
a rope which looked like the one now
exhibited in this case. Liberty and
Clark went to Rouses Point and shipped
the suit case to New York, minus the
liquor. Liberty says he does not know
what Clark did with the rope.
From Rouses Point Liberty says he
and Clark went to Swanton on a freight
train Liberty testified in refutation
of testimony given iii the case that the
officers did not remove any rope from
his pocket after his arrest; that he did
not meet a man who had said he met
Liberty the day of the crime, walking
along the road leading to Mrs. Robin
sons house; that there were no sheets
torn out of his notebook when it was
taken from his pocket at the jail and
there was no snow on the ground the
day OF the crime.
He also said that he never went by
the name of Cross and never engaged a
room at the house of Mrs. Charles Bur-
bank in this city under that name.
Mrs. Charles Burbank was placed on
the stand and testified in response to a
question as to whether she had ever
seen the respondent that she had about
the middle of last October, when he
went to her house and paid 81 in adj
vance for weeks rental of room.
He stayed there from Saturday until
Wednesday. He went out very little,
but on one of his trips ont he brought
back big box, and the Wednesday he
was there some potatoes came Tor Mrs,
Burbank. When she told the man who
left the potatoes that she would have
to 20 out 10 get $50 bill changed,
Cross came from his room to the head
Of the stairs and said be would get the
money changed for her. He left with
the $50 bill and she has not seen him
since until she went to the jail few
weeks ago and satisfied herself that
Liberty and Cross were one and the
same man.
He told her, she said, his name was
Ma lnan
\. Y. but that he came here from Bur
ington in Ford truck.
After he left, she investigated the |
contents of the box and found, as she |
it, rope enough to hang half |
dozen people" Ii was not, however,
ike the rope exhibited in the case.
Arguments and the judges charge to
he jury were short.
Last November, Liberty was arrest
ID. charged with criminal assault and
,hooting Mrs. Robinson. At that time
he claimed there was another man with
lim when he went to Swanton and
hat il was that man who went to the
louse. Mrs. Robinson yesterday identi-
led Liberty as her assailant. The
woman, who is go years old and a wild
w, bears an excellent reputation. She
estified yesterday that when she al
owed the man to 90 into the house to
warm himself by the stove. he attempt
d assault, first trying to tie her hands
nd in the struggle drew a revolver and
hot her twice.
DIR. II. l.. Pierce of Swanton testified ,
hat her wounds consisted OF one in the
aft ear and another on the scalp back ,
{ the ear. A bullet which he removed +,
'as exhibited in court. A book and a !
iece Of rope taken from Liben'y's
ocket after he was placed in the
wanton lookup, piece OF rope with I
-hch Mrs Robinson's hama was tied S
nd two pieces of paper picked up on
he floor at her home said to cor
sspond with the note book, were re-
sived as exhibits.
Witnesses were on the stand who \
Ientifed Liberty as tho man who tried
few DAYS before the attempted crime
, buy a revolver in Swanton, also =,
illness who said he met Liberty that =
ay on the road leading to Mrs. Rob
sons house. +