The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1920-07-22

has not yet recovered from the effects
OF the operation for the removal Of
tonsils performed shortly after his
wife's death.
Bennington people Wednesday were
particularly interested in the testi-
mony of Mrs. Bessie Wright, one Of
the four persons present at what has
come to be known as the tea party
episode Of the case and which took
place at the Pettibone home two even
ings preceding the Tuesday night on
which Mrs. Pettibone died. Soon after
Pettibones arrest rumors of a prev
ous attempt on the part of Pettibone
to poison his wife began to circulate
about the village. According to Dame
Rumor there was not only one but
several attempts of this nature, Mrs.
Wright had spoken of the tea party
to a number of her friends and had in
sisted that the attorneys were not go
ing to make her repeat the exact lang
uage used by Mrs. Pettibone when she
no iced the bitter taste in her cup Of
tea, "You---, are you trying to
poison me?' Once on the stand Mrs.
Wright, as was expected told straight
forward story of the tea party. Mrs.
Wright testified that she was astonish-
ed at the language used by Mrs Pet
tibone as she did not know that there
was any trouble between the two.
Mrs. Wright may be called to the
stand again in order to introduce her
diary showing an entry for the night
Of April 6.
During the examination Wednesday
morning of Or. b. Ii. Stone, patholo-
gist at the state laboratory CT hygiene
in Burlington, the witness was asked
Hypothetical question by the attor-
ney general and answered that in his
opinion the woman died OF strychhine
poisoning. On cross examination he
said that some of the indications Of
strychnine poisoning were lacking but
this might be accounted fer by the
fact chat the body had been embalmed,
The tea party" incident and the
testimony showing that the acquaint-
ance of the accused man and Miss
Guillow was of longer standing than
had been generally supposed were net
the only Startling features to be intro
duced by the prosecution. The testi-
inony OF Dr. +. NJ, Gardiner, who at
TENDED Mrs Pettibune ON the night OF
her death, that when he was leaving
Fthe house Pc tibone came out upon the
Sidewalk and requested him not to say
anything about poisoning because ru-
ncrs of that nature circulated rapidly
! in a small town, Is corroborated by the
Testimony OF DR., +. j, Hurley who was
summoned to assis in attending Mrs.
Pettibone but who, did not arrive at
the house unil after the woman had
died
The cour room was so crowded dur
ing the afternoon session that stand
ing room was at premium and many
were unable to get near enough the
door to hear the testimony. Heads
were also seen at the open windows.
The Judges room and the lawyer $
room back Of the court room were
tnIt WI open W obCS'htOAo'
DR.. F. }. Hurley testified tina. he ex-
amined Mrs. Pcttibone in February
for the New York Life Insurance com
pany and found her in normal condi-
! ton. He testified further that he was
called by DR.. Gardiner on the night OF
the tragedy, but arrived after death
had ensued. He corroborated the tes-
| Itimony of DR.. GARDINER to the effect
that the accused had asked DR.. Gardi-
nier and himself to say nothing about
poisoning as runners started so easily
in small places.
DR.. Charles f. Whitney of the Safe
] laboratory estided TO attending the
autopsy in an official capacity and
that he personally took away the
organs OF the body and personally
made he chemical examinations al
the laboratory He fothd one half a
grain f srychnno in the stomach OF
Mrs. Pettibone and found traces of the
same substance in the liver and kid
neys. indicating hat the body had alb
sovbed some of the poison. He gave
it as his opinion that death resulted
from strychnine poisoning Among
o her tests he injected minu quan
tity of The stomach contents into
white mouse and The mouse lived but
two minutes and fifty seconds.
Mrs. Johanna Westoff of Bennington
was called and told OF being in the
Pettibone home on the 9Th Of Apri
in The evening and that she was called
later in the evening just after Mrs
Pettibone had died. Excepting for the
testimony of Roy Paddock of Ben
iningson who is an undertaken in the
employ of the Walbridge undertaking
rooms, all other witnesses had to dc
with the associations of Miss Heller
Guillow and the respondent. Mr.
Paddock said that he had worked
wi h the respondent for some years
thas he prepared the body of Mrs Pet
tibone fer burial and that the respond
ent asked him to try and prevent tht
autopsy.
Cole Bowen, who was at one timt
! n taxi driver for Eugene LaFOrtune o
Bennington, told of taking Pettibon'
and Miss Gullow to Hoosick Fall
twice on different evenings in Angus
1919 and that Pettibone, who paid fo
these trips, requested him to say moth
} ing about them Maurice Rudd tes.i
fed briefly mercy to seeing Pettibon
: and Miss Guillow together on stree
Z corner lac in February Of this year
Michael ri zgorald fireman at tn
= Putnam Memorial hospital testifie
5 that he had seen the couple talking t
? gothnr IN the corridors of the hospi-