The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1920-07-24

nothing to do with his committing
the crime, The only reason he as
signs is that his wife wanted to buy
everything, that she had made him
go in debt some seven thousand dol
lars for a house and that he did not
know how he was going TO pay for
the house, and he was worried and
did not feel well. OF Importance to
the state is the actual admission that
he put the strychnine into the glass
OF salts and it would seem that he
dumped in the contents of a bottle
which probably contained 20 grains
of strychnine
The confession indicates further
that Mrs. Pettibone kissed him when
he came to bed as well as the fact
that he kissed her as she lay dead up
on the bed before the undertaken
came.
Following is a condensation of the
statement made before Attorney
Graves by Pettibone;
Q.-tGrayes) Now Byron, | under
stand that you want to make a state
ment with reference to the death OF
your wife and that you make it under
standing that | am not making
promises and that am not in a posi-
tion to make promises, that / am not
the court, but the States attorney.
Now where did you obtain any strych
nine prior to the death Of your wife?
AIT Dan Wards drug store and
no one knew that got it.
Q.-Was Mr.. Ward present at the
time?
| AIR. Ward was not present at
| the time.
! Q.-How did the label read on the
bottle?
A.-Strychnine sulphate.
Q-How long did you have it in
your possession before your wifes
death?
| A.-Two or three days.
| Q.--The night that your wife died
did You suggest taking some salts?
| Al got the salts and was going
to axe Il; ! did not have the least
idea OF doing anything,
Q-And after the salts was pre-
pared how much OF the strychnine
Isulphate that was in the bottle did
| you put in the salts that you pre-
lpared? sa o.,
Am of it, The contents of the
tbottlc.
Odd you know at the time that
! It might kill your wife?
A,-No Sir. My intentions were
to make her good and sick.
Odd she take the salts?
A.-She must have,
Q.-Did she see you dump in the
bottle of stryehnine sulphate?
A.--No Sir.
Odd you suggest her taking the
salts!
A.--No Sir.
Q.-You knew she was to take it?
A.-Yes, because she wanted it.
Q.-After she took the salts what
did you do?
Al went to bed. | was undress.
ing when she took the salts.
, Q.-Did you go to sleep?
Al dozed off.
Q.-How soon after you Wen. to
bed did your wife follow?
A.-Ten or fifteen minutes.
| Q.-H0w soon after she got into
bed did she speak to you with refer.
ence to feeling i'll?
/ A-Ten or fifteen minutes
4 Odd you call the doctor then?
1 A.-Yes sir.
Q.-Why did you give your wife
the strychnine?
A-Well, it is a hard question to
answer
(By Brown Just state it as you
told me-
Aust simply because was
hampered to death from morning to
might; there was no. a thing she did
/ not want to buy. She got me into a
$1,000 property; no pleasure, no com
/ fort, hampered with it.
Q-Then it was due to the extreme
worry on your part for the reason
that you had purchased such a large
piece of property and could not swing
X;
A.-That's it,
Pettibone then stated that he had
no quarrel with his wife and that he
gave her the strychnine sulphate to
make her ill., He carried the poison
in his vest pocket and on the evening
prior to her death was as happy as
a lark"
He said that he selected that par
ticular evening because he saw the
opportunity when she asked for the
salts. He knew that Epson salts
were somewhat bitter but said that
his wife made no remark about this
fact
O. At the time of your wifes
death were you In love with Miss
lGuillow?
Al was not, did not care any
more about Miss Guillow than I do
about that chair there, whatsoever
Q-Were you not surprised when
the autopsy revealed the strychnine?
A-Wel, l did not realize what
did at the time,
! Q-Has this preyed on your mind
Al did not realize. No it did not
Z The confession indicated that Pet
{ tibone did not object to the autopsy
mot thinking that 1t might reveal
4 what caused his wife's death, He
h said he was fond of his wife at the