The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1920-07-22
RDER TRIAL oNDER WAY
Byron NJ. Pettibone on Trial For Wit.
Murder. Stale Presenting Evidence
and Case Progressing Rapidly.

hufdrt. STATE Presenting tttdenci
and Case Progressing Rapidly.
Ever since Monday afternoon thii
sensational case has been before tn,
court. The jury was obtained Tuesda,
and on the same day the state openec
the case.
Probably the most important testi-
mony of the Wednesday morning ses.
sion was that of Mrs. Bessie Wright
of Bennington, a friend Of the Petit.
bone family and often visitor at the
home. She corroborated in detail the
poison episode told on the witness
stand Tuesday afternoon by Eugene
Rice, who csimed that several nights
before Mrs. Pettibone's death there
was an accusing finger pointed at the
respondent by his wife in her lifetime.
According to the story as told by
Mrs. Wright she called at the Petit
bone home on School street about Z
o'clock on the Sunday night proceed
ing the alleged murder and during the
evening she, with the family and
Eugene Rice, partook Of the evening
meal. The supper was prepared by
Mr.. Pettibone while his wife was busy
with some baking and at supper time
they all sat at the table together.
The question of the poison being in
tho thns annrnarha.I h.f
States Attorney Graves who was do
ing the questioning and strenuous OBJ
jectien was made by counsel for the
defense. The testimony was finally
admitted by the court and an excep-
tion was noted for the defense.
For more than an hour Mrs.
Wright's story was picked to pieces by
Attorney Jones of counsel for the de-
fense, but in the main Mrs. Wright
proved strong witness. for the state,
repeating over and over again the
statement made by Mrs. Pettibone on
the night of the Sunday proceeding.
The events which followed after, as to
with whom she talked of the affair
and the impression it made on her mind
were points on which Mr.. Jones dwelt
and upon which the witness seemed a
little weak.
The other important witness Of the
morning was DIR. b. H. Stone of the
state laboratory of hygiene at Bur-
lington, state pathologist. After stat
ing at length his qualifications which
were not questioned by the defense he
told of the details Of the autopsy He
said he had performed between 1900
and 1900 autopsies and in some in
stances the patient had died Of strych-
nine poisoning. He told of opening !
the cavities in the body of Mrs. Petit |
bone and of taking to the state labora-
tory number of these specimens in
cluding the entire stomach and con-
tents.
He said there was nothing discover
ed at the autopsy That indicated the
cause of death. There were no ex-
.ernal wounds with the exception of
hose made by the undertaken and the
organs of the body were found to be
n normal condition, "Those Of
healthy woman" to use the expression
If DR.. Stone.
He said there was nothing in the
ieart which indicated disease and with !
he exception Of small growth on one
# the organs of the body, one which
ould not cause death, the woman was
bsolutely normal. His statement !
hat the heart cavaties were normal
vas the cause Of no little cross exam J
nation on the part Of counsel for the
efense, but this was explained away I
ghen DR.. Stone said that the with
rawing Of the blood and the substitu- I
ion Of the embalming fluid, and this {
ob was particularly well done. would !
lake considerable difference with ap- c
earances during the autopsy.
DIR. Stone explained at length the e
etion Of strychnine and the treatment a
Or convulsions resulting from this Il
ort Of poisoning and he told the court b
nd jury that in such cases the amount J
( poison found in the stomach Of the {
erson dying from this poisoning !
-ould be simply that poison which had n
OF been absorbed and would not indi-
ate in any WY the possible total p
mount originally taken into the Z,
.omach.
The last question by Attorney Gen
al Archibald was: Doctor, II a
oman was about the house in her
sual health all day and she was taken
lddenly III with convulsions and died b
on after and Il was later found that b