Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1920-06-17
PETTIBONE ADMITS
HE POISONED WIFE
bennington Mnn Confcsses-Inf cd
with Another Woman, 1t Is Said.

Bennington, June 16.-It is impossible
to find any one in Bennington tonight
who believes that Byron n. Pottibone, who
is in the county Jail charged with the
murder of his wife by poisoning. commit
ted the confessed deed because he was
worried over the payment on a house
which he and his wife had purchased
few weeks previous to the woman's death.
In spite of the fact that the eXamina-
tion which consumed the larger portion
of the night completely exonerated Miss
Helen MELLOW from any completely in
the case. there is a persistent belief that
the accused mans infatuation for the
nurse was the real motive.
Mrs. Pettibonc died on the ~nisht of
April shortly after she had taken a
dose of salts prepared by her husband.
The husband when taken before States
Attorney Collins NJ, Graves last night at
first persistently denied the charge on
which he was arrested, but under the
steady questioning by the prosecuting at
torney and detectives from Boston
agency. finally made a complete confess
sion. He told that he prepared three
doses of salts, one for himself, one for
| a. man roomer al the house and the third
for his wife. III 30 minutes after she
became i'll from the effects of the drug
she was dead.
Since his wife's death, Pettibone has
been much i'll the company of Miss
MELLOW. Two weeks ago he went to
Troy, n. Y, and underwent an opera =
! tion at hospital in that city for the
| removal of tonsils. He engaged Miss
MELLOW as special nurse on the case
and after he was able to leave the
hospital he went to the home of her
/ N ran Mr. Myr
in the adjoining town of Shaftsbury
and it was from the MELLOW home
| that he came to Bennington for the
examination, making the journey in
4 Miss Meillows automobile. Because Of
Pcttibone's intimacy with Miss MELLOW
| and because of her profession, the
| States attorney had the suspicion that
she might have procured the drug that
caused Mrs Pcttibone's death. This
! suspicion. the officials admit. was
wrong. In his confession Pettibone told
that he procured the strychinine( the
poison used) at the d. A. Ward drug
store on Main street, few doors away
from the Walbridgo undertaking es-
| tablishment at which tho accused man
was employed. He was well acquainted
with the proprietor and frequently
visited the store so that it was easily
|
OF strychiDine ~ithout Mr.. Wards
knowles,Sc.
| Pet7"pe s Il native Of fowna! an..
has nAen resident % Bennington for
II years Mrs. Pcttibone was ~ years
old while the husba, d is in his 3Srd year
sure coming II Bennington Pettibone
mad been cmpl pNcd continuously as an
undcrtakcrs assistant. frsr by w. r.
Wocdman and later by j. -. Waihridre.
Mrs. Pcttibonc's relatives have persistent
ly refused to believe the rumors that nave
been in circ'ation in the village. They
were strsnIouslv opposed to the autopsy
which was performed by DR.. r. H Stone
and DR. c. +. Whitney of Burlington,
four days after Mrs. Pcttibone's death,
the body was taken to the cemetery pre-
sumably for burial and then returned
to the undertaking rooms 70. the exam
nation.