The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1920-04-03
Middlesex Woman Testified
in Case Charging Geo. 0.
Hale With Murder
SHE SAID SOMETHING
TO HALE AFTERWARD
What She Said Was Not
Admitted in Court
State Rests

man, that she saw the shooting OF ,.
Lester Morse near her home in Middle
sex on Feb. l, the state rested to-day
in Washington county court after hav-
ing occupied a portion of the week in
presenting evidence against George o.
Hale, prominent Middlesex man, who
was charged with the murder. Besides
seeing the shooting, Mrs. Morse testi-
fed that she said something to Hale as
he was driving away from the place
after the tragedy, but the statement
was not admitted in court. Charles G.
Cory of Middlesex was another wit
ness on the stand this forenoon,
Charles c. Cory, selectman of Mid
dlesex, was the first witness this morn
ing. He was called to the Monroe
house by telephone by Hale. He told
the names of those at the house, in
cluding the Monroe boys and Hale.
Hale told the witness Morse was shot.
Hale was near the wire along the wood
road Witness saw the body IF Morse.
There was no one there a; kat time.
He saw Mrs. Morse on hcl aay to the
house. He felt of the body. He saw
the pitehfork near the body and de-
scribed the position of Morse's hands
and the fork under Morse's body. A
part Of the fork projected beyond the
head. He covered Morse's body with
blankets. Selectman Cory remained
there until others came, including the
officers.
On cross examination Mr.. Cory laid
down on the floor placing the fork and
his body in the position a. near as he
remembered that he found Morse and
the fork, with the fork bottom side up.
He then testified he went Immediately
to the Monroe farm after receipt OF
the telephone call and arrived at the
Monroe house about o'clock. He saw
a place where double and single
teams had turned out of the wood
road. He testified like others relative
to the barbed wire fence, tree and
post, to which the barbed wire was at
tsehcd. He saw some "old" tracks
around in the snow near the sugar
house and near the wire fence
From picture the witness showed
to the jury the track between the body
and Morse's house which were tracks
he saw that Sunday. In going after
the blankets he followed a path and
on the way saw wire barway that
was pulled back, probably two-thirds
of the way swung around. He did not
have to climb over the wire anywhere
on the way to the Morse house. The
opening referred to as "barway' was
first mentioned as such at this time.
This testimony disagreed with some
introduced through other state wit
nesses, who claimed there was no
opening" through which they passed;
but he agreed there was only one path
or track, as he called IL. The witness
testified that it showed sometime Sat
urday He could not tell whether it
was in the night or not. Mr.. Cory
was excused for a few minutes and
Z. T. Houston was called.
Mr.. Houston testified to making pho
tograph marked H in March and for
Mr.. Wilcox. which was not at the
same time that he took the pictures he
testified about Friday. Both Mr.. Arch
ibald and Mr. Carver asked questions
OF the witness.
Mr.. Cory was recalled, and could
not tell whether the opening was the
same in exhibit "H" as il was Feb. J..
Exhibit H" was taken in March.
In cross examination he testified the
opening was correspondingly the
same as Feb. /, although it might vary
a rod or 40.
Mother of Slain Man Called.
Mrs. Lucy s. Morse was next called.
She lived with her son at the time Of
the tragedy. She testified relative TO
the stock on the place, which was kept
in the basement Of the barn. Her son
left the house about Il o'clock. To
feed the stock a person had to go QUITO
the barn floor. She testified relative
10 the windows in the house looking
towards the barn. She saw him come
out of the barn about half an hour
after he left the house. She saw her
son cross the road toward the Hale
property to the wood road. She next
saw him throw his arms up and fall.
She had not seen Hale or anybody up
to the time of the shooting She heard
a shot at the time her son threw up
his arms.
Mrs. Morse saw Hale drive down the
wood road riding in a sleigh drawn by
a single horse. She went TO her son
and saw something laying at his right.
She only raised her sons head and saw
blood coming from mouth and nose.
She put q cape over his shoulders aud
turned w the coat collar. Two young
boys came while she was there. She
thought they were the Monroe boys.
She has not visited the place since.
Tho body was carried TO the under
takers
Did Hale say anything 70 you when
he passed the house - was asked.
"No.~ said the witness.
a conference occurred at the bench
following Mrs. Morse testifying that
Ahe aid something 20 Hale. She wss
cautioned not 10 reply too quickly e
air ArchihaId's question. Then she
testified that she spoke fairly luiid to
him a. Hale was coming ont ~ the
uooa road. She did not notice Halo
sav 81 d. ANYTHING when she spoke %
him. Thiz was excluded because q
vas not definite enough. With Mrs
Morse's testimony. the state rested =
N u'clock-
Sheriff Tracy on the Stand
Erisenr. was introduced Friday aft
e-rosn. shrufpg thst Hale teleph0ued
81 attorney before be notified the eli
rers rarardiuz the shooting atair ard
skss ~ tod States Attorney p y