The Washington times., 1920-07-23
WIFE FEARED
VIOLENT DEATH
Witness at Pettib0ne Trial A.
>leges Slain Woman Was
Suspicious Of Poison.

MANCHESTER, VT, July 23.-Evi'
dence tending to show chat Mrs. Eva
Bond Pettibone. OF Bennington, for
whose murder her husband, Byron
M. Pettibone, Is on trial. was in
deathly fear OF being poisoned was
introduced at his trial yesterday.
Mrs. Bessie Wright, OF Bennington.
friend of the dead woman. the first
woman to be called as witness in
the case, related dramatically the
tale OF the poisoned tea.
She told OF her visit to the Petit
bone home on the Sunday evening
before Mrs. Petitioners death. Be-
sides herself and the Pettibones, she
said, there was present Eugene Rice.
who roomed at the Pettibone house
and who has previously testified.
Her pleasant manner and we'll
modulated voice impressed the gal
lery." She told OF Pettibone at sup
per serving tea in cups, not in the
usual teapot: of his placing the cups
at each plate.
She continued: Mrs. Pettibone
tasted "a spoonful OF tea and said to
Mr.. Pettibone. What have you put
in this tea? 1t is awfully bitter
told her that mine tasted all right,
SHt Sdlu " HcT iou
--, are you trying to poison me?'
That's nice thing to say replied
Pettibone. as he took the tea to the
kitchen and poured II out and then
brought more"
Mrs. Wright testified. the defendent
leaned anxiously. touching his at
torney, Henry Chase, on the arm. HIS
fingers drummed nervously on the
edge of the counsel table. His at
torneys again attempted to have ex-
cluded evidence regarding the, tea
but Judge Wilson overruled.
Mrs. Pettibone was described by
Mrs. Wright as being "always very
cheerful" and especially so on the
night OF her death. Mrs. Wright hav-
ing visited her n few hours before
she died She did not complain Of
feeling i'll, witness declared.
1T surprised me to hear Eva utter
those harsh and vulgar words" said
Mrs. Wright, speaking of the occur
renee at the. tea table. She was not
a woman who ever used coarse or
profane language"
RIGID CROSS EXAMINATION.
The witness was subjected to
erillins cross-cxamination by At
torney Joseph Jones. She was hazy
as to dates and does not remem-
Der what conversation took place at
the Pettibone home on the Sunday
night before Mrs. Pettibone's death.
Pettibone look ed UP and smiled.
you don't demember single
thing about what transpired at the
table, do your" asked Jones some
what belligerently.
II can remember about the poison
ID Iao nj NO
earnestly. 81 WAS surprised at the
name she called him."
Did you write in your diary about
the poisoned tea?" Mr.. Jones queried.
at was nothing l wanted to remem-
Der. so l didn't write it."
"As a matter Of fact, there was
not anything to that poisoned tea
talk. was there?" the witness was
asked.
81 think, as things have come out,
there was quite something to it," she
emphatically replied.
Her testimony was given undivided
attention by the throng which packs
the court room and the adjoining hall
Beautifully coiffured dowagers Of the
summer colony gaze through jeweled
lorgnettes. They are in the court
room lohg before each session starts
some DTlnS tnelr kHittlHs' otneTS Tcdu
novels while waiting, but the novel
lists plots pale into insignificance
beside the real tragedy which is be-
ing painted before them in harsh,
cruel statements. Scions of great
families, spending their vacations at
the handsome hotels and estates
nearby. and little society butterflies,
in gay. frilly frocks or comfortable
sport clothes, witnessed the unfold
ing of the story.
Others are friends Of the defndant,
of his father and his grandfather.
They are hardy woodsmen and
farmers who have travelled many
miles to lend their support to the
man whom they have watched grow
up from childhood.
In the front row of spectators are
the fathers of Byron Pettibone and
of Miss Helen Irene Outflow. "the
other woman in the case" infatuation
for whom, 1t is charged, caused Pet
tibone to poison his wife.
Charles Pettibone, Byron's father.
Is a typical Yankee farmer. His
mouth is close shut. his small blue
eyes are solemn. He has a straw
colored mustache and sandy hair. His
knotted hands rest on his knee Mr..
Outflow sits close beside him. He is
dressed in black and looks like a
rowing minister. His thin face is
deeply lined. Spectacles are perched |
on his Lincoln-like nose He has much |
to undergo before the termination of |
the case, for his daughter is to be
chief witness for the defense.