Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1920-12-23
MUDGETT MURDER
TRIAL UNDER WAY
DR.. Stone Describes Autopsy
ShOniO Girl Clicked to Death
Court Room Filled


girl. was strangled to death after an
attempted Illegal operation upon her was
bungled. was the statement to-day of
Acknowledgement Archibald in opening the
case of the State of Vermont against
Arthur Midget. charged with murder In
the first degree as a result of the girls
death. An autopsy, he said performed
by DR.. y. II. Stone, state pathologist,
showed blood stains upon the girls
throat. There were bruises also on her
head
The trial of the case got under way
promptly to-day when n new venire OF
% men were in court and the first ouali-
fed for jury duty, in the person of II. c.
Folsom, 60, of Morrisvlle, farmer, and
married. The jury in it's entirety now
stands thus C. w. Merriam of Gilmore,
T.. b. Boyden of Cambridge, T. S. Mer-
riam of Wolcott, +. o. Thomas of JEFF
fersonvlle, f. A. Carpenter of Water
vile, U. c. Fletcher of Eden. II. w.
Drown and Frank Strong Of Worthwhile.
A. L. Gale of stowe. Homer Woodward
Of Belvldere, L. p. Blalsdel OF Cambridge
and II. C. Folsom. All are farmers
except Mr.. Strong. who is n mill hand.
and Mr.. Woodward. who is foreman in 4
lumber mill. All are married, the young
est being 81. the Oldest 81. The court
had been in session since Monday after
noon in the effort to secure jury.
County Clerk Smith Waite administered
the oath to the jurors and then read the
bill of indictment against Mudgett
The counsel for the defense wanted to
know if any one in the jury had been at
the preliminary hearing of the case.
+. S. Strong said that he was present
a, one session, but had formed no
opinion.
H.
the court house was crowded almost to
suffocaton to-day, especially in the after
noon. 1t was the largest crowd that ever
attended a trial here. Stirred to the very
depths OF excitement, the country folk
are fockng to this little village from
far distant towns, eager to catch every
little bit of sensational testimony that Is
dropped by the various witnesses.
Long before the court convened at two
o'clock every seat had been filled and
many were sitting in the aises, while
others stood in the rear of the room en-
deavoring to peer over the shoulders Of
their neighbors. Extra seats were
brought In by court attaches, but these
were quickly taken.
DR.. r. H. Stone was the first witness
this morning. He said he had performed
1900 autopsies. He described the posi-
tion in which the body lay when found,
a guard having been put over it until he
arrived. The body lay upgrade. he said.
and the clothing, in general. was In
order. The girl wore no hat and her
hair was somewhat ruffled. but It had
not tumbled down. He described the
operation that had been attempted. He
identified blood-s soaked garments that
We're worn by Miss Shonio. Blood in the
tissues of her throat, he said. could only
have collected there during life and not
after death. He testified to the bruises
upon her head and face, her eyes having
been blackened and were protrudng
from their sockets. A package which she
had purchased the night Of her death
was found nearby, and her upper set Of
false teeth lay near the body. Much of
the detail of DR.. Stones testimony can
not be reproduced In print. DR.. Charles
Ravey of Burlington offered testimony to
substantive DR.. Stones. DR.. C. f. Whit
ney of the State laboratory testified to
making an examination Of organs of the
body for traces of poisoning.
The outstanding feeo-e of the afternoon
session was the gruelling examination
and cross-examination to which States
Attorney William f. Tracy was subjected
by Attorney General Frank c. Archi-
bald the efficient prosecutor OF the
Der Of the counsel for the respondent.
AS n result of the volley Of questions
fired at him by both sides Mr. Tracy
became greatly confused and exhibited
marked weakness OF memory, espe-
cially as to dates and his actions after
the body OF Miss Shonio was found. TAX
Ing the stand at about 11:45 o'clock this
morning, Mr.. Tracy was under hot fire
until Judge Moulton declared recess
promptly at noon. BY that time Attorney
Archibald had completed his questioning
of the witness and the defense was pre-
pared to open a stiff cross-examination
when court reconvened at two o'clock.
When asked by Mr.. Archibald the
names of the persons who notified him
of the finding of the body Of the Shonio
girl, Mr.. Tracy answered that he could
not remember all of the names because
there were so many that brought the
information to him. lie declared that he
had made thorough search Of the hill
adjacent to the spot where the body was
found. but failed to locate any instru-
ment which may have been used to kill
the girl. Mr. Tracy made the mistake of
going into unnecessary detail in making
his answers and was sharply rebuked
by Mr.. Archibald, who said Mr.. Tracy,
YOU are a lawyer. but you make a poor
witness" This caused such n violent out
burst of laughter among the specta tors
that Sheriff Towne was forced to pound
heavily with his gavel to restore order
Mr.. Tracy was on the stand until two
o'clock.
Mr.. Archibald in outlining the case
TO the jury this morning said the
State would show the intimacy that
developed between the married mar
md the young girl of attentions he
paid her and famil'arities INDUCED in
that Mudgett left his brothers house
the night OF the crime at eight O'Clock
and did not return home until II: tina
he denied knowledge OF a path from
the field to the rear of the hotel ant
later admitted IT. that up to the time
the body was found no person living
outside Mudgett and the girl knew o
her condition. w. A. Dutton OF coun
Sci for the defense warned the jury
that Mr.. Archibald's oualintng wa
not testimony. and said the defens
desired to make no statement at THU
time.
The remainder OF the afternoon aft
er States Attorney Tracev testifier
was taken up with an exhibition o
the survey Of the town OF johnson
and of photographs OF the village. thi
for the purpose of familiarizing tn
jurymen with territory that will b
spoken of In testimony of the variou
witnesses.
That the Free Press lie the favorit
paper in which people read the i'm