The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1920-07-21
MAY COMPLETE
CASE TOMORROW
State Makes Good Progress
In PettibOne Murder Trial
at Manchester
TWO ATTEMPTS
TO POISON WIFE

4
Attempt Sunday Before Murder =
Pettibone Asked Doctors Not to
Mention Poisoning.
MANCHESTER, July 2l-The prose-
cution in the trial of Byron NJ Pettibone,
charged with the murder OF his wife at
Bennington on April 6, proceeded today
in its effort to establish that Pettibone,
who was an undertaker's assistant, poi
soned Mrs. Pettibone because of his al
| legged infatuation for nurse. The trial
moved rapidly after the jury was chosen
and the state is expected to complete its
case sometime tomorrow.
| Further testimony that Mrs. Eva Pet
| tibone was in fear of death by poisoning
at the hands of her husband was given
today. Mrs. Bessie Wright, neighbor,
said that during supper which she had
at the Pettibone home at which the tea
was prepared by the defendant, Mrs Pet
ltibone asked her husband what he had
4 nut in the tea, said it was very bitter
and calling him a harsh name asked II he
was trying to poison her Pettibone pre-
pared fresh cup which his wiie dfahh
without complaining, the witness saldi
| Cross-examination of Mrs. Wright by
counsel for the defense developed that
( sba could remember little other conver-
: sation between the Pettibones, that she
I had not testified to the suspicion OF Mrs'
! pettibone previously nor had she men
E toned tbe incident to anyone until re-
cently
D Dr r Fl. stone testified that an an-
: tonev vas performed on the body OF MIS-.
/ patt;bana after which the organs were
Q ,or,oved for analysis 1t Is charged by the
t state that Pettibone killed ms wde us
|, administering poison with a dose OF siISs r.
e The personnel of the jury follows ys,.,,.i., -
ost Raabe of Rupert, farmer; Nliham
k o. Wilcox of Sandgate, farmeri TlanN pan
t Sbaldon of Rupert, farmer; Frank Boyh-
! ION of Woodford. lumberman; Nllham
l. I younr of Salisbury, clerk; George
j. u T;vinustone of Dorset, farmer; ,. II
5 Abhott Of Landgrove, farmer; =. T.
n Torax, Of East Dorset, farmer; John
Il Roedel of Stamford. mill worker; oiyde
Rrvant of Dorset. farmer; John ID. fIyhh
Il. of norset. farmer: Cecil j. Edgerton OF
? Manchester, laborer.
le As soon as the jury had been sworn
1t the indictment read and the jury III
o. formed that the respondent had entered
10 . nIeo of mot guilty" counsel Tor th'
id Taenondpnt asked that all witnesses b'
ID axcluded from the room, this order t'
IN iuclude physicians, something out OF th'
i'll ordinary even in murder trials. laAei
in connection with the close cross qnes
tioning of DIR. Gardiner, the action ma!
). be taken to mean that the respoh9eh
viii consider the treatment prescribed b!
to the physician when called on the hish
Mrs Pettibone died.
The openinp statement to the jury wa
- made by States Attorney Graves VIII
=, =, said that the state would introduce evl
y dence which would tend to show tina
81 Mrs. Pettibone died ON the night OF Apr
e. 1920. an hour or after she ma
drank n dose of salts which contained
. big dose of strychnine placed in the pc
tion by the respondent, MIR. PettfDone
that shortly after going to bed, Mr.
pettibone was taken suddenly i'll; tina
lar she died at II o'clock, about an hour atte
OF drinking the salts, and that neither N
Pettibone nor Mr.. Rice, roomer at III
lar Pettibone home, who also took dos
Z, of salts, suffered any i'll effects Ii
Is autopsy performed later on the body
I'M the woman showed the presence
enough strychnine in the stomach
. Two witnesses were examined yeste
day. DR.. f. NJ Gardiner, who was call'
to visit Mrs. Pettibone, and Eugene Rc
I'll who roomed at the Pettibone home. II
II doctor not only told how he was CALI
and found Mrs. Pettibone at 10 o'clock
night going into successive convulsior
with calm intervals between them, b
added that when he and the second do
H tor who was called-and who arriv
after Mrs Pettibone had died-we
II leaving the house Pettibone accomp
MED them to their cars and said:
you have any idea that there has be
poisoning here l wish you wouldn't s.
ANYTHING about it on account of the ia
it makes in a small town"
The doctor testified that i'll his OPT
ion, formed on report from the sta
chemical laboratory Mrs. PettIbo
died of strychnine poisoning.
The next witness was Eugene Rice, t
lodger in the Pettibone home. He
went over the events of the fateful mig
but he also added new and sensation
incident to the sorry tale.
On the Sunday night previous Mr.. a
Mrs Pettibone, Rice and a Miss Bes
Wright had supper in the Pettibc
kitchen Pettibone himself got out
meat, the bread and butter, and made
tea. Mrs Pettibone tasted her tea 8
then said to Miss Wright and Ri
"Does your tea taste funny? Mine tas
awful bitter" She also said: i w