The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1920-07-24
PETTIBoNE TESTIMONY.
Continued from Page L.

admit to the jury, comes after one OF
the most holly contested legal battles in
the history of the state of Vermont.
Counsel for the accused man sought in
vain for nearly two days to keep from
the ears of the u men sitting on the
jury their clients own story of the events
which led up to his placing of the con-
tents of the strychnine sulphate bottle IN
to a dose of salts prepared by his hands
for his wife, according to his confession.
The alleged confession admitted in ev-
idence is as follows as the state declares
it was made through Pettibone's answers
to questions by States Attorney Graves
from the stenographer's transcript OF the
proceedings:
+ ''Now, Byron, / understand that you
want to make a statement with refer
ence to the death of your wife; that you
make it understanding that l am not
making promises; that ] am not the
court but the states attorney. Now
where did You obtain any strychnne
prior to the death of your wife,
cat Dan Wards drug store and no
one knew that I got it" -.
WAS Mr.. Ward present at the time:
'AIr. Ward was not present at the
time
"How did the label read on the bot
tle?"
"Strychnine sulphate.'
Glow long did You have it in your pos
session before your wife's death?'
Two or three days -,
The night that your wife died, did
You suggest taking some salts!
/ II got the salts and was going to take
: it. I did not have the least idea OF dong
anything" -,
1And after the salts was prepared, how
much of the strychnine sulphate that was
in this bottle did YOU put in the salts
that you prepared?' >,
"An of it. The contents Of the bottle
Did YOU know at that time that II
might kill your wife?'
no. sir. My intentions were to make
her good and sick"
did she take the salts?"
"She must have
Did she see YOU dump in the bottle
| of strychnine sulphate
NO, sir a.,
You knew she was to take it?"
YES. because she wanted it
"Afte~ she took the salts, what dc
you do?' ,...,,
Il went to bed, was undressing
when she took the salts
did YOU 90 to sleep?'
II dozed off" ..
How soon after you went to bed dl'
your wife follow
"Ten or Is minutes.
'eHow soon after she got into bed On
she speak to you with reference to Tee
ing?"
"Ten or Is minutes"
Did Won call the doctor then?"
Eyes, sir
why did you give your wife the stryef
n:ne?"
well. it is a hard question to al
swor."
Just state it as you told me-
Just simply because I was hampere
to death from morning to night. Their
| was not thing she did not want to buy
; she got me into a $1,000 property; n
; pleasure: no comfort: hampered with It,
Then it was due to the extreme wo
y " on yonr part for the reason that yo
bad purchased such large piece of pro-
y ertv and could not swing it,
That's it"
Pettibone then stated that he had NJ
3 nuarrelled with his wife and that
; gave her the strychnine sulphate TO mai
" her i'll. He carried the bottle in his We
0 pocket and on the evening prior to h
0 death was as "happy as a lark
. He said that he selected that particul
) evening because he saw the opportuni
) when She asked for the salts. He kne
8 that epson salts were somewhat bitt
5 but said that his wife made no rema
70 about this fact.
IS ''At the time of your wife's death we
10 Won in love with Miss Guillow?"
70 81 was not, did not care any more abo
IS Miss Guillow than / do about that cha
o there whatsoever.
% Were You not surprised when the &
IS tonsv revealed the strychnine?"
IS s'Wen I did not realize what l did
10 the time"
q "Has this proved on your mind?'
30 Il did not realize. No it did not