The Caledonian-record. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1920-current, 1921-03-21

head Of the stairs when he tried to
push my wife into the room when
| said she could not go. Then he
grabbed me by the throat and crowd
ed me up against the attic stairs and
pushed me over and whacked me over
the head with the stick he claims |
hit him with He took my wallet out
OF my pocket and started down stairs
with it. | grabbed him by the collar
and said: "Scott Farnum, you give
me back my pocket book After
repeated it twice he threw it away
from US and it fell into pan at the
bottom of the stairs. There are scars
on my head and black and blue marks
on my leg as result Of the en-
counter Il used no more force in
striking Fa1num than seemed reason
ably necessary to prevent his invad-
my my home"
On cross examination Taylor said
that he was living alone and there
was no one there at the time of the
trouble. The whole thing took place
at the top of the stairs. He admitted
that he had papers served on him on
several occasions because he did not
support his children and was in mum
cipal court two or three weeks ago
on States Attorney Campbells com
plant on the same matter, although
no arrest was made at that time and
the matter is still pending. He said
he didn't see whore his wife went
when he went down stairs after the
trouble. for he was otherwis engaged.
He said Farnum mad the club the last
he saw of it.
Il don't know, said Taylor, "what
right Scott Farnum had to take my
pocketbook, unless he intended 20
give it to my wife or keep it himself.
| have never refused to let my chill
dren come home"
Q. Why didn't you want your
wife to come back?
A. She had simply left me and I
didn't want her to return.
On the ground that he was restrain
ed ~ the court from harboring or
having anything to do with his wife,
Attorney Porter asked to introduce
the certified records of the court pro-
ceedings, in the divorce case of Mrs.
Taylor against Mr.. Taylor and
docket entries but these were ruled
out by Judge Blodgett as they showed
that the injunction proceedings were
discontinued last December and
therefore did not hold.
A copy of Mr.. Farnum's letter as
published in the Lyndonville Journal
was introduced as part OF the case.
In his argument to the jury States
Attorney Campbell urged upon the
gentlemen that they should overlook
all OF the oddities and criticisms of
Scott Farnum and answer the ques-
ton of whether the respondent com
mitted the alleged assault "You are
supreme in the realm OF weighing the
evidence. You are the sole judges,
he declared.
"Farnum went to the Taylor home
on friendly elrand with no desire
to get into trouble" States Attorney
Campbell said. at is rather obvious
that Mr.. Farnum had a right to 90.
He was endeavoring to get Mr.. and
Mrs. Taylor together and try and
unite the family and have him sup
port his children and his wife. BY
the invitation of this man they were
up there at the head of the stairs.
Taylor was warned they were coming
and he knew no harm was to be done.
"If the state is right | want YOU
to bring in a verdict accordingly. We
claim there was not justification for
= IL I.ll
should return a verdict of guilty"
Attorney Porter bitterly assailed
Scott Farnum and ridiculed much Of
his testimony and the article he had
published in the Lyndonville news
paper He questioned the truth of
many Of Farnum's statements.
"Scott Farnum knew the story of
the fracas would be out so he sat
down and cold and deliberately to
tell what took place. Of course he
lied to Us here and when he wrote
that article. In the article he said he
told Mrs Taylor to go into the house.
Today he says he asked Taylor very
politely if he could go in. In his
article he says the states attorney has
been working on the case for five
years; on the stand he says it was
only three years. He lied only two
years Scott said he grabbed Taylor
in self defense He wanted to create
a prejudice, poison the minds of the
community and get clean record for
Scott Farnum and wife.
"The law says man may use II
the force necessary to prevent a man
from trespassing on his premises.
Frank told him not to 90 down to
the house. Farnum was elected over
seer on Tuesday and took the law
into his own hands the following |
day. You must be satisfied beyond |
a reasonable doubt that Taylor did |
as charged or else let him go. Should |
you sacrifice this man to make a
ecord for Scott Farnum. No verdict |
here would affect this man. | ask |
for a verdict of mot guilty in this |
ease.
In his closing argument, States At
-orney Campbell said:
81 am proud of Scott Farnum.
Neither | nor my brother Porter will
write his epitaph. He doesn't want
Is to. But Taylor should get brother
Porter to write his epitaph.
of Taylor had a decent pulsation
n his heart for his own he would not
ave dared to start any such a thing
Is he did. Attorney Porter says Far