A Small-Town Murder and a Famous Lawyer: The Vermont Case That Drew Clarence Darrow
- Waterbury Historical Society
- Jan 11
- 1 min read
A Conversation with Jeffrey L. Amestoy, former Chief Justice of the Vermont Supreme Court
In November 1926, Cecelia Gullivan, treasurer of the Cone Automatic Machine Company in Windsor, Vermont, was brutally murdered in her home. Police quickly arrested John Winters, a Cone machinist, and the trial that followed was fast, dramatic, and filled with public spectacle.
After Winters was convicted of murder, his appeal took an unexpected turn. His family called in a long-forgotten favor—one that brought America’s most famous defense attorney, Clarence Darrow, into a small Vermont courtroom and transformed the small-town murder case into a national sensation.
In partnership with Bridgeside Books, join Historical Society President Cheryl Casey for a conversation with author and Waterbury resident Jeffrey Amestoy
—former Chief Justice of the Vermont Supreme Court—about how he uncovered this remarkable story. Amestoy will discuss his research, the legal and political forces at play, and the surprising twists behind one of Vermont’s most compelling true-crime cases.
This free event is open to all. Copies of the book will be available for purchase, and the author will be on hand to sign and personalize books following the talk.
