Vermont telegraph. [volume] (Brandon [Vt.]) 1828-1843, 1840-04-29
nGroRo HoLmEs DlscHAReEp.-TI
April 80, 1910.


.,,e OF DR.. Holmes was presented before
No Supreme Court of this State, at its
'ps,on in this County. by Elk. Gov. Van
Ness, and after full examination OF the
,a,horties and opinions Of the Federal
Court, the prisoner was dischareed. Chief
Justice Williams, in delivering the opinion
ofthe Court, announced that the "Court
we're unanimous and we'll agreed in the
decision" which Sc. Holmes once more at
liberty ia thewide world. This we believe
is an original case in some of its features
without a precedent in the history of
American Jurisprudence. 1t was ilnpor-
ant, therefore, as national question, that
The law should lie well understood, and
correctly applied to this case. The his
ory Of The case is briefly this. Some
hing like year since, Holmes was
charged bv the authorities Of Low err Can
ada with The crime Of murder, and appii
cation made to The Governor of this SAFE
for his surrender, which application was
complied with on the part Of the Govern
Or, who ordered his return to The country
whose laws it was alleged had been VIC.
Eted. The question of the Governors
authority so TO order was tried by the
Supreme Court Of this State, and sus-
timed. An appeal was taken 10 The
Uuihd STATES Court, who dismissed tie
case for want of jurisdiction. Another
wit was taken, and the same question
first tried by the Supreme Court re-afirm-
ed, and the former decision reversed
We learn from the ST. Louis Republic.
40 that there were about two hundred and
fly passengers on board the steamboat
Selma, (bound from New Orleans 10 St.
LOUISE when she was lost. All were
saved, although hut few rescued any of
heir property. They were mostly Ger
man emlgranls, some of whom had effects
Of great value 10 themselves. ...-.f..
.CoNTEMPTIBLE BUsi NEss.-One OF the
most ridiculous prosecutions of which we
nave ever heard, came before the county
court IN this city last week. We were
in some doubt whether we had not bet,er
let It pass without notice; but as one or
lSo other papers have spoken ofthe affair.
ueaung II in some measure as il deserved.
erhaps we ought, in justice, to say
rord or two ourselves. The case was
nOlhing more nor less than an indictment
against two Baptist ministers for disturb
ing religious meeting ia serious charge
certainly Brethren Irenus Atkins, oil
SOulhington, and Ofsamus Allen. of B.s. |
O, were the gentlemen arraigned and
the information, as fled by the States
Attorney set forth that, on the first Sab
bath in February last, during divine SER
wee at the Baptist meeting house in
SOuthingt1n, these gentlemen were guilty
dsmilng, laughing. whispering, talk
ng and other conlumelious and tumuItu-
Gus carrlage; to the great disturbance of
public worship, and contrary TO the stat
ce in such cases provided. The inform
a'lon, however, by consent, was so amend
ed as 10 place brother Allen alone upon
raI. The evidence was then brought
SFwaIt. when it appeared that the Wit
nesses to sustain the charge were Several
Of them) UniUe rSaLists from Berlin and
neIghborlng towns. From the testimony
t seemed that Mr. Rogers Ia licentiate,
who had been preaching in Southington
Or some time past,) was discoursing, on
The occasion referred 10, upon "the per
Onali,y Of Saian," aud that he advanced
'Ome very novel, and, as these witnesses
thought, very ingenious s. striking ideas.
During his discourse it was testified, MIR.
Atkins and Mr.. A len were once or twice
40 lie Il
other, (being seated in the same pew;)
that they certainly smiled more than once,
and i was thought their lips m0red, as
though they were whispering. This was
the sum and substance of the evidence
against them, while on the other hand it
was positively proved that there was no
whispering and no disturbance which af-
orded the least foundation fol the accusa-
lion. As to the smiling, it appeared that
Tie whole congregation were made to
smile at the gerry striking ideas of the
Preacher, ard, indeed, as some Of those
IDEAS were mentioned in the course of the
trial, the whole court. judge, jury, law,
yeTs, and all, not only smiled, but actually
laughed Out several limesl 1t is perhaps
needless to say that the jury, without
hesitation, rendered verdict Of acquiltaI,
aud that the Judge expressed his cordial
aud hearty concurrence. We know not
Who originated this prosecution, but il
really appeared to US. and we believe to
all who heard the evidence, as a most
con'emptible piece of business. = Christian
Sssrctary
RAILRoADs.-The following table ex
hIo'ls the original cost ofthe roads named
and the nett income on each for the yea
1899 - E
a.A tr Cost. Income
Dos. & Providence, sl,7s2, 900 sll9.494
R0Non e, Lowell 65n nnn lao n6l