Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1840-10-02
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FRIDAY MORNIN OCTOBER 1910
TIE STEAMBOAT OUTRAGE.

We recollect case in which man was
arraigned for stealing sheep and three witness
SEES were brought who swore that they saw him
take the sheep. On the Defence twelve wit
nesses were brought forward, who swore that
they did not see him steal the sheep, and
verdict Of acquitta was claimed, on the balance
of testimony! And this is pretty much Mr. Van
Ness position. We charged him distinctly
with practically taking possession of the Winoos-
Xxi, and, by threats Of violence, preventing Capt
Phillips from executing written contract,
which he was expressly directed to do by his
employers. This Mr.. Van Vess has not denied
lie dare not deny it. But he has introduced
some three or four atiidavit-lnakers who swear
that they know nothing about the fact charged !!
neither do they believe it The Sentinel, how
ever, is little more INSCRIPTIONS, and begins
by valiant declaration, that "the public will be
"surprised to learn that the article in question is
"false from beginning to end. That it has not
"evcn Sh0dov for its foundation. 1t is indeed
"a fiction of the most malignant kind" This
is certainly explicit enough, and covers the
whole ground; but, curious, as it may seem,
this veracous witness or attorney, whichever
we may call him, before he gets through the
article from which we have quoted stultifies
himself by admitting the whole gist of our
charge, which is pronounced above to be false
from beginning to end" Hear him. We
quote iteraly-even to the turned commas -
"Mr. Van Ness then said ave have been re-
"leased by Mr.. Toilet from the obligation of
slowing, AND IF YOU ATTEMPT TO
"IIITCH ONTO THOSE VESSELS, WE
"SlIAIL RESIST YOU BY FORCE!"-
And such is fair sample Of six columns of alli-
davts and fustion which fill the last Sentinel.
Here might we rest our case; Tor not only has
| the Sentinel utterly failed to meet our charges,
but by its own testimony fully fortifes and sus-
tains the material point in the case, to wit
that Mr.. Van Ness threatened 10 uterpose by force
10 prerem Capt. Philips from taking the ressels
in 'o'c and thus compelled him to violate the con.
tract But we prefer different course. The
testimony is at hand, and for the benefit of the
public, we choose TO present it.
And here let us premise by again repeating
that the wings magnanimously surrendered I
prior claim to the use of the Winooski, on this
occasion, for the sole purpose of promoting peace
and with that spirit they consented to 90 OF
board the M'Donough, to sail the sloops, or be
towed by the Winooski, as circumstances nigh
require. To be sure it was the desire of the
Wings, as much as of the other party, to avoit
the necessity for tow, and nothing but extreme
necessity would have induced them to claim it
But it was wisely foreseen that an emergency
might arise when it would be impossible to &c
along without it, Hence it was expressly re
serredb by the Directors, and agreed to by thu
contracting parties And to avoid all possibl,
misunderstanding as to the terms of of the con
tract, it was put in writing, and copy takeI
by the Locofoco agents:
"Messrs IIaswell, lIollcnbeoh, John Bradley ant
w. Lyman, propose to the Steam Boat Co., to trans
port from Burlington to Platlsburgh, on the llIh o
September, inst. party on board of the Wnooski-
to return from said Palsburgh on hoard of said boa
or The line Boat The sum TO be paid for passage owe
and back o0ceuIs eaeh passenger The gentlemen guar