Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1858-10-07
The Summons Trial


A disgusting picture of species of vice which
we fear is too lightly passed by in our Courts.
was unfolded at the trial of james C. Simmons
for Subornation of Perjury, at our County Court
last week sketch of the facts elected at the
trial. is given us, as follows:
Simmons was indicted by the Grand jury
for subornation of perjury, in procuring ono
Brieget Rohan falsely to swear bastard child
upon A. NJ. Clark, of ST. Adams. Simmons
as appeared frorI testimony, is shoemaker and
resided In Montpelier. Sometime in the Spring
OF 1856, he became acquainted with this Bird,
get Rohan. and she went to live with him in hin
shop. In September Simmons took her to St.
Adams, where he succeeded in getting her into
the family of Mr.. Clark as IL nurse, She went
to Clarks on the 10th of September, and on the
18th wrote to Simmons that the medicine he had
given her had had no effect, and besought him
to send her more. This letter, and the one writ
ten by Simmons, on tho 18th, in reply, were
produced by the Government on trial.
Bridget remained at Clark's until the 18th of
September, and then returned to Montpelier
after telling young man who had aided her in
obtaining the situation, that she was pregnant,
and that Simmons was the author of it,
When she returned to Montpelier, Simmons
again took charge of her, and kept her until
the 9th of April, 1857, when he took her before
magistrate in Barre, and she sworc that she
was pregnant by man In Washington County.
On this charge of bastardy he succeeded in
getting some SOCIAL of which he kept, ex
cept $50 which he paid to Bridget
Having prospered 50 well in this enterprise
he again, on the Oath of April, suborned her to
swear that she was pregnant by Mr. Clark and
Simmons was authorized to take the papers and
go to st. Adams to arrest Clark
Simmons started on his st. Adams tour the
next morning with high hopes and aattering
prospects as he thought, of getting $500 out of
Clark. He arrested Clark at Burlington on the
10Th. whittier he had gone on business. Mr..
Clark, by the way, is man of character and
reputation, having keen perception of human
character. He was not long in reading the i'm
port of Simmons mission to St. Adams, and
with the aid of the letter which Simmons had
written to Bridget while Ishe was living in his
family, and which letter had been found in her
room after she left, he became satisfied that they
intended to oxtort money from him. He ac-
cordingly teegraphed to St. Adams for the
: High Sheriff of Franklin County to meet him
at Essex junction and Clark and Simmons then
changed places. Simmons was taken to St.
Adams and lodged in jail
When the Grand Jury of this County met in
September 1857, they returned bill of indict-
ment against Simmons for subornation of per-
Jury-the case was continued until the March
! Term 1858, when a trial was had which result
ted in verdict Of guilty-Smmons carried the
case to the Supreme Court and that Court ar
rested the Judgment on the ground of the insult
ficiency of the Indictment
f Simmons was again arrested and bound over
) before justice for the same offence, on sugges-
'i0'i VI OiO OupIOmo CourI, Ill view OF the Ha-
grant chatacter of the offence The Grand Ju-
ry at the Sept. Term of our Court 1858, return
ed new bill of Indictment trial was had which
lasted two days. the jury returned after an
able and impartial charge from his Honor,
Judge Barrett, the presiding Judge, and after
oelng out four hours returned verdict of Gull
, ty. On Tuesday last Simmons was brought
INTO Court to receive his sentence. Judge Bar
rettpronounced the unanimous Judgment of the
Court in which his Honor spoke in a feeling
manner of the enormity of the crime. of the
fair and impartial trial he had had, and the
lesson which the judgment of the Court, would
he hoped. impress upon the transgressor. The
Court then sentenced him to ten wears imnris-
onment at hard labor in the States Prison On
Saturday he was conveyed to Windsor BY High
Sheriff Hastings.
Too much credit cannot be awarded our nde-
fatigable States Attorney for his tact and per-
severance in ferreting out this piece of rascalitv
and bringing the offender to justice. He has
laoored with an ability and zeal worthy of our
oldest and keenest lawyers to bring about this
most righteous Judgment Judgment heartily
approved by all honest and virtuous citizens