Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1859-04-15

] phohtu Lhah On Tue pieCeulnN uAl All NV
erton--at least, as many as could push in
were anxious to hear his lordship's summing
up. At twenty-eight minutes after nine, the
javelns Of the sheriff men appeared in the
outer hall, ushering in the procession Of the
judges
The senior judge proceeded to the criminal
court, the other. as on the Monday took his
/ place in the Nisi Prius, His lordship had
his notes in his hand, and was turning to the
jury, preparatory to entering on his task,
when Sergeant Wrangle rose.
"My lord--I must crave your lordship'
permission to state fact bearing on the case
Carr .. Carr. An unexpected witness has
arisen most important witness one who
will testify to the abstraction from the regis
ter one who was present when that abstrac-
ton was made. Your lordship will allow him
to be heard :"
Sergeant Siftem and Mynn and Mynn, and
Squire Carr and his son Valentine and all
who espoused that side, looked contemptuous
daggers OF incredulity at Sergeant Wrangle.
But the Judge allowed the witness to be heard
for all that.
He came forward a remarkably handsome
I boy, at the age between youth and manhood.
The judge put his silver glasses across his
nose and gazed at him he thought he recog-
nized those beautiful features
"Swear the witness, cried some official.
/ The witness was sworn.
"What is your name;" demanded Sergeant
/ Wrange
Henry Choveey Arkell."
4 "Where do you reside :"
4 "ln College-terrace, Riverton."
/ a.. i
and chorster, arc you not y inquired the
/ judge, whose remembrance had come to him.
/ "a kings scholar. my lord, and senior
( chorister"
"Were you in st. Jamess Church on a GER
tain night of last November ?: resumed the
/ counsel.
Yes"
For how long, And how came you to
/ be there ?"
81 went in to practice on the organ when
the afternoon school was over aud some one
locked me in. ! was there until nearly two
in the morning"
"Who locked you in :"
al did not know then. have heard since
that it was one Of the senior boys"
Tell the jury what you saw"
/ Henry Arllell, amidst the confused scene
+ SO unfamiliar to him, wondered which was
the jury Not knowing, he stood as he dad
done before. looking alternately at the exam
ining counsel and the Judge
81 went to sleep on the singers seat in the
organ-galery, and slept till noise awokc
me. saw two people stealing up the church
with light; they turned into the vestry,
and ! went softly down stairs and followed
! them, and stood at the vestry door looking
/ in
"Who were those parties -
"The one was Mr.. George Prattleton: the
other a stranger Of the name of Rolls, who
was staying somewhere in Riverton. Mr..
/ George Prattleton unlocked the safe, and gave
/ Rolls the register, and he sat down and look
cd through it; he was looking long while -
"What next did you see y
"When Mr.. George Prattleton had his
back turned to the table. saw Rolls blow
out the light. He pretended it had gone out
Of itself, and asked George Prattleton to fetch
/ the matches from the bench at the entrance
door. Az soon as George Prattleton had
gone for them, a light re-appeared in the YES
I try, and | saw Rolls place what looked to be
a piece of thick pasteboard behind one of the
leaves, and then draw knife down it and cut
it out. He put the leaf and the board and
the knife into his pocket, and blew out the
candle again"
Did Mr.. George Prattleton see nothing
of this :"
mo. He was gone for the matches, and
when he came back the vestry was in dark
ness, as he left it. Nothing risk, nothing
win, ! heard Rolls say to himself. i thought
l could do him. -"
"After that :"
CATER that, when Mr.. George Prattleton
came back with the matches, Rolls lighted
the candle and continued to look over the
register, and George Pratteton grumbled at
him for being so long. Presently Rolls shut
the book and hurrahed, saying it was not in,
and Mr.. Prattleton might put it up again"
"Did you understand what he meant by
it; Can you repeat the words he used p
II believe ! can. or nearly so, for have
thought of them often since. It's not in the
register, Prattleton. he said. 'Hurrah 1t
will be thousands of pounds in our pockets.
When the other side brought forth the lame
tale that there was such an entry, we thought
it bag of moonshine. Put up your regis
ter think that was it,.
"What next happened -
81 saw Rolls hand the book to George
Prattleton, and then went down the church
as quietly as | could, and found the key in
the door, and got ont. | hid behind a
tombstone, and saw them both emerge from
the church, and Mr.. George Prattleton locked
it and put the key in his pocket. heard
them disputng at the door, when they found
it open Rolls accused George prattloton OF
unlocking the door when he went to fetch the
matches and George Prattleton accused Rolls
of having neglected to lock it when they en-
tered the church
meanwhile it was you who had unlocked
il, to let yourself out :"
"Yes And was in too great hurry,
for fear they should see me, to shut it after
me-"
"A very nicely concocted tale - sneered
Sergeant Siltem. after several more questions
had been asked of Henry, and he rose to
cross-examine. "You would like the court
and jury to believe you, sir ~
81 hope all will believe who hear me, for
it is the truth. he answered, with simplicity.
And he had his wish for all did believe him ,
and Sergeant Siftem's searching questions,
and usnuations that he lancied George Pratt
teton and Rolls were nothing but ghosts,
failed to shake his testimony. or their belief
The next witness called was Roland Lewis,
who had Just come into court, marshaled by