Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1860-03-16
Trial of s. and j. W. Steele.

iDoss feinaTkaDle that mas ever tFanspired
10 this District. The Calendar was not
only very full, but there we're more
charges against persons holding respec-
table positions than have ever been made
before. The last Case tried was charge
OF arson against Solomon Steele and
Joseph Steele his son, for burning their
own buildings in November 1856
There was, shortly after the fire, a very
full investigation before L. X. Berton,
Esq, j. p, into the causes Of the fire
and some fifty witnesses we're examined
in private, and every effort was made to
elicit information respecting the origin Of
The fire. This evidence was sent TO the
Provincial Secretary to Be reported upon
by the law officers of the Crown. No
action was taken upon it, and i; was sta
ted by the magistrate, Mr.. Benton, and
the depositions in fact shew il, that there
was no evidence to justify suspicious of
Mr.. Steele or any of his family. Another
investigation was had by the Insurance
Company before Experts named to in
vestigate the losses of Mr.. Steele. The
Experts reported that Mr.. Steele should
have his insurance, and they found no
evidence against him or bis family.
Mr.. Solomon Steele afterwards insti
tuted an action of SANDER TO yindica.e his
character, and it continued about two
years and half, and terminated, so far
as evidence is concerned, about two
months ago. There was also a reward
offered by the Government for the dis
covery of the incendiary Nobody turn
ed up to claim this reward; after all
these things occurred and after the lapse
OF about three years and half, Solomon
Steele and his son were, to the surprise
OF many, indicted for burning their own
buildings to defraud the Insurance Com
pany, and some fifty witnesses were sum-
moned before the Grand Jury and bill
was found. A trial was had which con-
tinued eight days. From the fifty wit
nesses summoned on the prosecution, only
nineteen were examined.
From some cause or other the only
evidence casting the least shadow of sus-
picion upon either of the prisoners, was
that OF witnesses who had testified before
AIR. Benton, and bad then made no such
statements as they have now made.
AT all events jury taken from dis
lance and men of candor, honesty, and
intelligence, not only acquitted the pris-
oners but rose from their seats as the
charge of the judge was finished and
unanimously exclaimed not gully. And
the righteousness of the verdict was
sbewn by the feelings manifested by the
bystanders, who with one accord not
withstanding the dignity of the place and
occasion, gave expression to their feel
lngs by loud cheering, which the officers
and Court in vain attempted TO repress.
This we never saw in the Queens Bench
here before, and we could not but inter-
pref it as an indication of feeling of in
dignation that Mr.. Steele and his son
had been placed in the dock as felons.-
The case is admitted to have been con-
Quoted with great ability on both sides
and the charge of the Court was a course
OF reasoning TO convince the jury of what
they had long before been convinced, that
MIR. Steele or his son was not proved to
be guilty. The jury did not merely
think Or mean by their hearty verdict not
guilty, they meant the prisoners were in
nocent and injured men.
The case is concluded, and Mr.. Steele
can go home with character vindicated.
lie is fairly and honestly entitled to it,
and any man who disputes it, in our opin-
ion is deserving The appellation of nil
full calumniator.
In our opinion, this is one Of the most
cruel proceedings to which any man or
men was ever subjected. Solomon
Steele has been one of the ablest Masis-
trates in this District for a period of 25
years. He was for some ten years a
Commissioner for the trial of small causes.
He has been an active magistrate and he
has been the means of bringing many to
justice, who without his intelligence and
perseverance would have gone unpunish-
ed. He has undoubtedly been a man
less conciliatory in his manner than some
of your soft, half smiling and half SIMS
ter sort of men, who glide along the
world doing very little or meaning very
little, until the best of the work is done.
until the road is stumped and finished;
but he has been useful man, one whose
character ought to have sustained him
against suspicious of so unfounded
character az have hepn iudnIuad ,oo:.,.