The Vermont transcript. [volume] (St. Albans, Vt.) 1864-1870, 1865-08-25

tI' iic huu h'I bteu tiltu ny jury /
There had been no chance for him to
make any defence. For newspaper
like the Messenger, which seems to be-
lieve it has divine right to print the
only paper in the county, to step out
of it's way and thus stab the prisoner
in the manner it did, was not only
cruel but cowardly. Such conduct
admits of no justification or palliation.
The present lame attempt to deny its
guilt and to claim that no such accusa-
ton was made in the article referred .
to, is as absurd as the original attempt I
was crnel towards prisoner then &c
cused, and since proved innocent.
At the time of the trinl of Hezekiah
Payne, some jurors, regularly sum
moned to try the accused, stated in
open court when inquired of, that they
believed the accused guilty because
they had read in the St Adams Mes-
scagcr that he had attempted to es.
cape from Jail, and that they thought
no innocent man would make such an
attempt These jurors were excused
from serving on the panel. Their
minds were BIASED by the article in
question. How far the public mind
might have been preiudiced by that
newspaper article, can only be deter
mined by knowing with some degree
of certainty in what estimation for ac-
curacy it is held by those who read it,
and how many credulous readers it, pas
secured in its old age
If this were the only attempt made
by our aged assailant to poison the
public mind against a prisoner charged
with crime, before his trial--if it
were the only time that an attempt
had been made by it to prejudice com
munity against the accused before he
could make formal defence, then the
matter would hardly justify further
comment But the St Adams Nesscn-
ger has heretofore gained an unenvia-
bic notoriety in this respect, and it is
fresh in the recollection of this com
munity, and especially of those who
attended the exciting trial of State OF
Vermont VS. James Gibson last Sep
TENDER at st. Adams, that its report
of that trial and comment thereon
while the trial was in progress, were
such that the interference of the Court
was invoked by the counsel for tho
prisoner The following is n correct
report of the circumstances alluded tc
and was published last October ant
excited no inconsiderable attention q
, the time:
, THURSDAY, Oct 6.
=. The attention of the judges of tn
r County Court was called to erroneou
f statements printed in the st. Alban
a Daily Messenger, and it was claimed b
Jasper Rand, Esq. on behalf of th
prisoner Gibson, that such publica
tions of gross errors during the pro
+ gress of this trial were calculated t
e create prejudice against the accused
G especially If that daily paper Shout
chance to fall into the hands of til
, Jurors who were considering the cas-,
l. The Court announced that upon
'e written motion and proof of the cor
9 tinuance of any such publications O
y Mr. Rand represented, the Court woul
=, issue an attachment and bring I'll
"a printers of that paper before the Coui
, ~ to be dealt with for undertaking
~ interfere with the due execution
u, public justice. The trial then pr,
:" ceeded.
;T We have thus frankly alluded to IL
g. past and present management Of OF
rk assailant and regret that our aged c
d, temporary has failed to maintain tn
degree of reserve and neutrality in I
We gard to prisoners lying under the b,
=. of indictment and suspicion, which b
=, comes dignifed and fair-,nindt
press If it must bow to and erin!
:" before corporations which have pa
T. ronage to bestow and favors to off
=" because it must have that thrift whi
~ sometimes follows fawning, it ougl
az at least, to refrain from all malicio
assaults or meddlesome interferen
o' with strangers who are awaiting the
EN- trial.
to- Toadyism or abject subseryiency
NJ the rich and influential because
IN, may be for awhile a source of profit,
ed reprehensible enough. The addition
nd sin of being cruel and malicious
ed those in prison awaiting trial. becau
'rs they chance to bepoor, friendless and
'e- distress, and because an unenlghten
Ter public opinion seems to be adverse
lee the accused, is Of hardly less d,
Tn picable character. The one owes
ST. birth to avarice aud the latter to or
we city and cowardice.
on We insist that the use of newsr
at per to prejudice the cause of prioo
'se er before his trial by an impartial ju