The Vermont transcript. [volume] (St. Albans, Vt.) 1864-1870, 1866-12-07

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fnement.
A little before the occurrence of
this remarkable affair, The Sheriff of
tho County had become f,,ncius o6icio
by having left his country for his
country's good, or by being put in the
jug for some malfeasance or misfeas-
ance in his official capacity; and the
high bailiff had become er o6icio sher-
if of the County, and was responsible
for the safe keeping Of the prisoners
What measures, if any, he took to re-
capture the escaped delinquents, and
put them again in dFance Uae, is not
certainly known to the writer 1t is
certain, however, that lawsuits, almost
iunumerable, were Immediately insti-
tuted against the lutkless wight for
tho escape of the delinquents, For
the proceedings in these suits, and
their final results il,a reader Is refer
red to the looks eolaipsllsng The chron-
iolcs Of the doings Of the courts df ms
tico in Franklin County, where also
may be found the records Of sundry
other matters that are extremely in
teresting and edifying to the antigua
rian, but which, for want of space, the
historian is obliged to pass over.
THE FIRST BRICK JAIL.
Not long after the partial demol-
ition of the old Eastwood Jail, as we
have mentioned, new one of brick
was erected on the spot where the
Episcopal Church now stands, which
stood there very conspicuously for
many years 1t was partially destroy
ed 10y fire, but was Immediately repair
ed, and was occupied as jail and
jail house for several years after, when
a new jail and Jail house was erected
on Main Street, where the County Jail
now stands This, or the wooden
part OF it, was burned before its COM
pletion, and a prisoner who had been
committed for some offence, short
time previous, and YVES at the time
confined in one Of the stone cells, was
with great difficulty saved by cutting
hole through the roof of the prison
part of the building. The Court
House and Jail were built, and have
been kept in repair principally by the
people i'll ST. Adams. 1t is presumed
that three-fourths of the expense that
has been bestowed on the County
buildings in this town, have been con-
tributed by the people OF the village. -
The inhabitants of the ether towns in
the County seemed 20 be Of the opinion
that those residing in ST Adams should
build them and keep them in repair
1t was not many years after the
erection of the County buildings before
it was ascertained that ST. Adams wa
not the geographical centre of the
County. Fairfield it was said, was
more central, and the people Of that
town, as well as those of other towns
in the Eastern part of the County,
endeayored, for several years in sue
cession, to procure the removal Of the
Shire to Fairfield. When the County
of Lamoille was organized, five towns
from the Southeast part of the County
OF Franklin were set off and annexed
to the new County of Lamoille. This
seemed to favor the removal of the
Shire to Sheldon, as that town was, in
consequence, more central than ST
Adams. The people in the Northeast
townships, and particularly those of
Sheldon, now applied to the Legisla-
ture to make Sheldon the Shire town
of the County. After several applica-
tons for this purpose, the General
Assembly appointed committee to
examine the claims of Sheldon This
committee came into the County, and
made a thorough examination of the
subject They made estimates of the
distances which the litigant parties,
for great number of years past, had
to travel to attend Court. After sew
eral days spent in making the investi-
cation, the committee made report
to the Legislature, that it was not OK
pedient to remove the Shire from st.
Adams The General Assembly was
satisfied with the report, and conse-
quently ratified it. This proceeding
seems to put to rest the question
about the Shire, and it has not since
been agitated The railroad which
passes through the centre of the town
seems to render 1t more than ever the
most proper place for the Shire
Those irritating questions respecting
the Shire have undoubtedly retarded
the growth and prosperity of the viii
lage. But it is hoped the question is
now at rest.
ITO be Continued.)
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