Vermont daily transcript. [volume] (St. Albans, Vt.) 1868-1870, 1868-09-03
4 TRANSCRIPT, SEPTEMBER 3. 1868.

weeks from the time of the ARRAY, the
Supreme Court was convened in special
session at Burlington. There were pres
cnt Hon. Royal Tyler. Chief Judge,
Hon. Thcophilus Harrington and Hon.
Jonas Galusha, Assistant Judges; VIM.
Chase Harrington, Esq States Attor-
ney; David Fay and Cornelius =. Van
Ness, Esqs., associate counsel for the
prosecution Bates Turner and Amos
Marsh, Esqs., were counsel for the pris-
oners. In his charge 10 the Grand Jury
Chief Justice Tyler alluded TO the gem
cral dismay "thc agitation of the public
mine which prevailed, "that some were
ready to condemn the accused unhcard,
while others perhaps were disposed to
excuse, and ifnot to excuse, TO palliatc.n
He said to the Jury that "if in some
moment of leVity any of you have
thought that the primary laws OF society
made for the preservation of human life,
ought on this occasion to be relaxed,
and be accommodated to certain sup
posed eXigencies of the times, purify
yourselves from these prejudices.n
On Friday, Aug. 20, the Grand Jury
returned n bill of Indictment against
Samuel |. Mott, of Alburgh, VIM.
Noaks, Slocum Clark, and Truman
utStll, vi lEANt w us ID IJCuil,
and Josiah Pcasc, of Swanton David
Sheffield, of Colchester ; and Francis
Ledgard, of Milton. The trial of Sam
ucl |. Mott commenced on Monday,
Aug. 20. and closed on Thursday even
ing with verdict of guilty of murder.
On Friday, Sept. =, Cyrus b. Dean was
put to the bar for trial, but the chal-
lenges, peremptory and for favor, were
so numerous that, after an Intellectual
attempt to fill up the panel the Court
ordered new Vcnire for petit jurors,
and adjourned until Saturday morning,
when the trial commenced, and was
closed on Monday with a verdict of
guilty of murder. Wednesday and
Thursday, the Court wore occupied with
the trial of David Sheffield, Jreh Is
ham, and Elhu Allen, junr., being
called a. talesmen, both declared that
they had formed an opinion, that these
men ought not to be punished. A YER
diet Of guilty of murder was returned
on Friday morning. Mr. States Attor-
ney Harrington, in his remarks to the
jury on the trial Of Dean, said, . 1t is
painful to find that that. party spirit in
this part of the United States has already
assumed an alarming attitude. Have we
not seen in the commencement Of this
present trial, measures taken and pur-
|
every Republican Juror from the panel
by peremptory challenge? Have we
not repeatedly heard this question ask
ed, is such juror Il republican or Il
! fedcralist ~ 1.-THE former, he must not
set if the latter, he Will answer oui
purpose" On Friday afternoon, a mo-
ton in arrest ofjudgment and fora new
trial in the case of Mott, was argued
and on the following day similar mo-
ton in the case of Dean and Sheffield
New trials were granted to Mott anG
sheffield, and Dean was sentenced to be
hung on Friday, Oct %. y respite
however, of two weeks was given to the
wrctchcd man by the Governor. On
Friday, Nov. II, at II o'clock, he was
conducted to The Court House, where {;
solemn and appropriate discourse Wa,
delivered by Rev. Truman Baldwin, OF
Charlotte. After the religious services
he was conveyed to the place of execu-
ton, which was situated few rods wcs
of the present burying ground in Bur
lingtOn, and, at three O'Clock p. M, was
swung off. He exhibited, to the last, {;
degree of hardihood and careless uncon-
Germ, perhaps never equallcd in this
part of the country, and sadly contrast
ing with the mournful solemnity of tho
occasion. 1t was estimated that there
was ten thousand spectators present
No more trials took place at the spccia
term of the Court. At the regular term
in January, 1909, Mudgett was tried
but the jury, in his case, did not agree.
He was remandcd to prison, and at the
term of the Court in January, 1910, {
noie proseqaj was entered in his case by
the State, and he was discharged. Mott
sheffield, and Ledgard, at the January
term, in 1909, were convicted of man
slaughter. Mott and Sheffield were sen
fenced to stand one hour in the pillory
to receive fifty lashes each on his bare
back, to be confined ten years in the
states Prison, and TO pay all costs o
prosecution. Ledgard's sentence was
the same, with the exception of the 80
stripes. These convicts were all receiv.
ed at the Vermont State prison on tho
lst day of June, 1909, it being the seconC
day after the prison was opened for The
reception of prisoners. Ledgard wa:
pardoned by the Governor, Nov. II
1871 Sheffield, Nov. A. 1915 and Mott
Oct. Is, 1917. Thus closes the accoun
of the career of these lawless and desper
ate men. No one of them is known t(
have regained, to any extent, the repu
tation lost by this bloody crime. They
removed either to Canada or distan
portions of this country, and most, if no
all, died, as they deserved, in obscurity
neglect, and poverty.
SOUTHERN ACCOUNT OF RosECRANs