Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1869-05-14


trates another feature of his character
his strong prejudices, which he never
hesitated to express, even when acting
in a judicial capacity. In connection
with justice of the peace, usually Ma
than Osgood, he acted as a court of jail
delivery. A man named Bagley made
application to take the poor debtors
oath. He was known to be miserably
poor, and there was no opposition to his
discharge. The justice of the peace
made a few formal inquiries, and was
about to administer the oath, when Judge
Harrington interposed. "Stop," said he,
"Iwant to ask the man few question:
Young man, what have you been
about along back?" al have been car
rying on farm for the last two years."
was the reply. "Whose farm have you
been carrying n?" asked the Judge
Harry Hodges" answered Bagley.-
That's enough" exclaimed the Judge;
"any man that's been on Harry Hodges
farm two years is poor enough to swear
out of JAIL"
A suit which was pending before him
was referred to Isaac Tichenor, Jona-
than Robinson, and man by the name
of Towner, from Williamstown, Mass
On the coming in of the report, the los
ing party filed long array Of excep-
tions, at the close of which he charged
the referees with corruption. eff you
expect to get the report set aside for
corruption" said Judge Harrington,
"you will have to prove it upon Town
er. Everybody knows that Tichenor
and Robinson were chosen on purpose to
be corrupt"
Such unbounded confidence had the
people in his good Judgment and good
sense that juries almost never failed to
render verdicts in accordance with his
charges. His skill in presenting case
secured the same result, even when polit-
ical prejudices stood between him and
the jury, as they not seldom did. He
once went into Franklin county to hold
the court. His reputation had preceded
him, and one of the jurymen, thinking
to exhibit his independence of thought
and action, declared with great empha-
sis that Judge Harrington should see
that the people of Franklin county had
minds of their own, and would decide
cases according to their own minds, and
not according to the dictation of any
Judge. The first case was decided ac-
cording tothe charge, and this same jury
man was loud-mouthed in condemnation
of the judge. "This particular case,
to be sure, said he, "was so plain that
it was not possible to decide it any other
way; but you'll see,' continued he,
"when any case comes up that is pretty
evenly balanced, you'll see that old The
oph can't make us decide any other way
than according to our own judgments"
But singular to say, no evenly balanced
cases came up; they were all so plain
that they could be decided in only one
way, and that the way which cold The
oph " suggested.
One of his decisions has obtained his
torical celebrity, and doubtless contribu-
ted not little to the formation of pub
lie sentiment in Vermont which has oc-
casioned more excitement and agitation
than any other subject that hds occupied
the public mind during the present GEN.
tury. Under the original fugitive slave
law, an attempt was made to procure a
warrant for the extradition of negro
who was claimed as slave, and the case
stood FOR hearing before Judge Herring
ton. The attorney for the claimant
made out what he regarded as prima
.tacie case. and then crested" but the
Judge intimated that the title to the
slave was not satisfactorily established.
Additional evidence, oral and documen-
tary, was then put in, and again the at
torney rested his case, only to be again
informed by the judge that the testimo-
ny was insufficient. Another attempt
was made, and proof was furnished that
the negro and his ancestors before him
had time ont of mind of man." been
slaves of the claimant and his ancestors.
Still the Judge declared that there SEEM
ed to be defect in the title. "Will
your honor, then," returned the astonish-
ed attorney, be good enough to suggest
what is lacking to make a perfect title?"
"a bill of sale, sir, from God Almighty"
was the annihilating rejoinder. The
baff1ed man-hunter was compelled to
abandon his claim and, from that day
to this, whatever may have been the
practice in other States, nothing short of
ga bill of sale from God Almighty"
has been held, in Vermont, sufficient to
Al II =