The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1873-11-27
Chr 3utlanA Daily Globe.
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 81, 1873
bloomington County Court and
Court EnOuscS.S

cases on the docket of which seventeen are
criminal AS the Court House has been so
completely rcmndclcd and is in such shape
that the Court will hold its entire session
there, II brief sketch of this Court, and the
different Couit Houses which have been
erected in this town may not be entirely
out of place This was the first established
| County Court in the State, the first session
being held at Manchester, May nth, 1871,
when there were f1rty-iiye cases on the
docket" which as the records show was
| presided over by Hon. Samuel Stafford,
Esq, Chief Judge, who held that position
for twcnty-siX successive years. AT that
time there were four assistant Judges,
Noah Smith was the first clerk. The re-
cords of the court from 1889 to 1913 having
been destroyed by fire nothing can be
| found of its dOings between those years.
No definite time of the building of the
| first court house in this town is known, but
by good authority it is supposed that it was
built about 1880. 1t stood on the top of
the hill in what is now known as Benning-
ton Centre, and about twelve rods from the
Continental Store House that Burgoync
was 80 anxious to possess. About day
break, May 18th, 1909, it was discovered
to be on fire, and was entirely consumed
The first session of the Court held in Ben
nington was in 1888 the same Chief Judge
presiding. We have examined the records
of the Court from 1871 to 1889, from which
are extracted the following interesting facts
| The names Of many of the prominent men
of that time appear among them, and in
the records for 11S2 there are three cases
entered ON the docket in which Seth War
ner appears rs defendent A case, Mat
thew Lyon VS.. Peleg Stone ''who was then
keeping public house in Arlington" was
entered for trial at the April term held in
until the April term, 1888, when it was de-
cided in favor Of the plaintiff and
Judgment in the sum of f5S los. 3D..
awarded him and on June Goth the dclen-
dent was committed to the county goal for
non payment of the same. In 1887 there is
entered oil the docket a case, ,Ioab Stat
ford VS.. Ethan Allen. In the records for
1888 the following entry is found: State of
Vermont VS.. Peleg Stone. "Pcleg Stone
appears in Court and complains and in
forms the Court that the said Pcleg Stone
hath broken the law by selling liquor con-
trary to the law Of the state" but nothing
is found TO show that any punishment was
inflicted upon him. Not an instance is
found where person was committed to
prison The punishments being mostly in
fines or commitment to the county Jail In
the same records we find long list of
those gentlemen who are licensed by the
honorable the Judges of the County Court
to keep houses Of public entertainment
with the names Of their bail also. the
amount Of bail furnished. Among those
who practiced in this court in early days
are found the names of many who were
prominent men in this state at that time
Among those ure Joseph Wright, Noah
Smith. Moses Robinson, who was also
Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, Gov
ernor Of the State, and Senator to Congress;
Robert Tichcnor, Stephen Robinson, who
was also Judge of the Court Jonathan
Robinson, who was also Governor and Sen
ator to Congress Isaac Tichenor, who was
admitted to the bar in April 1885, was af-
forward Judge and then Chief Justice of
the Supreme Court, thrice Senator to Con-
grcss. and Governor of the State for eleven
years; David Fay and many others. After
the burning Of the old court house, another
was built ON the same site, which was used
until September 1915. when it was also de
stroycd by fire, together with all the docu-
menls and records relating to the court,
except those specified heretofore" After
the destruction of this one long and Sc
we're conflict cnsucd as to where TIE next
one should be built, many being in favor
OF having it placed at the centre ''where it
had always been,' while many were loud
in their demands To have it placed IN East
Bennington The feeling had reached its
highest point when Caleb b. Harrington of
Mlddlelown, Abijah Stoddard otTownsend,
and T. n. Briggs of Brandon were ap-
pointed commissioners to decide the qucs-
ton of location, which was decided in
favor of the centre, to be erected at the
foot of the hill in that village, and it was
built in 1917 During the time that it was
being erected court was held in the old
= academy in that village, the first
session there being presided over
by the Hon. Ililand Hall, afterward
Governor of the Safe, This Court House
was not used until March 2G, 1869, when
about one am. it was discovered to be on
fire. and at three o'clock was entirely con
sumed, the records and documents being
preserved. The question again came up rs
TO where the new one to be erected SHOULD
: be placed Bennington (EasD was finally
decided upon, and n contract made Will
IL. W. Putnam to erect the same at Il cos
of about 100000, which was finished il
1872, but owing to defective arrangements
it was not tenable, and ut the last session
of the court held there it had to adjourn t.
Library Hall, and continue lis session
(. there. The citizens of this village at las
becoming awakened to the necessity o
having its internal arrangements changed
called meeting and appointed commit
,. tee, Hon. II. G. Root, John Il
Gates, and others, to superintend tn
q same. and also raised about $500,
a the amount necessary to complete them
II The alterations have before been describe
= in your columns and now that they ar
completed the court room is second to nom
! in the State, in size or appearance, Will
g the view from it is not equalled by any
Il Looking out from the new windows whicl