Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1875-09-15
L, WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER Is, 1875
Washington County Court.
Hos. T. T. BrDriELp, Presd,ag Jpiyc
Hos. JAMfs II H0GnEv, ,...,,t,
Hos. WILLARD :. VI AnriS, ""''' -
IrrmIn NIMcnMn ll.LL


Hos 7. J. BEpFiELp, Presdiag Jpdyc
Hon. lAsus u HOLDEN. ,....,.,., I'LL.
Hos WILLARD : MAWriS
irrnrR NEwcoMn Clat
II i ! Y SgIii9 Dpav clots
u W lyroRn, Sheriff
HENRY Ovhrr h'VOrer
The September term VI this court commenced
It's session yesterday. After prayer by Rev y. n.
Glazior. the court was opened In due form. The
following is a list Of the Grand and Petit Jurors;
Grand Jurors Carlos Carpenter, Barre; j. n
Perrin, Berlin Milton Fisher, Cabot, $ $. Macom-
her, Calais Dan Boycc, Fayston; Andrew
Tracy East Montpelier; WIN D Mcintyre. Mid
dlesey, Carlos Bancroft, Montpelier. Daniel Be
mis-, Manhfcld Charles Foster Morctown, Hal
sey $. Brown. Mortified, Emstus Batcheldcr,
PlaIndeld Horace A. fhayer Roxbury; f. o.
Joslyn, Waitsfeld Joel Remington, Waterbury
llazen lyiord, Warren Putnam, Woodbury.;
VIM II Kellogg. Worcester
Peh Jurors g T. C. Wheaton, c. Q Reed
Barre T. W. Currior, NJ l. Reed, Berlin; James
Patterson, Thomas iyiord, Cabot; A. C. bliss. T.
H. Slayion, Calais. Milo Griffith Duxbury O. S.
Bruce, fayston; james A. Coburn, Stephen W
Arms, East Montpelier, $ r. Hale, Scayer How
ard, Middlesev Charles f. Perrin A. o. Cum
minis, Montpelier Asa o. Whitcomb, Fri v
spencer Mansfield, NJ T. Heath Moretown.
D. T. A,cull, 5. r. circuit, Mortified, Ira Stone,
Plainfsd Clark Flint RoSbury Henry Hawey.
O. T. KcAardson, Watsield O W Steams. Gil
man llundey, Waterbury; \. L. Robinson, D. l..
Heath, Warren. James Nelson, Woodbury. T.
Tempeton, Worcester
OF the Grand jurors Mcssr- Fisher, Bancroft
and Bomis, were excused aud j. II d mon. Of
Cabot Clark King Of Montpelier, and D. = Tar
pentcr Of Middlesex, were substituted Mr.
lIuntlcy was also excused from serving on the
petit jury
After the jurors had been sworn in Judge Red
field instructed the petit jurors az to their duties
His remarks were not extended. but were very
pertinent. lie said that absolute justice could
probably not be attained in their yerdici. Bat
he thought that after fair aud impartial trial Of
a cause, the deliberate verdict Of twelve practical
honest jurymen should be accepted by the liti-
giants a. final. and that their opinion shonld be
taken as being as near Justice as could be ar
rived at
The following is Judge Red6elds charge to the
Grand Jury
Gentlemen Of The Graud Jwy.
The duty imposed 10y law upon YOU is an i'm
portant trust, and involves the safety and we'll
being Of a large community Of citizens The oath
you have just taken is an index and synopsis Of
the duties You now assume
You are to make 0orough and careful Impulse
ton within this county for breaches Of the Grim
nal law Of the state for the past year and present
offenders. for trial and punishment And If crimes
ycir, and not barred By the -tatuteof limitations.
it will become your duty topse.ent such offenders,
that they may not escape the penalties that Justice
demands
Your examinations will be cr parte, and your
-ttings in secret and you will take good care that
nothing il done unworthy the grave trust confded
to yon You will present no one for lucre or mai
ice nor omit to present one for fear favor hope
Of reward
Your relations 20 persons as citizens and fellow
members Of society are suspended and without
thought Of them, you proceed to inquire after
facts and things and determine what d, true and
what is false Il the truth involves one in crime
Doe must be presented and tried but il Is your
office 10 protect the innocent well to present
the guilty 1horuuglness does not consist go
much in the many cases you may present for trial
as in the manly and scrutnzing Judgment and
good sense with which you SIT case. under your
examination.
our lot has fallen, gentlemen. In times when
anarchy and violence have very much supplantei
law, order and peace. Property has lost in large
degree, It's security and lie and liberty their
value. The very agents and administrators Of the
law have, sometimes, become conspirators ior its
subyelsion II such inia ton has reached this
community it will be your duty TO bring il TO trial
and punishment, The theory Of our government
H. that the law does afford ample and absolute
protection to all it, citizens and alike TO the weak
and the strong. II it cannot it is delu-ion aud
failure And it cannot be denied that tho law has,
in some places, become impotent to reach and
punish crime Hence wise and good men have
less veneratou for the law and 1t. administration
and wicked men less fear Of it, The antidote for
this evil is in the honest integrity Of the citizen.
the source Of all social and public virtue You
will to it that the fountain is kept pure, and
that neither malice nor lucre prompts, fear or
favor deters You from fair and just inquisition
Of crime
While your examination is plte and
dinanly you will hear only evidence against the
accused, yet, If you know OF evidence tending to
modify and explain the charge aud You do not
feel satisfied without hearing it, tits your province
to cause it to be produced before You
The measure Of evidence TO sustain o criminal
charge is that which satisfies your Judgment be-
yond reasonable doubt that the charge is true
aud the accused is guilty, aud that conviction
will ensue unless the evidence De overcome, or
essentially modified
Perjury and subomation Of perjury are excep-
tional crimes to the measure Of evidence, and,
we fear, in the frequency Of their occurrence.
When the very means and agencies in the admin
istration Of Justice become corrupted and de
biuched, and when parties litisant calculate, not
how the truth may be reached and indicated,
but how ends may be attained by whatever
means, il only effected then courts become agents
Of corruption and have no just claims to conf
donce and respect, but, rather, 10 public derisiOn
and contempt. II you should find that parties,
their agents, or even counsel, sworn officers of
the court have procured or knowingly used
witnesses to establish ialsehood or if WITNESSES
have lent themselves to such service, it would be
your duty to present them for trial The very
fact that earnest men having neither malice nor
fear, are, by authority, searching into such mat
ltl~f NNulh hN Nlhl'6tih' NliA NhlhANiA. 1hA a.
a witness is never presented to be periured you
will require evidence in this class Of eases equiv
alent, in your judgment, to that Of two witnesses,
To warrant presentment
There are many matters Of police regulation
committed to- Your care. You will inquire whether
any town has omitted 10 raise and appropriate
money for the support Of schools, as required by
siatule whether the highways in the several
towns where notice has been given have been
made and kept in repair, as enjoincd by law
whether peddlers have piled their yocations with
out license, and whethorthe public jail is safe and
wholesome.
There are many minor offences, such tres
pass assault and battery, and the like over w4ich
local magistrates have limited jurisdiction and
many such cases are sent into this court merely
to shift the bnrden and expense Of prosecution
from the town to the state, In all cases where
the justice jurisdiction could innict adequate pun
ishment, it is better that you ignore and remit
them 10 the proper forum.
The law prohibiting the traffic In intoxicating
liquors gives concurrent Jurisdiction TO this count
with JUSTICES Of the peace, aud how far you viii
take jurisdiction Of cases yet unprecedented is, in
a great measure, a matter within your discretion.
II there be any town or place whore the law is
violated with IMMUNITY, and the local prosecut-
ing officers, either from inlhoollity or sympathy
with the offenders omit To prosecute for breaches