Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1876-03-31
Miles the Bank Robber.

Montpelier on Tuesday March %. Hun.
dreds thronged the vicinity of the Court
House and post office an hour before
the trial was to commence. AT lao
the doors were opened, and soon every
seat was filled, The gallery contains
100 seats, and every one filled with la
dies. The courtroom is 90 feet square,
and over one-third of it is reserved for
the court and bar.
The indictment found by the grand
jury last September charges Geo. Miles
(alias Geo. White, Williams, Bliss and
Myers of the city of New York, July
6, 1875, about the hour of twelve in the
night time, with force and arms at Barre,
county of Washington, feloniously and
burglariously breaking and entering the
National Bank at Barre with intent to
steal goods, chattels and money, taking
and carrying away the same, etc. There
are three courts to the indictment with
but slight difference. State Attorney
VIM. p. Dillingham; and Hon. B. F.
Fifeld, also United States District At
torney, for the state; G. j. Gleason and
C. j. Field, counsel for respondent, were
present,
The Court opened at two o'clock.
Miles came in and took a seat with Mr..
Field at one end of table, while at the
other sat Mr.. King, cashier of the Barre
bank.
Mr.. King read an affidavit of Miles,
declaring his innocence of the charge ;
that he was at home in New York ON
July 6, 1875, and was not aware of the
charge until arrested that he gave his
counsel Somerville the names of num-
Der of witnesses to prove an alibi, and
money; that Somerville has failed to
make suitable preparations that one
witness, H. d. McKenny, is in New
York sick that he has no witnesses in
attendance on the Court, and if forced to
proceed in trial his cause would be sac.
rifced. A physicians certificate 70 Nc
Kennys sickness was attached, also the
affidavit of Charles E. Arnold, one Of
Miles lawyers, in support of the same
Mr.. Field read his own deposition on
McKenny's sickness. He proposed tc
prove that Miles did business with him
on said July 6, 1875. Mr. Field argued
the motion, urging, the man is here, as
he insists, Illegally; he gave somervills
list of witnesses his New York coun
sci have been recreant to their duty
Miles has fifty business men in New York
for witnesses, whose attendance here can
not be compelled. We are entitled to {
continuance on account of McKenny
sickness if nothing else, for it would en-
danger his life to bring him here
The state attorney replied that at the
last term Miles filed an affidavit that h,
had thirty witnesses in New York will
whom he could not communicate, nam
ing several and proposing to prove al
alibi. Again at Woodstock on appli
cation for charge of venue he nameC
several, and said there were 100 person
in Saratoga county who could testify il
his behalf. We now find but one of al
that number, and he is sick. The stat
attorney thought Somerville had bee
faithful to his client.
He had in his pocket a letter date
22d inst, asking for a continuance h
also had the greater part of his witness
es here; some of them he could nc
force here, two or three of them wer
sick, but he did not propose to stop til
trial on that account.
J Judge Redfeld consulted with associat
judges Holden and Martin, and SAT-
r however important that the Grimm,
: laws of the state be administered, it W,
] still more important that it should
done fairly. Personally he had desire
: to have the case removed to Windst
!: county, but Judge Barrett did not col
[ sent; various motions have been ente
!, tanned during the past six months. tt
e law is that a case is to be tried in du
3 course or in the vicinage of the plac
where the crime was committed. III
9 motion for delay was refused by tt
d Judge and the jury we're impaneled.
i Miles appeared in court free frol
/ shackles, with full beard and moustach
grown during his month in prison.
: is expected that Cashier King
s the Barre bank and Peter Alfons,
Il (Curley) will be the first witnesses e,
d amined on behalf of the prosecution
Mrs. Miles has also arrived.