Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1876-03-15
Washington County Court.


IiiooSS WmLAnn ,'y M,sS,s dssisiont JUigcs
MELVILLE T. SMILE. County Cierk.
WM. L. DiLLiNdnAN, Stdfes Afforprv
HOnAcr W LyruHn Sheriff
TIMOTHY u. MERRILL, D,pWy Cc.k
HENRY OviArT, Reporter.
The March term OF Washington County Court
was begun on Tuesday morning The cour, took
their seats upon the Bench at ten O'Clock Prayer
was offered by Amos Mccoy, Of Montpelier
Court having been opened by the sheriff, the
following gentlemen were sworn In as jurors
Barre, William Farwell and A. r. Smith; Berlin,
J. +. Phelps aud Edwin Austin, Cabot, NJ T..
Wallace and John Brown; Calais, G. G. IIill and
A. c. Slayton; Duxbury, Charles W. Atherton;
fayston, John - Thompson; East Montpelier,
Horace NJ Vincent and George W. Saunders,
Middesex, A s. Wiley and r. W. Warren; Mont
pelier, }. w Ellis and s. NJ Walton Marshfeld,
Harrison Mears and Nelson Bemis; Morctown,
Patrick Kerrin; Mortified, Andrew T. Denny and
Newton Martin Plainfed fra Stone; Roxbury,
David X. Stanton Waitsfeld, stephen =. joslln
and Lucius b Savage; Waterbury, A. n. Ather-
ton and c. L. Richardson; Warren, G. W Car
dell and John Gleason. Woodbury., l. g. Jewell
Worcester, 4. j. Stone.
JuDGE REDFiErp
proceeded to Instruct Tie jury In regard to their
duties. In beginning, he alluded to the importance
Of jurors position, which he said was second to
no public office in the state sitting they did ar
bters Of justice between man and man. No more
conspicuous or prouder instance Of the benehcence
Of our free institutions could be produced than
the jury system, which made the people them
selves the guardians Of rights and liberties, and
which had been accepted for generations as the
most perfect tribunal OF justice ever devised by
man He alluded to the fact that many Of those
that were listening to him had. served as iurymon
before, and that therefore he need take but
little time in explaining to them their duties
| There was only one subject TO which he would
call their attention particularly There might be,
and probably would be- matters Of criminal ma
ture coming before them, and II was 1T that they
should have due conception Of the important
duties thus deyolyng upon them He himself
| deemed it the most important duty that occurred
In social and civil life, that twelve men should
come from their homes and daily avocatiOns, and
finally determine a mans right to his liberty, and
| possibly to his life lie continued " Your oath H.
that You will truly try an issue by the evidence
in court The American people are eminently
social They have business relations with most
every body It is innocent in it, character but
| the law supposes that when you take upon your
selves the duties and obligations Of Jurors, You
will try cases by the evidence that comes into
court and not by the current Of public opinion
that you will not allow any Of those influences to
affect you, that often in matters Of business and
social relations influence the best minds Ia times
Of excitement many people deem it impossible to
refrain from exertng their social influence on
/ a. ~ Il. Al. 4.
all rests with you. Let the public understand
here, that whoever either careessly or purposely,
undertakes to state bis opinion as to whether
person is guilty not guilty, whether a man has
a right to his property or not-let It be under
stood that such talk in your presence will be
sidered insult to you and your office You are
not only to rsbuke il, but you are 10 give people
to understand that you cannot he offended in that
way that there is to be no talk in your presence
about it, because il is unfit and improper do
not believe that in this community although men
are said n have committed crimes and great
crimes, while every juror is indignant that such
crimes as jeopardize property and life should have
| been committed do not believe that there is
any juror on this panel that has read the &C
counts Of the crime, who is not ready to take the
evidence anew, TO discard all the testimony from
the mind, and scrutinize and weigh the testimony
rs men under oath, having due regard to their
oaths. should act with resolution to give the ac-
cused the benef; Of any real doubt that may arise
upon consideration Of the case, and, the other
| hand with determination that no influence shall
deter you from recording verdict based on the
truth, whether it pleases your friends or ofIends
them Gentlemen II ON your oaths and con-
sciences you believe your decision to be true you
must stand by it although it is unpopuar-stand
| by it because it Is true.
81 will take no more time with these suggestions
except to say that there are an unusual number
Of criminal cases on the docket Of the court, and
that statements have been made that this locality
cannot try respondent fairly AMI honestly in the
face OF hostile public sentiment. II such feeling
exists agains, any respondent who may be brought
to the bar Of this court for trial you will do both
yourselves and the court service by causing it to
be understood throughout the community that
all Of this common talk in your presence is not only
improper, but criminal and unlawful When the
community understands from your conduct what
your opinion is on this subject, they will abstain
from all careless remarks in your hearing. All
that is necessary is that high public sense of the
Importance of maintaining an independent adiud-
cation causes in court, which has always OBJ
tanned in our community"
Deputy sheriiTs D " Dudley and John Yoodry
were sworn in as officers to take charge Of the
/ panels.
The town Of Woodbury. IS. sydney O. Wells
was begun in the afternoon The defendant was
town-agent Of Woodbury. in 1872 and 1873, and
the town claims that he is in arrears in his ac-
counts about five hundred dollars. The defend
ant denies the soft impeachment. The case will
| probably 60 to the jury to-day. Messrs. II. W
Heaton and J. r Iamson for the plaintiff; Messfs
Heath & Carleton and T. v Randall for the
| defendant
The case Of Eenshaw rs. Page was called up
Wednesday morning, and non-suted for want OF
bail