Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1877-06-27
Orange County Court
Hon. H. II, POWERS, Presiding Judge
H H0S' H \ Y Tip PoRaE' Assistant Judges
i g HINCKLEY. Clerk.
JOHN BAILEY, yR.. Sheriff.
ID. A ROGERS. States A attorney.
A. s. AUSTIN, Deputy Clerk.
I II MTNMS Reu0FteT

State vs.. Joseph w. Smalley. This wa
an Indictment for arson, in burning severa
barns. including his own, and also his owl
dwelling house in Braintree, q year ag'
last fall. The indictment contained fiv
counts, three charging the burning of tn
barn Of three of his neighbors, the fourtl
count with burning his own house ant
barn with intent TO defraud the Farmer
Mutual Fire Insurance Company, and tn
fifth count charged him wi h burning thu
buildings of his brother. The building
referred to in the fourth and fifth count
were the same, but it appeared that the re
spondent's brother, George D. Smalley
held the legal title, while the respondent
interest was only equitable. On motor
the state were compelled to elect upor
which counts they would proceed, anC
chose the fourth and fifth. The evidence
against the respondent was of circum
stantial character. 1t seemed from the
evidence introduced by the state, thai
some four or five years ago there haC
been legal proceeding in the Probate
Court in which the respondent endeavoreC
10 obtain the custody of minor child, his
wife having previously obtained Il divorce
In this court several of his neighbors had
testified against him. so that he did mo-
carry his point; that respondent was much
enraged and threatened vengeance upon
these persons, who were the ones whose
buildings had been burned. The stale re-
lied on this fact. and also upon the facl
that just before the fire the respondent re-
moved considerable hay from his own
barn that was burned to horse barn that
escaped being fired, and also property
from his house to the same place. 1t also
appeared that window of this horse barn
which had remained open for long time
had been not long previous to the fire
boarded up, the cracks battened, and lad
ders placed upon the roof, which the state
claimed tended to show was done so that
this building might not catch fire from the
house which stoud near by. The evidence
was far from conclusive against the re-
spondent, and few expected a conviction,
The jury however thought differently, and
returned u verdict OF guilty under the
fourth count of the Indictment. Excep-
tions were taken and respondent released
ON bail. States Attorney and Rowel for
the state; Gambell, G. IL Pitkin and
Huse & Lord for the res pondent.
State vs.. Alonzo G. Reed The respon-
dent, who is u man of about thirty, five
years of age, is on trial for arson, he hav-
ing been indicted a year ago for burning
The barn of William f. Wellington of
Rn al nh in hn al ba
together with its contents, was burned be-
tween eleven and twelve o'clock on the
night Of October 18Th; and several crcum-
stances, and the fact that he was the first
man on the premises after the fire was
and before the flames had
broken out, pointed strongly towards him
MS the guilty party. Reed lived nearly
half a mile below Wellngton's, and owing
to rise in the ground his buildings could
not be seen from Reeds premises. Reed
was then married and living with his wife,
but Notwithstanding this Gas the evidence
for the stale tended to prove), was paying
attentions to and waiting upon one Helen
Slack, the daughter of K. r. Slack, who
lived short distance from Reed s. This
III dL LIldL Iliub WIS OuL fourteen years
old. 1t appeared from some of the evil
1ence that Reed Intended 10 procure IL di-
Vorce from his wife and marry this girl.
George Wellington, son of William E.,
it appeared, had waited upon the Slack
girl, which had aroused Reeds jealousy
md anger against the whole Wellington
family. This was imputed to be the mo-
i've Tor setting the fire. Helen, who has
since married, was witness for the state,
md her evidence was very strong against
he respondent, and showed by admissions
made to her by him while their intimacy
continued, that he had great haired toward
Wellington and his family Great efforts
ire being made by the defence to dscredit
his witness and her evidence, both by
showing that no intimacy ever existed be-
,ween her and Reed, and by showing that
she was to be paid large sum for testify
ng against him. The case is now on trial.
D, Allen Rogers, States Attorney, and j.
w. Rowell, for the state; 2. Perrin, + V.
Randall and G. II. Heath, for the respon-
lent.