St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1877-05-18
The Administration of Criminal Justice
in Rutlaud County.

The reprieve of John p. Phair, and
the probability, almost certainty, that
even if guilty, he will never suffer the
full penalty of the law for the crime for
which he was convicted, recalls the fact
that although the taking of human life
has not been uncommon in Rutland
county, and that convictions and sch
fences therefor have been reasonably
prompt, yet that the sentence has never,
except in a single instance, been carried
into full effect, but that the legislature
or the governor, or both, have been as
prompt in interfering to prevent the
due execution of the law, as courts and
juIies have been in their endeavor to
see them duly executed.
Passing by the case of James An
thony, convicted, in March, 1914, of the
murder of Joseph Green in Rutland, ON
the fifteenth of the previous February,
but who ''cheated the gallows" by TAX
ing his own life on the same morning
appointed for his execution-foolish
man, he might have been reprieved, if
he had waited only few hours and
we come to the case of Daniel Palmer
of Dandy, convicted in February, 1921,
of the murder of Ephlaim Briggs, of
IL,
appeared that, both being of quarrel
some dispositions, they met at the sold
red tavern" in Dandy, got into Il dis
pute about glass of gin, Il challenge
was given to fight, and Palmer, upon
reaching the door, being very quick i'll
his movements, struck Briggs i'll the
face, knocked him down, and jumping
with both feet on his breast literally
stamped him to death. He was SELL
fenced to imprisonment in the state
prison for life, and upon receiving his
sentence, thanked the Judge that 1.-THE
sentence was not for II longer time"
After remaining in prison Il year or two,
he was pardOned.
Henry Damon was convicted, In Sep
TENDER, 1899, of the murder of his wife,
Sophia Damon, at Rutland, October 4,
1888. The murder was Il most brutal
and revolving one-the trial disclosing
a scene of crime, debauchery and in
fanny rarely equaled-and Damon was
sentenced to he executed February 81,
1910, but his sentence was committed,
by the legislature, to Imprisonment in
the state prison where he died from the
result of an accident, August p, 1873.
OrsOn Cone, IA blind man, was con-
victed, September, 1871, of manslaugh
ter for the killing of Martin Behee, at
Wells, the previous month, and was
sentenced to fifteen years Imprisonment,
but was pardoned by the governor be-
fore the expiration of his term.
The next case was that of Matthew
HalIorau, convicted September, 1854,
of the murder of Michael Ryan, at Hyde
vile, the winter-St. Patrick'S day, if
we remember neutrality-suspicious., and
sentenced to death. His sentence was
committed by the Legislature, in 1855,
to imprisonment for life, and he was
subsequently, pardoned in violation to
the constitution.
In April, 1869, Horace r. Plumley
was convicted of murder, and Ziba
Plumley and Frederick u. Plumley of
manslaughter, for the shooting of John
Gilman, Jr., at Shrewsbury, August 10,
1868: Horace was sentenced to death,
Ziba to life Imprisonment, and Fred |
erick to twenty years Imprisonment in
the state prison. The sentence of
Horace was committed by the legisla-
ture in 1869, to imprisonment for life in
the state prison Frederick was par
doned by Gov. Converse in 1874; and |
Ziba died in prison, of apOplexy, August !
3, I875-and thus, in all human prOba-
bility, saved pardon which, undOubt-
eddy, would have been granted long
before this.
One Loyal Moore was sentenced TO
state prison for life, in March, 1868, for
an alleged murder committed in Mount
Holly, the grand jury refusing to find
bill of indictment on account of MOOre's |
insanity. He is now in the Vermont
asylum fOi the insane at BrattlebOrO, |.
and as he has never been convicted, or
even indicted, there is possibility that
he will have life imprisonment some
where.
The last murder trial in Rutland
county was at the last term of the
county court and resulted, April 9, i'll
the conviction of John Patton of the
crime of manslaughter for the killing OF
Barney McCue at West Rutland, August |
81, 1876, and in the sentence of Patton
to twelve years Imprisonment in state
prison and he is now Il candidate for
executive clemency.
With this record before us, is it any |
wonder that the law has ceased to be Il
terror to evil doors, and that our jails |
and prisons are full of convicted muir
derers, or persons awaiting their trial |
on the charge of murder ?-RutIdnd
Globe.