The Lamoille news. (Hyde Park, Vt.) 1877-1881, 1877-12-19
LamoiIIe County Court.
DECEMBER TERN, 1877.

This case Is the outgrowth of case
tried at the April session for divorce,
between Simeon Hunt and wife.
Hunt sued for divorce on the ground of
adultery. Mrs. Hunt brought a coun-
ter suit on the ground of intolerable
severity. The issue tried was the
adultery case, and to the credit of
some one the trial was not a public
one and the gaping snickeriug crowd
of young men and boys, who usually
excite their lusts by attending such
cases, were excluded. BY the advice
of Judge Powers the charge of
adultery was withdrawn on the condi-
ton of the granting of hill on the
ground of intolelable severity on the
part Of Mrs. Hunt. This was done
for the very humane purpose of shield
ing the children from the disgrace of
bill on the ground Of adultery. We
would have kept these facts from the
public were it not for.the fact that the
cases growing out of this divorce suit
are not only tried in public but, to the
shame Of whom ever may be RESPONSE
bic, even the modest, and pretty little
daughter of the parties was brought
into court, and (of course counsel
could not have designed) on the very
day that her father was to be cross
examined for the purpose Of defaming
his character. The case now with ali
its particulars is public gossip.
The present case, Hunt Stanton,
was one for damages for breaking up
the family. As indicated by the Judge,
the damages would be the loss ofhome
aid marital comforts and joys. The
plaintiff 5 case was dependent in the
point, that improper conduct between
the respondent and the plaintiff wife,
mad produced the separation. In de-
fence the respondent endeayored to
show that the plaintiff, was Of too low
Il character to complain of any irregu-
iarity on the part of his wife. He al
50 presented evidence tending to
show, that previous to any trouble
arising from the relations Of Stanton
and the woman, hunt and his wife
lad lived such an unhappy life, quar-
relling between themselves, that sep
aration, instead of being loss to the
plaintiff was really a relief to him.
lhe point, however, that secured
the respondents acquittal, was the fact
that iiunt, after he had suspected his
wife of iniidelity, designedly threw
opportunity in the way Of the suspect
ed and connived with others for the
purpose of discovering their guilt.
The law provides, forprotection against
matchmaking and 10 encourage the res
cue Of the tempted and conformation
of the fallen, that the husband or wife,
who suspects their congugal partner
Of inIidelity and, after suspectiug,
shall designedly give opportunity for
the crime, cannot recover damages.
ilr. Hunt very positively swore that
he did thus designedly give the sus-
pected wife opportunity for the COM
mission Of the crime Of which he
charged her, and on that admission
lost his case. Some question the wis
dom of such law, but certainly much
can be said in its favor. 1t comes in
to the civil law from an old ecclesias-
tical code. The jury brought in a
verdict in favor Of the respondent.
The whole case, on both sides from its
beginning at the last term of court to
its present condition is sad comment
on the word: 1.-The way Of the trans
gressor is hard"
The last case tried was that ofCon-
roy town of Cambridge. 1t APP
peared that Mrs. Conroy and her
daugher were riding over what is
known as the clay hill not for this side
of Jeftersonville. 1t is the first hill
this side of the bridge that crosses the
Branch, just northeast Of Jefferson
vile. The hill is quite steep one
and lies on the edge Of the river.
Formerly there was no protection to
keep horse from running over the
bank into the river. AS Mrs. Conroy
claimed she was thrown out of the
wagon near the summit of the hill by
the wheels running into rut. BY
the fall her collar bone was broken
and she has since been unable to raise
the hand to her head or to use the arm
in work. Probably one-half Of La
r noble county could have sworn to the
fact that the hill has been a very dan
gerous piece Of road. A very good
defense was prepared, however, in the
present case by proving that the horse