The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1877-12-06
Law a Hundred Years Ago.

The Albany Law Journal finds in
Halls history of Eastern Vermont some
account of the laws which were in force
hundred years ago:
Burglary was punished by branding
with B on the forehead, and mailing
one of the offenders ears 20 post and
cutting it off, and whipping; for the
second offence there was the like brand
ing, and mailing, and cutting off of the
other ear; for the third offence the pun
ishment was death, the offender being
deemed 'incorrigible.' Counterfeiting
was punished by cutting off the right
ear, branding with G, and perpetual
imprisonment. Perjury was punished
by fine of $50 and imprisonment for
six months, but if the offender could not
pay the fine he was let off by sitting in
the pillory two hours, and having both
ears nailed and cut off. Willful lying,
to public prejudice or private injury, or
deceiving or abusing the people with false
news or reports, was punished by fine,
sitting in the stocks and whipping, the
punishment being increased with each
repetition of the offence, except that mo
case was the number of stripes to exceed
the number of thirty-nine. Theft was
punished by compelling threefold restl-
tuition, by fine and by sort of tenn
porary slavery. the prosecutor being en-
powered to dispose of any offender i'll
service to any subject of the state for
such time as he should be assigned to the
prosecutor by the court. Unreasonable
night walking, that is to say after nine
o'clock, was prohibited, as was also the
convening of persons under the govern
ment of parents, guardians or masters
after that untimely hour. Tavern
haunters were published by posting their
names at the door of every tavern and
prohibiting the tavern-keeper from sup
/ plying them with anything in the way
of strong drink No clamorous dis
course, shouting, hallooing, screaming,
running, riding, dancing, jumping,
swimming or blowing of horns was toll
Grated on the Lords day. Listening
outside of meeting house during the
time of public worship was not permit
ted. Secular meetings OF any number
or persons in the street or elsewhere on
Saturday or Monday evening were for
hidden under penalty of a fine or the
stocks.
/ Mr.. Hall gives several notable in
stances of popular legal errors prevailing
in Vermont. One notion was that if
the friends of one dying in prison car
ried his remains beyond the
boundaries of the jail yard, they were ac-
completes of an escape and liable to
satisfy the judgment by virtue of which
he had been confined. Another notion
was that if one should bury the body of
un imprisoned debtor he thereby became
administrator in his own wrong, and
liable to discharge the debtors obliga-
tions. In the case of Judge Chandler,
who died while confined in Jail for debt,
his interment became a serious problem.
In this predicament the jailer discovered
that by stretching the chain he could in
clude within the Jail liberties small
portion of the adjoining burying-ground.
A grave was dug, commencing Just out
side the graveyard fence and just within
the iail-yard, sloping under the fence,
until a sufficient depth and obliquity was
obtained. So Judge Chandler was
buried after a Christian fashion, and yet
no escape was suffered"