Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1878-01-04
SOME OF THEIR CURIOUS FEATURES.


SOME OF THEIR CURIOUS FEATURES.
Hon. Benz amin Ii. Hall, Of Troy, N Y.
in the Albany Lar Journal. has the follow
ing, in reference to some of cur carly State
laws: Listening outside of the meeting
house during the time OF public worship
vas not permitted. Secular meetings Of
any number of persons. in the street or else
where. on Saturday or Monday e'ening,
were forbidden under penalty of fine or
stocks. Probably sitting in the stocks WAS
not much harder than sitting in meeting
house of that day. The attorneys oath in
those days meant business. 1t was a. fol-
lows; "You swear by the Living God,
that you will do no falsehood, nor consent
to any to be done in the court: and if you
know of any to be done, you shall give
knowledge thereof to the Judge or justices
OF the court, or some of them, that it may
be reformed. You shall not Willingly. or
willingly. or know or knowingly, promote,
sue, or procure to be sued, any false or un
lawful suit. or give aid or consent to the
same. You shall demean yourself in the
ofhce of an attorney within the court ac
cording to the best of your knowledge or
discretion, and with all good fidelity. as
well to the court as to the client " The
records of the courts show that the punish
ment Of whipping on the naked body was
often inflicted on both men and women.
Mr.. Hall gives some notable instances of
popular legal errors prevailing in Vermont.
L., H.. g. d. ~ tla
dying in prison carried their remains be
yond the boundaries of the Jail yard. they
were accomplices to an escape. and liable
to satisfy the judgment for which he had
been confined. Another notion was that if
one should bury the body of an imprisoned
debtor. he thereby became administrator in
his own wrong. ard liable to discharge the
debtors obligations. In the case of Judge
Chandler, who died while confined in jail
for debt, his interment became a serious
problem. His body was kept in the Jail
until it became so offensive as to endanger
the health OF the surviving prisoners. In
this predicsment the iailor discovered that
by stretching the chain he could include
within the jail liberties a small portion of
the adjoining burying-ground. A grave
was dug, commencing just outside the
graveyard fence, and just within the Jail
yard, sloping under the fence, until sufh-
oient depth and obliquity was obtained. So
Judge Chandler was buried after Chris
tian fashion and yet no escape" Was suf-
fered
BY another strange perversion of legal
pi Inciples at this early period, says Mr..
Hall, certain people were led to believe
That whoever should marry widow who
was administratrix upon the estate ot
her deceased husband and should through
her come into possession of anything
that had been purchased by the deceased
husband. would become administrator in
hI, own wrong, and render himself liable to
answer for the goods and estate of his pre-
decessor. The method adopted to avoid
this difficulty in the marriage OF Asa
Averill. of Westminster, to his second wife.
the widow Of Major Peter Loyejoy, was
very singular. By the side of the chimney
in the widow house was recess OF con-
siderable size. Across this blanket was
stretched in such manner as to form
small enclosure. Into this Mrs. LOvtJOy
passed with her attendants, who entirely
disrobed her. and threw her clothes into the
room; she then thrust her hand through a
small aperture purposely made in the
blanket. The prOffered member was clasp
ed by Mr.. Averill. and IN this position he
WAS married to the nude widow on the
other side OF the wooden curtain. lie then
produced complete assortment Of Wedding
attire. which WAS slipped into the recess.
The new Mrs Averill soon after appeared
in full dress. ready to receive the company
and join in the hearty rustic festivities.
The wedding was certainly nuduni pdctuDi
so far as the bride was concerned.