Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1879-12-31
Washington County Court.
Hon 7. P. RKDrrELD, Presiding Judge.
Hon PnILAsDER RroRp, ...,.,.., ,...,....
Hon JAMIE A CnRIiRN [ heslstuN Ouuyes.


Hon JAMES A. cosuss, Assistant Judges
MELVILLE f. SMILE, Clerk.
FRANK PLUMLEy States dtorney
JONI L. FUTILE, Sheriff
HENRY OvLATT, Stenogrdpher
The court Is now trying the last jury case and
the term will come TO close by the end OF the
week. Owing TO the improbabity Of Judge Red
fields presiding any longer than the present week.
some important state cases have been postponed
until the March term, and there is every prospect
Of long session Of the court then Judge Red
field certainly has allotted 10 him his full share Of
judicial work. lie has now been In county or
supreme court all the time except three weeks
since the first Of September. He goes into SUI
preme court next Tuesday, sits In various courts
until the first Tuesday In February, when he goes
to the Orleans county court to preside. Thence
he goes into supreme court again, and sits until
the commencement OF our March term.
The case on trial Is the State U.s. Joseph and
John Eddy and Joseph Lancaster, Of whom Joseph
and John Eddy are father and son. They are in
dicted for setting fire to the barns and house of
Joseph c. Rice situated in the northern part Of
Roxbury, on the 18th Of last April. 1t seems that
Joseph Eddy and his family have occupied the
biN"iSNs IN lutHlbu hH ltnhnlh VI MT. WnO
q resident Of Northhed and that lancaster lived
with them. They had been elected from the prem.
ises and had finished moving therefrom to a
neighboring farm on the Monday night before the
fire, leaving the house without inmates. The
buildings were discovered 10 be on fire soon after
two o'clock upon Friday morning, the Goth of last
April, and were soon burned to the ground Bit
ter feelings existed between the Eddys and Rice,
and there is testimony In the case tending to
show, though not very strongly, that Joseph Eddy
had threatened to destroy the buildings II he had
to move out. One Elias Wheeler, a striker" Of
Rice's, was about to move into the burned prem
Uses and in fact had carried some of his house
hold stuff there on the Monday before the fire.
Il Ia claimed by the respondents that either he OF
Rice, OF both Of them, set the buildings on fire
and now seek TO fasten the crime upon the Eddys
1t seems that the buildings were insured and that
the insurance, II 1t Is paid, will go to some OF
| Rice's creditors The evidence on the part of the
state is rs to the threats aud to certain track
| leading TO and from the building, which 1t l.
claimed fitted boots taken off the feet Of the re-
| spondents. The arguments are now going on and
the case will be finished tonight. Messrs. Frank
| Plumley Estates attorney, S. c. Shurtleff and
James n. johnson for the state; Messrs Heath &
Carleton, John W. Senter and George n Fisk foi
| the respondents.
| State Us Charles A. Blay and Philander Searles
| is the only other case which has been heard dur
ing the week The respondents were indicted fol
stealing some carpenters tools from of the box
stalls on the fair ground in this town during tn,
soldiers reunion last August The tools belonged
to Mr.. James W. Rowland OF Montpelier, who
was then working upon the new buildings erect
| ing upon the fair grounds for the state fair Ill,
testified that he locked the tools and pail and 3
| halter in the box stall upon the evening before
the reunion begun, and that going there the next
| Friday morning he could not find them. Ernest
Underwood, neighbor Of respondent Bay, saw
| the tools in Bay's fathers home in Tunbridge,
saw an account OF the theft soon after in the Ar.
gus and Patriot, identified them by Mr.. How
lands initials, which were stamped upon them,
gave notice and thus secured the OF the re-
spondents and the recovery Of portion of the
tools and the pail. The respondents account for
the possession OF the goods by incredible story
to the effect that on the second evening OF the re-
union, while they were eating supper beside then
fire, a stranger came along with tools in a pail,
said that he had just finished his job on the fair
ground buildings and offered to sell the tools and
| pail for three dollars; that Blay offered him two
dollars, which, after some banter, the stranger
took. This very ishy story both respondents
swore to " like troopers, but on close examina
| ton they were forced to admit that vital as Il
was towards proving their innocence they had
made no attempt whatever to find this stranger
since their arrest. The only real defence mad,
as to Blay was in trying to make his offence petty
larceny instead Of grand. But as to Scales, coun.
sci claimed that he should be acquitted be
cause there was no proof that the tools were
ever in his possession, or that he had ever
benefited in any way by the theft, il one was
committed. It turned out during the course OF
the trial that Searls was counting Blays sister,
Rosa, who was witness upon the stand, and it
seemed as il the family in order to secure hus
band for the girl were willing to make scape-
goat Of the brother and have him punished rs a
vicarous sacrifice for Searles sins The jury
took the merciful view that counsel suggested,
and acquitted him; but found Blay guilty OF
grand larceny. Messrs Frank Plumley and
George W. Wing for the state Messrs Heath &
Carleton for the defence.
The indictment against Thomas Mullaly and the
Donahues for arson has been quashed.
|