The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1879-12-19

accused of an attempt to commit rape
upon young girl eight or niue years
old. 1t was shown by the little girl
| that she went to Edson's house to stay
ali night with his wife, Edison working
two or three miles away; but the
weather proving unpropitious, he re-
turned home in the evening and went
to bed with his little boy; the little
girl being put to bed by Mrs. Edison.
The little girl said Edison afterwards
got up and went to her bed and at
tempted the outrage. The judge asked
the little girl how long it was before
she told this story2 She said Some-
time in the winter" The judge further
asked, Did you tell your mother then
about it?" The little girl said, "No,
l told another woman about it, and she
said she would give me new dress and
hang ii on a Christmas tree, If l
would 20 into court and tell il all Just
as / did to her." She said she did give
the dress to her. The judged charged
in substance, that the story was very
improbable, that the most natural thing
in the world would be that the child
should tell her mother The next morn
ing all about it. This story was kept
four or five months a profound secret.
The jury was out but short tine and
returned a verdict of not guilty, and
Edison was discharged and thrown out
into an unfeeling world without PEN
ny in his pocket, to 20 to distant state
asserted while in Jail that when his
case came to trial it would appear that
he was the victim Of conspiracy.
CONCERNING j. II. BATCHELDER's
CAsE.-ln justice to j. Ii. Batchelder
we think an error committed by a cor
respondent of the Rutland Herald &
Globe should be corrected. Perhaps it
was not intended to do injury to the
man who has suffered all the rigors the
law could put upon him, and when the
thongs that bound him were cut one af-
ter the other until he was liberated.
But it seems hard that when the case is
stated that it cannot be done in fair
and truthful way. AS we understand
it, Mr.. Batchelder does not ask or ex-
pect any CLOSING over or making any
undue favorable notices of his acquittal,
but all he asks is to have the truth
spread before the public. We noticed a
statement in the Herald in reference to
DhtCutlucT . CdSt IKE tn1S. t0dJ at MS
trial in December, 1873, "the jury stood
nine for conviction and three for acquit-
al" while the fact was, the jury stood
nine for acquittal and three for convic-
ton. And further, two of the three are
understood to have said that If the
other would 20 with them they would
go with the nine for acquittal. This
same correspondent further says: Gas
far as the prosecution in Addison coun-
ty is concerned, Batchelder is a free man,
but nevertheless, large portion of the
community acquainted with the cir
cumstanccs believe him to be guilty."
Now, if this correspondent was as well
acquainted with the facts in reference
to what the people in this community
believe, as he is with his own preju-
diced mind, he would never make such
an assertion as the above. Why was il
that so large a number of our best and
most worthy citizens volunteered 10 lift
the excessive bail that was put upon
him, if they believed him guiltyr
There were few men in this commu-
nifty who have from the start been de-
tcrmincd that Batcheldor should be
convicted, guilty or not guilty. They,
perhaps honestly at first, thought him
guilty and now dislike to own that they
made up their minds too hastily and
persist in their error. JUSTICE.