Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1879-02-26

Jnat OF laSJ lall, NANNY upon tue loreBoihB
affidavit of Mr.. Preston, and all the changes
possible are rung upon the false and calum-
NOUS statements contained therein, with
view to impress the minds of the court and
general public with the belief that the in
surance company and its late treasurer have
been guilty of the high crime of subornation
of perjury in order to take the life of an in
nocent man
A proper degree of self-respect as guar
dams of the reputation of the insurance
company, aud, in some degree, of its late
treasurer, as well as demand from various
quarters which they deemed entitled to
recognition, has led to the action herein
taken. Agreeably to this determination, on
Friday, the 21st instant, by invitation, Mr..
Preston appeared before the directors of the
Farmers Mutual, at their office in Montpelier,
and made the following voluntary statement
MR. PREsroN's STATEMENT.
In respect to the case OF Henry Gravelin, con-
| yicted Of the crime of murder, and with which my
name has been prominently connected, desire to
say that the Farmers Mutual Insurance Company
OF Montpelier, neither by its late treasurer Samuel
| Wells, nor in any other manner, was ever to my
knowledge, directly indirectly concerned in
procuring the conviction for murder of the said
| Gravelin; nor have ever so stated In the fall
Of 1878, J. W. Deane, attorney, with Celeste
Gravelin, brother of Henry, came to my residence
| in weathersfield to ascertain what knew about
the connection of the said insurance company
with the case Of Graven stated what knew
| In brief, and Deane went into my house and made
n writing for me to sign. On reading the same to
me, objected TO certain statements duplicating
| the said insurance company as being concerned
| in the murder trial, telling Mr.. Deane distinctly
| that they were not true. lie then took his pen
and struck out, as he affirmed, the portions OBJ
| jected to, when signed and made oath to the
affidavit, without reading it. The affidavit, as
read before the committee of the late legislature
and published in the Boston Journal and other
| papers, contains, so far as can remember, The
| rery statements Uhich I objected to as not
| being true, and which Deane professed to have
stricken out.
| further state, in the most positive terms, that
| | was never informed by Mr.. Wells, or any other
person, that Tim Hanlin was employed by
| the said insurance company to aid in procuring
| Gravens conviction for murder, nor have ever
| given such information to Mr. Deane or any one
else, nor have any reason to believe that he was
| so employed. or that said company, either d-
rectly or indirectly, appeared in that trial. did
| inform Mr.. Deane at that time. that understood
| the said Tim IIanlin to have been employed TO
certain Gravelin's agency in the burning OF Hor-
ace Weston's buildings, and might have spoken
of the said insurance company as being connected
with Weston in so employing Hanln-as knew
Mr.. Weston and the company had joint interest
in the prosecution of Gravelin for arson-they
having agreed to unite their interests to save the
| expense of a second suit"
Of the reliability of Mr.. Preston we will
only quote the endorsement of the cham
pions of Gravelin's cause, as made in con-
nection with the affidavit which accompanied
their application for Communication; He
stands above reproach for veracity and
moral worth" In this view of the case, we
forbear comment upon the unenviable posi-
ton, both legally and morally, in which the
| foregoing deliberate statement leaves Mr.. j.
| w. Deane
We next give the evidence of Hon. Nor
man Paul, of Woodstock who as states at
torney, conducted the prosecution of Gravelin
for the crime of murder:
LETTER OF HON NORMAN PAUL
"oopsrook' w., fepruary zotn' 1913
ne" ." III rep'y " your inl"'iies WIN
say that, prosecuting officer in The of State
anv officer Of the Farmers Insurance COMPANY
aud was not spoken to by any one in regard to
their relation to the Weston property and never
knew that such claim was made until last fall,
y, Wv "'.1'e 'ne JuuIs
-,
Weston NJ A,nsdoy and ronrsa,t A. 10 I'm
rIari,,, It, to',i.... sor.a,...o, l., -,
;r,,,or,ont nar,,a,1a, H., o,har ,,'i,nossas rha
o,ain, t,'a, cra,,o,i. ,as n,,,o,oa an ua,,,;,,,s
,os,,rn'' 10 n.,.o - e. o,,o,,,,t ,a.,;,,n,,,
~ oon,ia, - H., had hoo ,ro,, ons - ,,a nosc
rho er,, ,ha, ,na" ~, oa.S ~ T,onI,,
w." 10, M. Wan, ~ SIS 49, ",.
,I.,, ha s,,a vi, 49, liz -,
r. 'l''ue " '"e Ja" " H's
,,o " ,''eu,n "l'' WV u'l'' .,nu
10 wa, eo"'a.u ~ nav ,u''ae.
VIZ" ","'s," !" VI. pieSono' vi o'nel wi'"es'es
w., -. ""9
SOU :" ".'' ''"'.'.n 'oiu nun, "n' 'no'e was
| 1. Al.
| " Guy ' NV 'N'' " ''o
"n'' .D' Guy o'''e' p''''. - ','e' ''""'
:" "ns i'''"i' ~ "u'i sV ~ VI nm"
vn'e '"o ',''' y, 'ao SUN Vi '"''' 20 '''S
''' W my
| wy p ~ y yS'
|
Inc statements OF tine prosecuting otncer
are fully corroborated by those of Rolln
| Amsden. ESQ. of Windsor. who was the
| oRoa. /, ho.h ,ho .,,uaar o,,d .rso,, oosas.
|
LETTER OF RoLLiS AMspES' ESQ
WINDSOR February 2oth' 1873
| "Dedr >" In reply to your inquiry-h mad
| any knowledge oil the Insurance company or It's
treasurer, Mr. Wells, having any knowledge oil
what was being done In the murder case oil Henry
uraVehn, or assisting or procuring any one TO as
SYST in any way to convict bim,-you did not, 80
lar as Know must have known 1t II you had
In regard to I'm Hanlin, the facts are these
Hravelin made a trade with Hanlin to break him
out OF jail hanlin Informed j. +. Bailey, the
superintendent OF the state Prison, what Grayelin
wanted MN TO do Bailey brought Hanlin to me
l told the story MIgplf and HALEY