Connecticut western news., 1880-01-21

The Stevens House in this place is about to undergo change of proprietors, D. A. Riker retiring from the management, and a MT. McDonald, of the McDonald House at Thomaston, assuming control. MT. Riker has conducted the house for the past fourteen years, and is extensively known by the tray. cling public ss a genial, courteous and oblig ing landlord, while his estimable lady enjoys an enviable reputation as hostess and minister to the comfort of guests.
 The Hon. Giles Potter of Essex, agent for the State Board of Education was in town last week visiting the schools, and looking after the attendance of delinquent pupils. He finds the schools in condition comparing favorably with the schools in other towns, both ss to attendance and progress. The at tendance at East Canaan he finds much better than reported last year, but capable of still greater improvement, being only about 50 per cent. of the number registered.
 In the case of Funk vs Calvin, for the possession of the lottery sewing machine, de- cision was rendered by Justice Roberts in ia. vor of Calvin, the defendant. The prosecu- tion appealed, and the case will be heard at the March term of the District Court at Falls Village. The machine is an old one, of little value, and by the time either party gets a ''warrantee deed" of it, he will feel as If he had invested considerable money in rat ter Tier. and then somebody had shot the dog.
 ED. NEWS We desire, through the col. umns of the NEWS, to extend to our friends our sincere thanks for the gifts and congrat. ulations conferred upon us on the evening oi the 7th inst and would assure them of oul hearty appreciation. The experience of the married portion of the guests enable them tc realize our gratitude, while the younger, and uninitisted can only come to realizing sense through similar Misfortune.
 MR. AND MRS. c. E. DEHART, Canaan Valley, Jan 20, 1880.
 The long drawn out Hayden trial, ex tending through nearly sixty days, came to ar end Monday evening at about 10 o'clock, by disagreement and discharge of the jury. Il is said they stood eleven for acquittal and one for conviction. They had deiberated about eighty-two hours, the longest seclusion of { jury in the State. This will probably be tho end of the prosecution. A motion will bt made to admit the accused to bail, which vii of course be granted and in the end the Stat' will nolle inc indictment
 -"Accidents will happen in the best reg ulated families" and as the NEWS office is { ''best regulated" household, we had to hav' an accident; so we contrived to break heavy casting on our newspaper press after printing about threefourths of our edition last week and took Conductor Elmore's train for Win sted, with our forms in our satchel, dropped in on Joe Vaill at the Herald office, and mod estly requested the use of his press for hal an hour or so. "Barkis was willin', " so witl the efficient assistance of Frank Yale, thu the press, and in a short space of time, thu unfortunate remainder of our edition wa printed and folded; the only inconvenience suffered by our readers in consequence of ou breakdown was. that some of them received their. NEWS one day behind hand. We don propose to figure among the "best regulated families very often, but when we do, Joe Vaill tells us the Heralds arms are open t receive and "press" our graceful "forms." 1 The Rev. Henry S. Attwater, of Ceda fyale, Kansas, the oldest clergyman in tha diocese, died on the 18th ult Owing to thu infirmities of age he has been unable to d. full missionary service during the last fev years. On the day after Christmas he wa suffering from pulmonary attack, when hi house took fire and was destroyed, and h was barely rescued from the flames. Over come by the exposure and excitement, he ex pired on the following Sunday. For man, years he labored faithfully in Connecticut He was greatly respected and beloved, an the Bishop of Kansas often mentioned him i affectionate terms.
 The above from the 'Churchman" of Jar
 17th, doubtless refers to the sometime Paste
 of "Christ Church" in this village. The pal ish register bears the following record
 "ls56. July 9th. Rev. H. s. Attwater too charge of this parish as minister and mission ary, officiating half of the time in connectio
 with St Andrews Church, Kent; and relil , quished it on sOth May, ls5s." Mr. Attwate . was .already venerable old gentleman { that time, SO at his death must have passe , considerably the usual limit of human Tiff . Requiescat in pace. B.
 James Gray, known to the readers of tf NEWS as the man implicated by Webste with himself in many of the burglariss con mitted in the State of Massachusetts, was o i: the 2d inst brought before Judge Bradford { ! Ct. Burlington for examlnation; F. E. Cleav
 land of Winsted formerly of Canaan, appea
 ed as counsel for Gray, and the defense we
 80 complete, that the court and all preser
 were fully convinced of Gray's innocence
 The result was, Gray was discharged on a
 the complaints made against him, while it
 believed by many familiar with the case, ths
 Gray, who is only 20 years of age, was indis
 erect enough to shield Webster for time thus enabling him to escape arrest; yet it
 now satisfactorily established that Webster
 charges against him were false. It IS hope
 however, that the lesson may not be lost o
 Gray, and that he will henceforth beware ho1
 he allows himself to fall into bad company
 or protect outlaws from arrest and punish
 ment.
 A revival is in progress in the Methods
 church in this place, and the interest is 1T creasine with every meeting Meetings ar