Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1882-09-08
MIR. bull and MRS. Egypt--.A Case Of
Aggravated ASSAULT.

John Bull was charged before the Bench
with having committed gross assault upon
Mrs. Egypt at Alexandria on the 18th ultimo.
The complainant, n respectable looking wo.
man, who said she was the mother of a large
family of children, deposed that not very
long ago her late husband who was unfor-
tunately a man of very extravagant habits.
fell into the company Of gang Of advertis-
ing money-lenders. Knowing that he was a
substantial householder, these oan.ofIice
keepers had persuaded him to take loans at
a most extortonate rate of interest, ranging
at from ID to 2G3 per cent. Only portion
Of the sums borrowed was paid in cash, the
remainder being paid in pictures, wines,
jewelry and other useless articles Since the
demise of her late husband she had made the
most desperate efforts to keep up the install
ments which were due to the loan Office, and
had even parted with the clothes Of herself
and her children in order TO raise the neces-
sary payments. The loan Office people had
put in the defendant and others as brokers'
men. Her sons had guaranteed the payment
Of the instruments of the debt but as they
had not ut the same time paid the expenses
of the men in possession the defendant and
those acting with him on the 18th ultimo
proceeded to make wanton attack upon her
property, which had brought her to the very
verge of ruin. She had resisted as well as
she was able, but the defendant had commit
ted cruel assault upon her in consequence,
the signs of which were manifest TO all who
were present in court.
The defendant, strong, powerful man,
| stated that he was only acting in obedience
to orders. He was wholly unacquainted with
the circumstances under which the debt was
incurred, and when the loan office people,
who were connected with him by ties of re-
lationship, employed him to interfere, he had
| been careful to conform to the strict letter of
the law. He was sincerely sorry for Mrs.
| Egypt, whose late husband had led her into
such trouble by his reckless and extravagant
conduct, but be submitted that the legal
claim Of the people upon whose behalf he
acted was indisputable
One of the magistrates here asked wheth-
or the defendant disputed the plaintiffs state
| ment that the money had been lent at from
IS to 2Gl per cent. interest.
Defendant replied that very likely it was
true, but he had nothing to do with that
| The plaintiff had threatened his men, and
| was about, indeed, to turn them out of the
house. The assault occurred through his at
tempting to disarm her and prevent her do
ing any mischief. He denied that he had
used more violence than WAS necessary un
der the circumstances.
The Bench said that there could be nc
| uouot thht the poor woman hau Deen mos
cruelty treated by the rascally usurers, who
had tempted her husband to his destruction
There could be no moral justification for tn,
defendants conduct, though he might have
a legal defence. The defendant would be re
manded in order to give him an opportunity
to produce the power under which he acted
whose validity would be examined by the
court. He deeply sympathized with thu
plaintiff. Through no fault of her own sh,
had been victimized by an artful set o
schemers, who had run up against her exor
bitant claims, the greater part Of which wer,
fictitious