Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1882-11-01
The Case OF AImOn Meaker.

Whlch should render them competent to OBJ
ject as emphatically and as Internationally
as some of the few have done who oppose
Communication. In the consideration of this
question the fact certainly should go far in
favor of Communication that the judges on
the bench, the prosecuting counsel, the wit
nesses for the state before the grand jury,
including the sheriff whose detective skill
unveiled the crime and the criminals, and,
with hardly known exception, every per-
son in the community who by experience or
by observation became familiar with the in
cidents of the crime, relieve the boy unre-
servedly from that direct, immediate moral
responsibility which should warrant the ex-
ecution Of the death penalty. Judge Red
field, who presided at the trial, says in
written communication to counsel for young
Meaker, Z" | had no knowledge of the parties
out side the trial. But the circumstances
and developments Of the trial thoroughly
impressed my mind that the mother DOM
mated the will and largely controlled the
actions of Almon, and that he, in great
measure at least, was victim and instru-
ment in the hands of another" This is
certainly very uncommon language to hold
towards criminal whom the technical man
date of the law had compelled the Judge to
sentence to death. Has such plea for
clemency come in recent times in this state
from the very lips which pronounced the
death sentence Is it to be supposed that
a man of Judge Redfeld's experience in life
long conflicts at the bar, in criminal trials
of every kind where the expert lawyers keen
powers of penetration are sharply developed,
was misled or deceived in the impressions
which he says the circumstances and devel.
opments of the trial made upon his mind,
or that he lightly or on insufficient grounds
put in plea for mercy in his behalf The
states attorney and counsel for the state,
who left no stone uuturned in their search
for evidence and who successfully prosecuted
the parties with unwonted skill and energy,
are foremost in their efforts to secure com.
mutation for Almon, actuated, as there is
every reason to believe, solely by commend
able motives of humanity. There must be
some strong underlying reason which should
thus awaken the liveliest interest in the
community where the crime was committed,
in the grand jury which sifted the crime, in
the state officials who pressed the deed home
to the guilty parties, in the judge and his
assistants before whom the case came and
which should animate them with no motive,
save that of interested humanity, with one
mind to raise their voices in favor of legis-
lative clemency. That reason is forcefully
and correctly given by Judge Redfield.
That young Meaker had less than ordi-
nary strength of mind is conclusively shown
by his former schoolmates and by local
tradesmen. Since the recent hearing at
the state house sohool-fellow of the con-
demned youth at Stowe, voluntarily remarked
in the hearing of number of persons who
were discussing this case, that Almon was not
considered at school a bright fellow, and that
his dullness made him the butt of ridicue
and the victim of those pranks which I'M
thinking boys play upon such unfortunates.
He had wit enough to labor, to execute
fairly well common work which was planned
for him. Between his mental status as
shown by all who had to do with him in
everyday life and in the proceedings con-
nected with the uncovering of the crime, the
examination and trial,--between this living
idea OF Almon Meaker and the conception
which the style and language of his confess
sion is calculated to convey there is the
greatest possible incongruity, and demands
for hanging founded on that confession do
injustice to the young man and to those in
dividuals who would save him from the gal
lows. He is not a lunstic. No such plea
Jesse Pomeroy. An act Of innate cruelty
has never been instanced against him. His
case is entirely different from that of Tatro
or Welcome. Each of those men was the
chief and only criminal, acting on his own
volition and executing his own conception.
Here is the case OF young man of less
than ordinary mental capacity and under
standing. Even after his arrest he had
no idea of the penalty of his offense. He
thought Sheriff Anterior could easily get him
out of the trouble, that nothing more seri-
GUS than the loss of little money for expenses
would result, and that in few days he would
be released and suffered to go to work again
on the farm. Any five year old, says Mr.. Ath-
erton, should have clearer conceptions of the
consequences of a crime like that in which
this young man had become involved. There
is no evidence that the idea of numbering the
child ever entered his mind except as it was
driven into his feeble intellect by the satanic
promptings of his british mother. He was
the victim and instrument in the hands
of that mother. When the Rutland Herald
says There was no pretence made on trial
that Meaker was insane or that he was in
any sense irresponsible for his acts, or
if there was the jury found him guilty
in spite of the pretence," it discloses an
incorrect understanding of the case which
we cannot but believe is at the bottom of
ltS opposition 10 cOmmutatlon' AS we nave
said no pretence of insanity was ever set
up, nor was Almon tried by jury and found
guilty. As the only chance of saving his
mothers neck, he pleaded guilty. This plea
excluded positive proof of his mothers
guilt, making the task of the prosecution
more difficult and interposing possibility
that the state might fail to connect her with
the crime. The scriptural rule, which is
the foundation of the human law, will be
satisfied with the life of the superior, the
dominating, criminal. Under all the cir
cumstances in this special case we believe
two lives for one would be excessive punish
ment. Even-handed justice, it would seem
should be satisfied with life imprisonment
for the instrument and humanity, we believe
will strongly approve this melting out of the
penalties for crime of peculiar atrocity.
Cheap Freights.
| T.. - a. D,