The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1883-06-13
Orange County Court.

Hon. John w. Rowel, presiding Judge; Hon.
David Chapman and Hon. Joseph Tibbetts,
assistant judges Lyman g. Hnckley, clerk
j. X. Darling, states attorney; Luke Parish,
sheriff John fl. Mimms, reporter.
The June term of this court convened at
Chelsea at ten clock, a. NJ, Tuesday, June 9TH.
After prayer by Rev. Harvey Webster of the
Methodist Episcopal church, the organic ition
of the grand and petit jurors was proceeded
with. The following names were called and
responded to, except those indicated in brackets
Grand Jurors, Bradford, ii. c. McDuffee;
Brantree, VIM. Farnsworth; Brookfield, w.
A. Robbins Chelsea, VIM. L. Churchill and
W. H. II. Hall; Corinth j. M. Doe; Fairlee, NJ.
+, Albee; Newbury, John Bailey; Orange, f..
Z. Camp; Randolph, Gilbert Iilson and J r,
Cleveland, Jr; STAFFORD, Nathan B. Cobb
Thetford, Scion NJ Smith; Topsham, J. T..
Tabor; Tunbridge, Nathaniel II. Austin; Wash
ington, w. L. " orthly; Versnire, Oscar Beck
with and S. b. Darling; Williamstown, j. M.
Bass West Fairlee, A. Ii. SouthwortS
Petit Bradford, L. c. Johnson
and Charles Jonesl; Brainrree. Amasa W,
Ferry and George +. SMITH; Btookield, Joel
A. Whitney and Barton A. Flint; Chelsea
George H. Bacon and John Allen; Corinth,
William Tapin and Z. j. Slack; Fairlee, B. w
Davis and H. d. Moorel; Newbury, William
w. Brock, Jr., and George Emerson; Orange,
Wilbur Cutler and Elfred n Cutler; Randolph,
H. S. Booth and L. w. Edison; STAFFORD, Noah
Powers and Elisha H. Prescott; Thetford, j. +.
Hosford and ii. Cummings; ropshan, G. A.
Currier and John Wiley; Tunbridge, A. j..
Wills and James T. Robinson; Vershire, w.
F. Darlingl and Nv. Derby Washington, I. E.
Emery and T. +. S. Thurber; West Fairee, S..
c. Southworth and Cyrus n. Lyon Williams
town, J. B. Seaver and G w. Blanchard.
Two talesmen were called on the grand jury.
Mr. John Bailey of Newbury was appointed
foreman of the grand jury. Mr.. Bailey, it may
be remembered, was the officer who arrested
a II lrrp rDhhpra
officer than he never filled the position OF sheI-
i'll of Orange county.
His honor, Judge Rowell, charged the grand
and petit jurors in an able and complete man
ner, enlargiug upon the proper performance of
their duties under the oaths taken by their re-
spective bodies He was very emphatic in call
ing the attention of the petit jurors to that pro-
vision Of their oath which says, You will say
nothing to any person at any time about the
business you may have in hand, except TO your
fellow jurors, nor suffer any one To
speak to you, except in court. Hardly a term
in court has passed in Orange comfy but some
verdict has been jeopardized by the Ignoring of
this provision OF the oath by stupid or dishonest
Jurors. Jurymen should bear in mind the in
jury to parties which may arise, If this evil con-
tinues, and the expense occasioned by new
trials; aud they should not forget that by
disregarding heir oath they render themselves
liable for contempt of court
After the two bodies Of jurymen were
charged, the docket was called. OF the fifty
nine cases on the jury calendar, about fifteen
were set for trial. Some state cases are also
to be tried this term. The chief justice was
expected to be present this week, TO try some
cases in which Judge Rowell is disqualified, but
other engagements prevent his attendance, and
it is not probable that another judge can attend.
The first case tried by the jury was an
action OF general assumpsit. The parties were
William A. Ashley and wife u.s. Ben f. Hyde.
The action was based upon an alleged promise
of the defendant to make deed OF certain
property to the plaintiff The evidence of the
plaintiff tended to show that sometime early
in the summer of 1881 they heard that the de-
PENDANT was DESTROYS of selling his hotel, the
Orange county hotel AT Chelsea. They pro-
posed to buy 1t and, in part payment, make a
deed OF certain mill property OF the pIalntlis
at Washington. Later in the summer the
plaintiff, Ashley, was at Chelsea and saw IA
span of horses of the defendant ana, after
some prelimnaries, a trade was made whereby
the plaintiffs let defendant have horse (val-
ued at 5000 and gave their note for $500 and
took his defendants 81 81 an of horses known rs
the Ely Goddard mares the plaintiffs claimed
that the inducement for them To trade horses
was an absolute promise by the defendant 10
let them have the hotel property at Chelsea.
| The defendant never decided his hotel property
to plaintiffs, but decided it to other parties The
! plaintiffs evidence tended to show the value
| OF defendants horses AT $500, and they sought
| to recover the difference between the value oil
| those horses and what they gave for 1t, viz, q
horse valued at 5000 and note for $780, The
defendant denied the promise about the hotel
| He said he was only to endeavor to get the
property, II he could, for the plaintiffs. He ties
| titled that the horse trade stood alone, and es
timated his horses to be worth $3.50 and plain
tiffs horse at 500. Verdict for plaintiffs
| $3.50 81 damages and costs 5. Z. Shurtlef Of
Montpelier for plaintiffs; Stone and Hebard fol
defendant.