The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1884-10-01
Washington County Court.

Last Thursday noon, the court took
recess until Monday afternoon, when the
trial of criminal causes was begun. The
trial of Horace H Meader against the town
of Marshtield which was unfinished when
last weeks issue went to press ended in a
verdict for the defendant. This case was
brought by the defendant to recover from
the town the expense of supporting and doc
tOring an old woman named Rhoda GOshee,
from the fall of 1882 until she died on the
oath of January, 1884. Meader is peripa-
tetic individual who has gone from pillar
to post " all his life, and he is now keeping
the hotel at Marshfeld. Soon after he was
twenty-one he went to live with Mrs.
Goshee and gave her "A bond, by which, on
condition that she gave him all her prop
erty he bound himself, under penalty, to
support her for life. He claims that this
bond was abrogated soon after it was exc
cuted, because he discovered that the old
lady had no property and that she told him
that she had burned it up. 1t turned out,
however, that she had not and in the fall of
1882, when lie attempted to throw her on to
the town of Marshtield she placed it in the
hands of Daniel Il. Loveland the overseer of
the poor. Mr. Loveland thereupon promptly
declined to do anything for her, and she died
on Meader's hands 1t is very probable that
Meader's story about the abrogation of the
bond is false Mrs. Goshee is dead and can
not contradict him. At any rate there is
no doubt that she did more labor while she
llNtu dl NltdutI llldl HcttSSdlN W pay lOI
her board, twice over, and that is all she
ever had from him. Even if the jury had
given him verdict on the facts, il is proba-
BILE that there would have been legal diff
culties in the way of making the town liza
BILE, since it is doubtful if a person that
brings pauper into town in the way that
Meader did the old lady, can cast her on the
town, if she happens to fall sick, and make
the town support her But the jury put an
end to legal questions by finding verdict
against Meader on every point. Messrs.
George w. Wing and G. IL. Heath who
were Meaders counsel, fought the case well
and did all that was possible in the face of
great disbursement. Messrs. j. p. Lam
son and S. c. Shurtleff defended
The grand jury finished their labors last
Wednesday, and were discharged They
found twenty indictments, eighteen of which
have been made public, as follows: Against
Maurice Locklin of Northfield for assault
with intent to kill against the same, for as
sault and battery; against Jesse Cayhue of
Montpelier for liquor-selling; against Alex
ander Jangraw of Montpelier for liquor
selling, "A second offense; against the same
for liquor-selling; against Herbert Hyde
and - Randall of Wolcott for stealing
two yoke of oxen in Cabot; against Herbert
Hyde for larceny of a team; against Clark
w Sanders of East Montpelier fo- murder;
against Edward f. Lincoln 1.-TWO indict-
ments), for obtaining money under false
pretences: against Alexander Cooper for
impeding an officer; against John Murray
for larceny; against John A. Locklin for
liquor-sellng; against George Durkee of
Barre for assault with intent to rape; against
William Martin for adultery; against Mar
tin Nee for endangering persons on rail
road; against William and Joseph Curley
for disturbing the peace; against Joseph
Curley for the same offense.
1t is doubtful whether the Sanders muir
der case, or any of the important criminal
cases, will be tried. A few liquor cases
have been disposed of. +. S. WhitComb the
keeper of the Summit House in Roxbury,
was tried and acquitted of selling liquor;
Alexander Jangraw was tried and convicted
of two first offenses. Jesse Cayhue was con-
victed of liquor-selling.
Yesterday afternoon Clark w, Sanders
was brought from Jail into court and ar
raigned. He was accompanied by his coun-
sell Messrs. Clarence III. PitlSin, George w.
Wing and Truman II. Gordon. He refused
to plead after the indictment had been read
to him by the clerk, and his counsel put in
a special plea setting up that he was insane
at the time he killed Carr, and making the
question of his sanity then the sole issne 10
be tried. Mr., Huse opposed the admission
of this plea, and the court sustained his OBJ
lection. The respondents counsel eXcep-
ted to the ruling, and will take the question
to the supreme court. Sanders still refused
to plead and the court ordered an entry OF
that fact made upon the docket and plea
OF " not guilty " recorded The trial is set
for next Monday afternoon at two O'Clock