Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1885-05-01
VERMONT MATTERS.


are rising and are higher than usual, eX-
cepting during ice freshets. Roads back
from the rivers a few miles are almost
impossible on account of snow and mud.
Tillage has commenced on river farms,
Quarrymen Nearly Sunocated by Gas.
James Harmon and Thomas Bliss, night
workmen in the covered quarry of Shell
don g. Sons, at West Rutland, were near
ly sutfocated by foul air or gas Wednes-
day morning. The men were employed
on cutting machine, and about three
o'clOckln the morning first felt the effects
of the impure air. Shortly after they
sank INTO insensibiity in which state they
were found by workmen who. entered the
quarry after daylight. The men were
carried to their homes in the village and
at last reports had so far recovered us to
be out of danger
The Trial of Ellis for Train Wrecking Be
gun-He Pleads not Guilty.
The trial of Edwin Ellis for wrecking
the Misssquoi train near Enosburgh, in
November, 1888, was bugun in Franklin
County Court Friday at 9:45 a. m. Ellis
listened to the reading of a lengthy in
dictment, charging him with causing the
accident by turning switch, to which he
pleaded "nOt guilty" A jury was then
empanelled, which required three hours =,
no such difficulty in getting a jury having
been experienced since the Tatro murder
trial.
In the opening of the case the following
facts were developed: When within half
mile of North Enosburgh, Engineer
Thomas Flood of the train which left st.
Albans at $50 IL. IN. discovered that the
switch was turned and the train would run
on the gravel track, which terminated on
the bank of the river He reversed his en-
gine and jumped for his life but was ter
ribly hurt, having both legs broken and
his skull fractured just over the eyes. The
fireman, Fred Hauver was hurled into the
river with the engine, and his body was
found some time after between the en-
gine and the tender, his head being con.
sderably bruised. The water ut that
point is deep and the engine sank out OF
sight. The passenger and baggage cars
did not go into the water The only thing
that saved the whole train was the fact
that when the engine went over, a rail
broke and threw the cars off INTO the sand
bank. None of the passengers were hurt,
with the exception of A: W. Woodwork
of Enosburgh Falls and r. NJ. Deal, who
We're slightly lamed in jumping from the
train
The defence claims that the accident
was not necessarily the result of the mis-
placing OF that switch. The testimony
offered tended to show that Ellis was seen
in the vicinity of the switch on the morn
ing of the accident and hurried away.
One witness testified that when he met
Ellis near the place of the accident that
morning and explained to him what had
happened he showed much excitement
and exclaimed, "My God, my God" De
fence it is understood will try to prove
that the accident might have been averted
even after the train switched Oh to the
side track
Thetestimony in the Ellis train wreck
triDl finished Monday oftapnpon a
in Franklin County Court, with the eX-
animation of the prisoner himself. He
claims that he opened the switch that
morning to let the gravel tram on the side
track ahead because he heard the gravel
train whistle before the regular passenger
train, and thought it was coming up
ahead Of the regular that he had no i'll
will toward the officers of the road and
meant no harm to anybody on the passen-
ger train. He was frightened when he
saw what he had done and his denial OF
his act at the time was due to his being so
scared that he did not know what he said
or did. He stood the crOss-eXaminatiOn
very well and told comparatively
straight story.
The jury in the Ellis Case Renders IA Yer
dict of Acquittal.
The trial of Ellis, the train wrecker,
ended at St Adams Tuesday afternoon,
with verdict of acquittal. The verdict
was not received favorably by the people
in that section, who deemed Ellis worthy
of punishment for mispacing the switch
but all three counts of the Indictment
charged manslaughter and the Jury were
compelled to render a verdict of guilty or
not guilty on the counts aforesaid They
did not in the evidence offered discover
any malicious intent rs implied III the
statutes and so he was acquitted They
were out about an hour.
The Vermont Conference.
The sessions during yesterday at Bellows
Falls of the Vermont conference were
mostly devoted to the examination OF
classes for the orders. Members have
been arriving by every train and were
last night ready for beginning the actual
work of the session to-day AT 7:30 p. m
Rev. 7. p. Frost preached the conference
sermon to crowded house. Bishop Bow
man of st. Louis arrived yesterday and
will preside at each session. Among the
notables present are Dr. j. H. Vincent OF
New York, Chaplain McCabe of New
York.
Accident on thA st, JOhnsbury and Lake
Champlain Road.
AT Morrisville, Vt, April 27, stock
train on the st. Johnsbury & Lake Cham
plain road, due here at a. m., met with
serious accident one mile and a hall
from that place, Monday. The train was
approaching IA $50 foot trestle, 80 feet high
and, when within 10 rods, the fourth cal
from the engine jumped the track. On
reaching the treStle the four rear cars
were plunged into the carriage road One
was loaded with corn, one with oats, one
with butter and eggs and one was empty
and all were completely wrecked. Three
20 foot spans of the trestle were torn out
and it will be several days before trains
can pass. One brakeman was slightly in
jured.
Bristol.
William Thompson has bought William
Orcutts house on Maple street. Consid
GRAFTON, Sl4OO. Mr.. Urcutt has moved OF
to the Deacon Grant farm. +. G.. Dix
has bought nearly six tons of maple sugar
this season. 49,. Miss Minnie Drake re
turned home from Boston Tuesday even
ing, where she has been the past winte
studying music. Ransom Dunn, whC
has been in the Western country for tn,
past four years, is home on short vsi
80. Miss Nellie st. George is to teach tn,
summer term of SCHOOL in the Ridnr dis