Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1885-02-06
STATE ABRAMS

DIR. 3 ). ALLEN PLEADS GUILTY OF MANstAUeg.
TER AND IS SENTENCED TO FIVE YEARS IN
STATE PRISON.
The shooting OF Dell Hansell of Rock.
land, Mass, by DR.. Samuel ]. Allen of White
River junction, last May in bar room Quar-
rel, is still fresh in the public mind On
Monday the prisoner was brought for
trial before the supreme judicial court, in
Boston. The gallery of the court room WAS
packed with spectators. delegation from
Vermont, including his father, Gov. Pingree,
Rev. DR.. Flanders, and several lawyers oocu-
pied seats within the bar The senior ooun-
sci for the prisoner was Gen. BENJAMIN f.
Butler, who had not appeared in a similar
case before for 10 years. Immediately or
the opening Of the court, Attorney General
Sherman stated to Judge Devens that the
prisoner desired to retraot his plea of mot
guilty Of murder" and was ready to plead
guilty Of manslaughter, and asked the fudge
to defer sentence until Wednesday. Clerk
Noble then arose and said Samuel j. Allen,
do you wish to rotract your former plea?
The prisoner do.
Clerk Noble What plea do you wish to
enter
The prisoner Guilty OF mahslauRhter.
The prisoner spoke in a cleOr resonant
voice, entirely free from tremulousnsss Gen.
Butler then arose and said that postponement
was asked for because an important witness
was on his way from the west to testify on
the question Of sentence. The motion for
postponement was granted.
Ga Wednesday the facts relative to the
shooting we're rehearsod to the court, it be.
ing stated that Allen, when too drunk to
know anything, had swept some change of
the counter OF the bar which belonged to
Hansell, and when Hansell insisted on its re
turn Allen drew his pistol and shot bin. Al
lens ntence was for five years in the state
prison..
A SYSTEM OF TOWN SIGNAL SERVICE
Somebody ia the north part of the state
has invented an ingenious system for making
the government weather indications known
every morning. The method il by a code Of
steam. whistle blasts. The dispatches an
nouncng the probabilities are divided into
these six classes l, sgnifying fair or proba-
bly, fair weather for the next II hours
foul or probably foul weather for the same
period 3, fair at first and changing to foul
before the end Of the term 4, foul chang
ing to fair; 3. doubtful, iTegularly variable ;
6, unseasonable frosts or cold waves ia any
season. The engineer Of each locality learn
ing the prediction by telegraph or teller hone,
according to arrangement, blow, his whistle
thus at a certain hour, when the neighboring
farmers will listen After the first long un-
broken morning blast OF the signal whistle
there is a pause Of five seconds, then, for
No. |, five second blast for No 2, two
such panses and blasts three for 3. four for
No. 4, five for NJ. .. After the regular sig
nal Zone of the first Ave- aud another Ave
second pause, No. may be given by five
two-second blasts with two second pauses
Randolph Is the first town TO adopt the sys-
TEN and the signals are now being given
there every morning at ESQ. circular de-
scribing the system, which has been sent to
the seltctmen Of every town in the state, says
1t is hoped that som thing will be done at
the next annual town meetings, or by private
enterprise, to give the project a start through
out the state, and the selectmen are hereby
peitoned to insert in the warnings Of the
March meetings an article to see II the to WINS
will appropriate for the same As general
rule it seems fair apportionment for the
towns having the signal whistles to pay half
the expense aud those adjoining the other
half"