St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1885-02-19
Bristol Bill and B. N. Davis.
The Assault as Witnessed by Judge Pc
land. .-...'..
WAsHINGroN. Feb. IA. 1888.

WASHINGTON, Feb. IA, 1885. .
To the Editor of The Caledonian: -. q. -.
Ia an obituary notice of my old
friend, Bliss N. Davis; in your last pa
per, it is stated that Mr.. Davis was
stabbed by ''Bristol Bill'' just as Mr..
Davis had concluded his argument to
the jury. The error is not perhaps
very essential, but l think it may be
we'll enough that the precise facts
! should be stated by one of the few re-
manning eye-witnesses of that trans
action. Bristol Bill was tried at the
June term, 1850, OF Caledonia county
court, and "a man by the name OF
Meadows was jointly tried with him.
Mr.. Davis was then States attorney of
the county, and conducted the prose-
cutiOn. The defence was managed by
two lawyers from Boston, and the trial
was vigorous and hetly contested
one.
The jury brought in a verdict OF
guilty against both the defendants. /
had removed from LamOille county to
St. Johnsbury only the month before,
and when the jury trials were cOnclud-
ed the court took recess for few
days to enable me to return to La
noble county on some imperative bust
ness. When the court re-assem bled
after the recess, Bristol Bill and
Meadows were brought into court for
sentence Both had letters on their
ankles, but their hands were free.
After the usual formalities l pro-
nOunced the sentence of the court,
which was ten years. Imprisonment in
the state prison. While was writing
out the sentence on my docket, Mr..
Davis stopped down to speak with
Meadows who was sitting. | heard a
noise, or rustic, and looked up and
saw by the position of Bill and Mr..
Davis that Bill was recovering from
having given a blow to Davis. L sup
posed he had only struck him with his
hand or fist, but as Mr.. Davis straight
ened himself up lie put his hand up to
his neck and called out, "Pull it out J"
Mr.. Daniel Cotfrin of GrOton, who
was then sheriff or deputy sheriff, and
sitting in the sherff's box close by,
sprung to Mr.. Davis and pulled the
knife out of his neck. Mr.. Davis was
at once carried to the hotel.
Of course everybody in the court
was excited, and there was confusion
for moment, but | recollect some of
the incidents. The late Mr.. Thomas
Bartlett leaned up against the judges
desk. and tears were running down
his face as he said, "Davis is murder
ed The late j. ID: StOddard very de-
liberately took off his coat, folded it
and laid it on the table, stepped up in
front of me and solemnly said, "D-n
him, lie has killed Davis and then
stepped up to Bill and began a lecture
to him on his wicked act.
After Mr.. Davis had been carried
out and the prisoner secured, | adj
journed the court. AS | reached the
door to go out, some resident of the
place, fwhOse name l have fOrgotten)
was there with gun, which he had
been home to obtain. [ went up at
once to Mr.. Davis room, expecting to
find him dead or dying but as | en-
tered the room and he saw me, he
said, 'H'm not dead yet, Judge, and
you and will live to punish a great
many rascals yet"
Mr.. Davis was struck with the knife
on the side of his neck, and it passed
nearly through his neck, back of the
spine, and the injury proved not to be
very serions. Had its course been a
little different, SO rs to have passed
forward of the spine, it would no doubt
have been fatal. Some six years after
this, Bill was brought up from Wind
sor and tried and convicted for this
assault on Mr.. Davis, and sentenced
for that
| have no time DOW TO speak gener-
ally in regard to Mr.. Davis. l may do
so at some future day.
LUKE p. POLAND.
A Wonderful Little House.
John w. Warden of this village has
received from his brother Henry, now
in Los Angeles, California, a tarantula
and the house he lived in when alive.
The tarantula is not at all an agreeable
looking animal, being simply an enor-
nous and hideOus spider, whose bite is
very poisonous and said to be fatal
but the house he lives in is one of the
wonders of animal skill and Instinct.
1t is made of clay. the size of large
and long potato. 1t is made in the
ground, vertically, the top being just
even with the surface, and looking like
the earth which surrounds it. At the
top is a door fitted so nicely that hui
man eyes cannot. discover it. This
closes with spring like watch-case,
and when the occupant is once inside
aud the door is shat, one might as well
''look for needle IN the haymOw'' as
to hunt for him. 70 anyone interest
ed in the remarkable works of animal
and insect life, this tarantula's nest
will we'll repay their careful inspection.
The F1andreau Case
Joseph Flandreau, who was arrested
at Peacham Hollow last week charged
with stealing and adultery was
tried before justice E. Z. Sargent Mem