The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1885-04-01
Washington County Court.

Two of the closing arguments in the
Sanders murder trial had been made at the
time of going to press with last weeks
WATCHaAN. On Wednesday morning Geo.
w. Wing, Esq, closed the case for the re-
spondent and Hiram A. Huse, Esq. made
the closing argument for the state They
were both able and exhaustive discussions
of the whole matter, and were attentively
listened to by the jury and large audience.
AT fifteen minutes past eleven o'clock in the
forenoon Judge Powers began his charge to
the jury, which occupied fully one hour,
and was an able and instructive explana-
ton of the different degrees OF murder and
what constituted each offence. 1t was pro-
nounced by all to be one OF the ablest
charges ever made to a jury in this county.
The case was then given to the jury, and at
half-past three o'clock in the afternoon that
body returned verdict of manslaughter
The respondent was remanded to Jail to
await his sentence, which was pronounced
Thursday morning. When asked if he had
anything to say why the sentence of the
law should not be pronounced upon him,
Sanders said that he had not, except that
at the time of the shooting he did not know
what he was doing. The court then sem
fenced him to twenty years at hard labor in
Win at the end of the term. Harlan
w. Kemp, states attorney, assisted by
Hiram A. Huse and John II. Senter, for the
state G. II. Pitkin, George w Wing, Heath
& Willard and Gordon & Gary for the re-
spondent.
STATE Us. MAURICE LocKLIN, on the
charge of assault with intent to kill, was
then taken up by the court. 1t appeared
that on the evening of August ID 1884,
the respondent, with Lester Warrington
and Ed. Grant, was riding toward North
field from Montpelier, when the party fell in
with two teams, in one of which were Mar
lin Hill and Frank Woodbury. and in the
other Herman Hill, Elmer Hill and William
Dolby; that all three teams INDUCED in fast
driving and when near the Scovill bridge
| fight began between the respondent and
Dolby, when Herman went to part them.
| Upon this Locklin assaulted Herman,
knocking him down against the fence and
there checking him. At this point Marlin
Hill came back and ordered the boys to
stop fighting, get into their teams and 60
on. They did so, and, as the state claimed,
when Herman had got seated in his wagon
to go along the respondent came up behind
| him and dealt him a heavy blow with some
sharp instrument, causing blood to flow
freely. He was taken to the house of Nor
man Sawyer and DR.. Chandler called, who
dressed his wound, and he was then taken
home. For some five CT six weeks he was
unable to be about his work. The respond
ent claimed that he did not strike him, as
the testimony of the witnesses tended to
show, and after the evidence on both sides
was all in, it was agreed that the jury
should be instructed to return a verdict of
| common assault. Sentence was deferred
The penalty provided by statute is fine Of
not exceeding five hundred dollars, or i'm
prisonment not exceeding one year. States
Attorney Kemp and John II. Senter for the
state; Heath & Willard and George w.
Wing for the respondent
STATE rs. JAMES ALBIN of Roxbury was
tried on Friday, and after the testimony was
all in the court directed a verdict of guilty.
The indictment was for the burglary of the
or nj lot thntta tl,a ,.rr1.t t.<fn
Der 4th, 1882. 1t appeared that Ellis kept a
variety store and sold a kind of homemade
beer, and that the young men used to con-
gregate there in the evening and on some
occasions got rather more intoxicated than
the reputation of Ellis beer would warrant.
On the night in question the store was closed
at the usual hour-half-past eight o'clock
and about ten o'clock the respondent, with
one Mcguire Martelle, went to the window,
and between them the window was opened
and Albin went in and took out jug con-
tanning beer. This was denied by Martelle,
so far as his opening the window and taxi
ing the beer was concerned. On the same
night the store was burned, together with
the best dwelling in the village, owned by
Billings Spalding, and afterwards an inves-
tigation was begun by States Attorney Pit
kin, to whom the respondent made full
confession. States Attorney Kemp and
John III. Senter for the state; Heath &
Willard and Gordon & Gary for the re-
spondent.
A recess was then taken until Tuesday
morning, when liquor cases We're taken up
, In the case of State u.s. j. A. Locklin, the
jury have not returned a verdict yet. In
State Us. f. II. Bascom, the respondent was
found not guilty. The following parties
pleaded guilty and paid their fines NJ. j.
Duke, Montpelier, one first offence; Peter
: Gay, Montpelier, two first offences; Fred
:, Downing, Northtield one first offence; Har
vey Wiley, Worcester one first offence. E
NJ. Scott of Montpelier paid the fine imposed
: by the justice and his case was withdrawn
In the case of State Us. T. II. Cory the
bonds were called and forfeited and new
: capias issued.