The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1886-10-27
Washington County Court.

The criminal term Of the Washington
county court just completed has been one
of the longest and most successful for the
state which has been held for several years.
I Below we give a resume Of the indictments
found by the grand jury and the convictions
and forfeitures in the county court.
The grand jury found and reported the
following true bills: II. II. Furgerson and
James Brown for burglary of the hotel of
William Hudson at Middesex on the night
of June 9th; for the burglary of the black
smith shop of NJ. W. Jackman at Middlesex
on the same night; for the burglary of the
store Of Frank b. Taylor in Waterbury
on the night of June 10th; for the larceny
of the team of Eaton Hutchins at Water
bury Center on the night of June 18th, for
having burglars tools in their possession
with intent to commit burglary; and against
each of them for an assault with intent to-
| kill on the night of June 10th upon f. II.
Atherton and George f. Moody, respect
lively. Charles w. Alexander for rape upon
Annie DeBrune on July %, 1885. James
Morton for bigamy. Levi Robinson for the
larceny of the team of Il. w. Ormsbee on
the 22d of August last. Foster S. Dana.
for incest with his neice, Minnie c. Dana.
William Curren for larceny. Arthur Z.
Flanders for larceny. Phneas X. Carney
for the larceny of two promissory notes at
Cabot. Gardener Shonio, John Shonio,
Jessie Shonio and Chancey Arlington for
larceny. William Ewing for assault. e.
r. Long for assault upon his son. ID. w.
Bancroft OF Marshfeld, Benjamin and Frank
Barrett and Seth w. Jones of Waterbury,
Peter l.. Gay of Moretown, NJ. S. Davis of
Roxbury, ID. G. Sloan, +. r. Meader, Free
man and Roger Bixby, j. A. Locklin, +. r.
Stevens w. n. Whiting, Charles Sullivan,
Ira G.. Bascom, Collins Bakely, William
Miller and Omer Miller each for selling,
furnishing and giving away Intoxicating
liquors contrary to law. E. r.. Meader, ID.
c. Sloan, j. A. Locklin, j. NJ. Bell, F. r.
Stevens, Charles Sullivan William Miller
and Omer Miller of Montpelier each for
| keeping and maintaining nuisance.
The grand jury also reported as not found
bill against Charles Dodge and Oscar
Dodge, bound up for the larceny of the team
of w. j. Bray in Barre.
The first case for trial was State rs. Omer
Miller, who was indicred by the grand jury
in September, 1885, under the " blanket
act" The jury after being out three hours
rendered a verdict of guilty and the re-
spondent was put under $500 bonds for his
appearance before the supreme court. States
Attorney II. w. Kemp and George w.
Wing for the state; c. II. Heath, c. H. Pit
kin and W. A. Lord for the respondent.
The next case tried was State rs. r. X.
Furgerson and James Brown for the burg
larry of the store of f. b. Taylor on the
night of June 10th at Waterbury. These
respondents are the two men arrested by
Sheriff Atherton and George E. Moody in
MiddleseX on the evening of June 10th, an
account of which, and their description was
nuDlSneu dU UlldU IllIt. III dpDtdltu lIOni
the evidence produced on the part of the
state that the respondents had been seen in
and about Waterbury on two or three occa-
sons prior to the date of the burglary,
Brown being in the store and post-otfice on
the Saturday preceding and in the store OF
NJ o. Evans on the Tuesday before the
burglary; that on the night of Wednesday,
the date of the burglary of Hudson s hotel
the blacksmith shop of NJ w. Jackman at
Middlesex village was broken into and
| ,;,,n nl; n,Ic lrix a thprp-
from; that on Friday morning, June 11thr
the safe of Taylor at Waterbury was found
with its lock blown to pieces, having two
holes drilled into the door and into the lock-
; 1t appeared that the front doors of the store
had been pried open with a chisel. or some
such instrument leaving marks into which
the chisel taken from the blacksmith shop
was tried and found to be an exact fit; and
that on the floor of the store was found the
screw-driver taken from the blacksmith shop
l together with fuse and an exploder, such
as were in the possession of the respondents
when arrested; that there was an explosion
heard by George w. Morse, who saw two
, men going away from the vicinity immedi-
ately after, and it was also heard by NJ. o.
Evans, whose residence was in the second
story of the adjoining building; that the
respondents on the Saturday afternoon fol-
lowing inquired of several persons residing
t in the " Notch " the way to Stowe that on
, the following Monday night an attempt was
made to burglariZe the drugstore of j. j
Varean in Stowe; that Furgerson was seen
= by Mr.. Varean while attempting to pry up
one of the windows of the drugstore, having
in his company another man, who OCCASION
, ally threw a light through the window into
the store; that Mr.. Narean procured assist
E ance and the burglars were frightened away,
, leaving under the window the chisel taken
r from Jackmans shop in MiddleseX; that at
r the preliminary examination, the day after
, the arrest Furgerson was identified by Mr..
: Narean The men were seen by different
; parties on their way from Stowe toward
Waterbury Center Tuesday night, where
: they stole team of Eaton Hutchins and
a drove 10 Middesex Notch" where the
r team was abandoned, and note left at
2 tached to the wagon stating as follows:
+ Let this rig go; it belongs at Water
a bury Center" They took dinner Wednes-
| day afternoon at one sideways in the
notch " and passed the time between
half-past-one and half-past-eight P. NJ be-
tween that place and w. b. McElroys, a
distance of one and one-half miles, at which
time word was sent to Sheriff Atherton,
who, with G.. Z. Moody, made the arrest
: near the Darling crossing about nine p NJ.
, The circumstances of the arrest were de-
tailed at the time. When captured com
: plete outfit of burglars tools was found in
their possession, also diary the handwrit-
: ing in which corresponded exactly to that
found on the turn. Sheriff Atherton pro-
cured the assistance OF Mr.. Darling to bring
, the respondents to the Jail on the night OF
: | tnelr arrest ana upon Darling tAdillltlt-
= ton of the wagon soon after he found a
silver quarter peculiarly marked, which
quarter was identified and shown to be in
Taylor's safe on the night of the burglary
: No testimony was offered in defence except
that of G.. w. Wing as to the handwriting
of respondent Furgerson. This case took
the time of the court for three days and
and one-half and a large number of wit
nesses were examined. The jury after be-
= ing out but a short time returned verdict
: of guilty. The states attorney moved the
Z court for sentence upon the prisoners
a and the court sentenced each of the
r respondents to imprisonment in the state 5
. prison AT Windsor for the term of fifteen
. years. Furgerson, on being asked if he had
| anything to say why the sentence of the
: law should not be passed upon him said he
a had nothing TO say as to his own guilt or
innocence but that Brown was not with him
n at all until after the alleged burglary AT
n Waterbury and that he was an innocent
! man. Brown claimed that he came from
Chicago atthe request of Furgerson, being
y under obligations to him and did not arrive
= until day or two before his arrest and
n after the burglary. He also produced let
h ters and a1idavits from several citizens OF
q Chicago as to his previous good character
, and honesty The states attorney in an
r swer to this read letter from the chief of po'
lice Green Bay City, Michigan, in which the
said Rrnvn WAS ilantifp1 as Thomas Knox.