St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1886-11-18
VINDICATION AND DEATH.
Ten Years of Litigation Gives Mrs. Bur-
ton Victory.
Neao York Evenanq Journal.

Nel0 York EUenlng Journal.
The decision in the famous chancery
suit of Laura w. Burton against her
husband, Oscar A. Burton, and her
son, David NOyes Burton all of Bur-
lingtOn, from the general term of the
supreme court at Montpelier, had
hardly been published before the citi-
zens of her native place were shocked
to hear of her sudden death in New
York city. The high social position
of Mrs. Burton, the great wealth of
the parties to the suit, the eminent
counsel engaged and the peculiar fea
lures of the case, which covered pc
riOd of ten years, aroused wide inter
est and was considered as an indica-
ton of the character of the unfOrtu-
nate lady, who died so soon after her
vindicatiOn.
The case was bill in equity
brought 10y Mrs. Burton to enforce the
performance of an agreement of separ-
alton made between her and her hus-
band Oscar III. Burton in November,
1870. By the articles of the agree
ment the home place in Burlington
was decided by the husband in trust to
their son David NOyes Burton to be
occupied by Mrs. Burton during her
life time, and she was also to receive
an allowance in money for maintaining
the place. Mr.. Burton also agreed to
keep the place in suitable repair.
Mrs. Burton in her bill complained
and hindrances of her occupancy of
the premises according to the terms of
the agreement.
Mrs. Burton at the time of her death
was about fifty years old. She was of
fine personal appearance, woman of
culture and an acknowledged and fa-
vOrite leader of society in Burlington.
The family residence is fine old man.
sion with many modern improvements.
1t is located on the hill not far from
the university on College street, the
principal presidential street of the
city. 1t is surrounded by extensive
grounds in which there were conserv-
atOries, graperies, stables and all other
OuthOuses and appurtenances necessa-
ry for the maintenance and dignity of
princely mansion.
This mansion in the heyday of Mrs.
BurtOn's reign as society queen was
the center of fashion and the resort of
the best circles of society. Such fam
lies DIS GHOSO vi OcudIOr EUmunOS,
Minister Phelps, LIE Grand Cannon of
New York city, who has a palatial
summer residence at Burlington, are a
few of the distinguished people who
were entertained by Mrs. Burton.
Her husband, on the other hand,
was and is, according to all accounts,
Notwithstanding his great wealth, as
unpopular and as much disliked as his
wife was popular and favorite. He
was a large speculatOr in stocks in
Wall street and it is said lost largely
in the financial disaster of Black Fri
day. But it appears that in his pur-
suit after wealth he fully recovered his
losses.
In the vOluminOus testimony taken
in the case it was agreed that Mrs.
Burton, after the separation in 1876,
was relentlessly pursued by her hus-
band who put detectives upon her
track and kept her under such espi-
onage that her life was made miser-
able, and her formerly vigorous con-
stitutiOn finally succumbed to mental
perturbation and excitement and she
became a confirmed invalid.
1t was attempted upon the part of
the defence to prove that she was a
woman of confirmed Incorporate hab-
it's, and one of the witnesses introduce
Noyes Burton. His testimony. al
though cOuched in such language as to
fasten such stigma upon the charac-
ter of his afflicted mother, utterly fail
ed to convince the court, and the pub