Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1886-12-10
SAXT0N FORGERY CASE.
ARGUMENTS MADE BY THE COUNSEL
YESTER 3AY.
!. \. Brown, Esu., Opened Followed by l.
F. Englesby aud Hon. Henry Ballard
FOR the defence states Attorney
~. j. Foster Closes.

YESTERDAY iltIuIll8 at " " Nlbt ~ W h''i wv
argument for the prosecution was opened
by J. A. Brown, Esq. lie began by CON
gratulqting the court that after five days
OF tedious trial the now famous SaNton
case was approaching lis termination
Perhaps no case ever tried in this court
has attracted more attention here and
abroad But, we are not alone in this,
sensations seems to be an epidemic just at
present throughout the country.
The respondent, Jennie SaXtOn, is charged
with forging and also utterng forged pa
DE III this city Spptemb Der 4. Vt is conced-
ed on the other side thaJ the respondent
wrote the order aud affixed signature
which was not her own. The whole case
turns on the interest with which the
forged paper was uttered The oth her side
claim that the accused not only had au-
thority tor that order but also n carte
blanche for any sum she might need. The
sneaker then recounted her version of Mr..
Mason's debating the order at the Rich
noud depot and characterized it as Il fig
meut of the Imagination and went on to
demonstrate Its lnprObabilty, laying es
ppcial stress on her failure to follow out
his alleged orders. She claims unlimited
authority because this Is only one of pos
siblv two prosecutions for forgery and
hedges against Il second prosecution. We
have the statement of Mr.. Mason that he
never gave her authority to draw any or.
tlers whatever. The speaker then charac-
terized the baby said to have been born i'll
TVUl,boro as a myth, and said that TO eS-
tablish her alleged seduction the accused
gave her age at the outset AS three or four
yeats less than it was. The speaker then
reviewed the circumstances attending her
seduction as rehearsed by her and sad
described DIV her
rape and that il was settled by the pay
melt to her of -. 1t was improbable that
she screamed because Mr. Mason's house
IS in close proximity TO the poStofi1ce,
hotel and other buildings and if she had
she would nave been heard rs 1t was only
$50 y. IN. She says, however, that the
signals We're arranged ON this occasion.
The accused also contradlcts herself about
the sums paid her and although distinct
on other points cannot give single date
OF payment. He then argued that her
claim of Mr.. Mason's attempted conceal
ment was shown to he Inconsistent by her
story of his paying her money III the
presence of her sisters. He then discuss
ed the testimony of Sadie Richardson
whom he characterized as the belligerent
witness who SO fixed Mr. Foster with her
baselisk eye that he forgot what his ques-
lion was
The speaker then reviewed the pay
mentS of money and said that the defense
stating particular places but she was too
cunning to give dates so that the prOsecu-
ton could prove an alibi. He then dis
cussed the alleged Boston trip. The ac
cused did not claim that Mr.. Mason sat
with her and she said when she took the
sleeper at " hte River Junction she occu-
pied lower birth but she did not swear
where Mr.. Mason was. Mr. Mason swears
that he did not 20 with her to Boston. He
is a director of the road, known by al
ll.lN am n - va m
Die that he should 20 with her in this
open manner. The speaker then discus
sed the story of her confinement, lndulg-
ing briefly in rhyme, 1t Is impossible that
she should have gwen birth to a child and
forgotten it and consequently her state
ments III different times that 1t was born
in July and later in The fore part of June
are uneXplainable. 1t was impossible that
She could 20 to Jersey City, 50 soon, and
then that the child's body could not have
been concealed there at WillsbOrO, in the
lake or in the mountain No one knew of
its birth but Sadie and it was unnecessary
to advertise 1t further by taking ii to her
brothern law IN Jersey CITY. 1t was five
days after its birth in the hot days of June
So that the body must have been badly 81 o.
composed. The wAOle story is the most
grossly improbable OF any ever connected
by human mind and was gotten up to eX
alaiu the letters in Mr. MasOn's posses
sion. He then read copies of letters
WllCH JENNIE tldllllS " nave stlll WI
Mason and argued that each one WAS
blackmuil OF the blacklist sort. She
claimed the child WAS living and III the
,etter which she threatened to send to
Mrs. Mason that ii was three months old
lie hen described the honorable career OF
Mr. Mason aud showed how the black
mailer like death likes shining mark. II
is no wonder that he destroyed the black
mai letters iOr even If there was no
grounds for their writing nothing would
IL TO- Ita.l.t kt...
letters. 1t is in the interest of public
safety that this question be disposed of.
There is not married man i'll Vermont
who is not interested in this case. NJ heart
goes out to this old man who Is attacked
in this way aud is left IN part defehccltsS.
The red NIX" letter may have been writ
en- ia her hearts blood as her counsel
claims, but believe that Arthur LOCkliu
furnished the pen and ink with which it
was written. We are confident that John
j. Mason will 90 out OF this case without
the smel of fire on his garments. Is repu
tatiOn OF no account Can Il man build
up reputation for integrity and yet the
breath of harlot blow it away like
ashes | will not believe it.
MIR. ENGLEsBY's ARGUMENT.
l.. f. Englesby, Esq, opened the argu
inenl for the defence and pursued the fol
lowing vein: | have no poetry or ancient
history to quote on the subject. | have
only IA few simple points 10 make. The
counsel says that the state of Vermont i
bound to protect its witnesses. did no
know that John l.. Mason was on tria
mere. He then referred TO the story of The
girl who was country girl rs simply tina
of woman who has been betrayed III
then referred to the standing of Mr., Ma
son and his regret AT being obliged t.
state anything against him but the evl
dence in the case led him to believe tina
Mr.. Mason did have improper relation
with her ana did authorize her to draw
the order. There Is nothing improbabl
m the story. The barrier once broker
down between Mr.. Mason and the cir
the rest follows in natural order. Thes
relations once begun they are always sur
to continue until exposure, They Charg
chat she is II harlot, but they Onl
show that she went away with on
young man and that under promise q
marriage, but even if She is hanot nov
hat does not mitigate the crime of MI
Mason.