St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1888-01-26
COUNTY COURT.
The Sam. Moore Verdict.--Another Ar.
son Case on the Boards.

SoOh1s
The Sam. Moore verdict.--Another Ar
son Case on the Boards.
The county court began its sessions
after the weeks recess last Thursday
morning. The Whitney Wagon Works
VS. Samuel L. Moore occupied the time
of the court until Saturday noon. The
Whitney works sold Moore a couple of
carriages in March 1886, and had never
received pay therefor. The plaintiffs
claimed that Moore procured the car
riages by false representations regard
would not surrender them to the COM
pany on demand they brought suit on
the ground of fraud, claiming 5000.
Moore claimed the company didn't do
as they agreed in relation to freight
charges and other particulars. The
jury after being out a short time
brought in a verdict for the plaintiff,
granting the Whitney company 5000
and costs, $50 for the carriages and
$50 exemplary: damages. Ide & Stat
ford for the plaintiff, Bates & May for
the defense.
The case that came on Monday, is
now being tried and is likely to last
the rest of the week, is that of the
State VS.. Francis Wells, the defendant
being held under the charge of arson,
States Attorney Dunnett assisted by
H. G. Bates for the state and w. P.
Stafford and Lawyer Lamson for the
defendant. Some time was occupied
in empanelling jury, a halfdozen of
the 18 men called being rejected by
counsel.
The opening statement by Attorney
Dunnett was, in brief, that Francis
Wells of East Burke, between and
O'clock on the evening of Oct. Z, 1886,
set fire to and destroyed barn and
sheds attached, belonging to John
Dashney of the same town; that Wells
owns a small piece of land adjoining
Dashney's; that there had been ill
feeling between Dashney's father and
Wells concerning the line fence be-
tween their lots, which had continued
since the death of the elder Dashney
between the son and Wells, the latter
having threatened to prosecute the
former; that on the night of the fire
Wells was seen in the vicinity of the
burning buildings and tracked from
Dashney's to his adjoining field and
thence to his home.-John Dashney,
whose barn was burned, was first wit
ness; had had trouble at various times
with Wells; witness was about barn at
us on night of fire; retired at 7.30
and fire broke out about that time :;
hay was exposed through two-foot
sheep-hOle at west end of barn.-My
ron Eggleston, Royal Eggleston, Anna
NOyes and Flora StOckwell saw the fire
in its early stages bursting through
the roof of barn testified to an ap-
pearance as though fire was first burn
ing at the end of barn where sheep
hole was.-JOhn Roach, Harris Jen-
kins, Daniel ellison and Allen Higgins
were at fire, saw certain peculiar
tracks about premises and organized
an investigating party, finding similar
tracks in Wells potatoe field and trac-
ing them with more or less certainty to
Wells house excepting a spot by a
certain clump of bushes where the
tracks were lost for short distance
Fred Newell drove by these bushes on
the evening of fire and horse was
frightened at that spot.-Jonathan Jen-
kins went into bushes Sunday after fire
and found tracks similar to those traced
to Wells house.-Nellie Counter and
Louisa Darling were at Wells house
night of fire from 6.45 to 7.30; did not
see him abOut.-EnOch Page testified