The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1891-04-08
Washington County Court.


closed on Saturday afternoon at about half
past three. The respondents did not put on
many witnesses and good deal Of test-
mony bearing in favor OF their side OF the
case WIS called forth from the states wit
nesses, either in the direct or cross examine
ton. The evidence introduced on the part
of the state tended to show the following
facts: Jacob Mcclure of Nashua, N, H.,
man now sixty years old, has been stone
| and marble cutie for forty-one years, work
ing at his trade in different places, except
four years spent in the army during the war.
| In 1881 he came to Barre to work, and most
| of the period from that time until 1889 was
| spent in Vermont, during the portion OF
| the time he was at work. In the fall of 1889
he was at work in Montpelier, at the Wet
more & Morse shops. AT the time he so
worked there he boarded at the boarding
place of Levi Persons. Among the other
boarders were two of the respondents, Sher-
| burne aud Morrill,. Frequent conversations
arose between the three men AZ to the adj
vantages of the Granite Cutters National
| Union. Sherburne and Morrill, were mem
| bers and the colonel was not. The two
union men would say to Mcclure that he
ought to join, and every man ought to do so,
| to which the colonel would reply that he
| was not in sympathy with the union, and in
his situation in selling work he did not think
1t was to his advantage to do so. According
to the testimony Of Mcclure and two wit
uesses for the state, Morrill,, in some of these
discussions, added: "You will have to join
the union. or get out" After Mcclure had
worked in the shops about two weeks, he
was approached by the respondent Morri-
| son, who, as the evidence showed, held the
office of shop steward in the Wetmore &
Morse shops. 1t appeared in the evidence
| that one of the duties OF this officer, in
yard employing only Union men. was to go
to each newcomer and ask him for his
"card, ;" referring to the card that would be
| given him. il a member of the union, on his
leaving the town at which he had been there
tofore working. Morrison thus came to Nc
Clure and asked him if he had a card. He
| was answered by the latter that he had no
card and did not belong to the union. Sew
eral conversations ensued, and Morrison
told the colonel that he (Morrison) would
have to report Mcclure to the branch union.
1t further appeared that there was at Mont
pelier branch of the Granite cutters Ma
tional Union. The headquarters OF the ma
tional union are at present located at Barre,
and the respondent, Josiah Is. Dyer, is the
present secretary and one of the executive
Tor national union) committee. The section
of the union located at Montpelier Is called
the Montpelier branch. At the time in
question the presiding officer of this branch
had removed from this locality and its de-
alterations were presided over by one Harry
Clamp The report of Morrison was taken
to the meeting of the branch, and, as re-
suit Of such action as was taken there, Nor
rison informed Mr.. Mcclure that he must
| persent himself at the next meeting OF the
branch, which was to be held at the Grand
Army hall on certain date named by Nor
rison. Mcclure intimated he would not at
tend, but gave Morrison a letter to take to
the branch meeting, in which the colonel
stated his reasons for not wishing to 1Oin
and asked for reply in writing. He re-
ceived no reply in writing, but the day after
the meeting Mr.. Morrison came to him at
the shops aud told him the meeting had de-
cided that he must come and join the union,
and that an opportunity would be afforded
him to become member that day at noon;
that il he did not Join at that time the men
would organize against him. Mcclure knew
what that meant, and he learned from other
sources that a meeting was to be held that
noon He went to see the foreman and the
manager, and, rather than embarrass the
firm, decided to get out. Having quit work
at the Wetmore & Morse shops, he went to
the shops of Thomas Eagan and negotiated
to do certain work for him. 1t becoming
known that trouble had occurred at Wet
more's, Eagan made enquiries among the
union men at work in his shop. The result
was the colonel did moi get the job at
Eagan's. Then he went to make COM
plant, and that was the inception of the
| present prosecution. The day after NC
Clure went to see the states attorney at
Barre meeting was held at Barre OF the
National Union Committee, and sub-com-
mittee consisting of the president (Mr. Nc
Donald) and the secretary (Mr. Dyer, was
appointed to come to Montpelier to investi-
! gate the matter. They came to Montpelier
the next day Sunday and had an interview
with Mr. Eagan, and also with the presi-
dent of the meeting held in the shed at the
! noon the colonel left work. This meeting
had been presided over by the respondent
Morrill,. The state introduced number of
members of the union who were present at
some of the meetings OF the branch when
the matter of Colonel Mcclure was up. The
. evidence of the state in this behalf tended
to show that the action OF the last evening
meeting Of the branch was in effect that Col
onel Mcclure must join the union or the
men would not work with him. The re-
spondents relied to a large extent on what
! was shown in examination of the state wit
nesses.
A few witnesses were introduced on the
defence and the testimony 80 introduced
tended to show that Mr.. Morrill, at the Per-
sons boarding house had not used any such
threat to Mcclure that he would have to get
out, as the evidence of Mcclure and of the
state witnesses tended to show. 1t also ap-
peared in the evidence on the part OF the re-
spondents that Mcclure had told several
persons he did not expect to stay IN Mont
pelier long, anyway, at the time he quit
work Evidence was also introduced tend
ing to show interest on the part OF certain
state witnesses. The constitution and by
, laws of the Granite Cutters Union was put
, in, almost entirely.
, The evidence closed Saturday afternoon,
and a recess was then taken until Monday
, morning, when G. w. Wing commenced his
argument at nine o'clock, speaking until
noon. Mr. Wing made a strong presenta-
ton of the states claims, taking the case
along step by step az shown by the evidence.
Mr.. Wing made an able, forcible and fair
, argument. He was followed by Governor
Dillingham; who said the evidence intro
duced failed to show any conspiracy. He
took up the case OF each respondent singly,
and said the evidence failed to show either
of them guilty. There was like failure to
show any joint action, in the nature of a
conspiracy. If there was any conspiracy at
, all, il was between Colonel Mcclure and
some of the manufacturers, to the end that
a blow might be struck at the union; Mr..
: . Dillingham; closed at five o'clock and re-
, cess was taken until morning.
, Mr.. Grady commenced on Tuesday morn
ing and delivered most impressive address
bearing down with great force and earnest
: ness upon the parts of the prosecution that
: told in favor of the innocence OF the respon-
, dents. Mr.. Lamson spoke about three
quarters OF an hour last night and will re-
sume this Wednesday, morning at nine