Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1892-12-29
WINDSOR COUNTY COURT.
Several important Cases Continued and
New Cases Heard.

Several important Cases Continued and
New Cases Heard.
The following additional state cases
are made public: State VS.. Frank R. Har-
vey, Ernest Blake and Herbert New
man, for assault, the parties were ad-
mitted to bail in 500 each; state vs.
Harvey Parkhurst, information for
lewdness state VS.. HOratio p. Abbott,
for assault with intent to commit rape;
state VS.. Henry Vallee, Information for
selling liquor; N. Paul was assigned by
the court to defend respondent.
The case of Lizzie Currier VS.. Joseph
r. Richardson has ended at last, by
verdict for the plaintiff of $500 damages
and costs. The jury was empaneled and
the trial commenced at 8 a. m. Decem-
Der Z, and the case has occupied the at
tention of the court, jury, six lawyers
and a large crowd of interested specta-
tors from day to day, for about Is days.
About 100 witnesses have been ex-
amined, and the details of the evidence
have been interesting and racy. The
plaintiff is an unmarried lady of 80
years, and the defendant wealthy and
heretofore prominent citizen of Chester,
aged SO years. The suit grows out of
charge made by the defendant, in the
fall of 1889, that Lizzie Currier, when
domestic servant in his house in Septem-
ber 1884, and during the lifetime of his
first wife, had stolen from him seam
less sheet, dozen handkerchiefs and a
box of old coins, keepsakes and jewelry,
of the value of some $500, the property
of his first wife. The defendants first
s-<l s,, hn
plaintiff in April and May, 1885, was
again domestic servant in defendants
family for two or three weeks. The
plaintiffs evidence tended to show that
defendant did not believe her to be
thief, because shortly after the death OF
his wife he sought her hand in marriage
and courted her for two years, the court
ship resulting in an engagement to mar
was no court hip, but it appeared that
lings in the spring of 1888; suit for
followed, which resulted in judgment
for pl4intiff at the December term, 1889,
for $3.50 damages, which was paid. Then
followed suit by Mr.. Richardson
against Miss Currier to recover certain
but which she claimed were gifts in the
course of the courtship. The suit result
ed in Judgment for defendant, Miss Cur
rier. Mr.. Richardson gave evidence
tending to show that Miss Currier did
steal as he had asserted, and Miss
Curriers' evidence tended to show
the contrary, and she claimed that
it was not likely that the defen-
dant would have courted her and
promised to marry her If he had known
that she was a thief in 1884. And so the
legal battle went on. MIR. Richardson or
May %, 1892, just before this slandel
case vas to come on for trial, procured I
search warrant, and with Deputy Sheriff
w. p. Dodge and DIR. Charles E.. A.
Hazen went to the home of the parents
of Miss Currier, where she made her
home and after searching several hours
claimed to have found package of his
jewelry in the straw of bed that had
been emptied out upon the sittlng-room
floor. There had been thorough search
of the bed and other parts of the house
from about 1890 to and nothing found.
During this time, besides the searching
party, Mr.. and Mrs. Currier and Ernest
Lockwood we're present. The deputy
sheriff announced that the search was
ended and Miss Currier said that as soon
as the searching party left she and he1
father would 90 at once to Gassetts to
notify her attorney, Mr.. Davis. The
searching party left the house and went
away out of sight of it for consultation,
whereupon Mr.. Currier and Lizzie started
for Gassetts, Ernest Lockwood having
gone away short time before. In about
80 minutes the searchers returned and
found the mother, Mrs. Currier, the sole
occupant of the house. The search was
renewed and the straw bed emptied upon
the sitting-room floor as above stated
Deputy Sheriff Dodge sifted the straw
through his fingers and found nothing
Hazen assisting, and Mrs. Currier anc
Mr.. Richardson being interested specta
tors. There was considerable conflict ir
the evidence as to the details, but the
deputy sheriff and Hazen got some two
thirds or three-fourths of the straw into
the tick, when Dodge and Hazen (ac
cording to their story started to replace
the bed upon the bedstead in the small
bed room from which it had been taken
1t had to be pushed through the narrow
doorway. Hazen backed in and stepped
over the foot board, getting his heels en-
tangled in the Stats of the bed, which
distracted his aUUenulOn from ulo s1tUlDS
room. Dodge's back was towards the
sittingroom and of course could not Sc,
what was going on out there. Mrs. Cur
rier testified that she and Mr.. Richard
son were assisting in getting the bed il
the door. Whichever way that was, il
fact, while the attention of Dodge ant
Hazen was engrossed with the handling
of the "largest straw bed ever known
Mrs. Currier espied and picked up pack
age in the straw, two and One-halt fee
from the bedroom door, and at spol
just previously passed over by the two
men with the bed. She picked it up anG
began to open it, at once uttering a hasty
exclamation and charging that the pack
age had been brought there by some Of
the party. The package was an old pants
pocket and contained some old jewelry
which Richardson claimed belonged tt
himself and his deceased wife. Lizzie
Currier and her father were arrested fol
larceny and hearing had at. Chester be
fore Justice Marsh. the next day. After
the evidence was all in the respondent;
were discharged and the package turned
over to Richardson. All the Curriers'