Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1892-02-19
THE SUPREME COURT.
sENTENCED-oTHER BbsI
NESS DONE.
BtSsI-

emu De1Ore noon or wednesday. IHe
judges were Hon. II. S. Taft of Willston'
Hon. j. w. Rowel of West Randolph,
Hon. James NJ. Tyler of Brattleboro and
Hon. Loveland Munson of Manchester
The most interesting event of the term
was the sentencing of Chaquette, the
| Fcrrisburgh murderer After his con
victon, the Goth of August last, he was
removed to the State prison at Windsor
pending the disposition of exceptions
taken by his counsel. Last week Sheriff
Howard Clark brought him to Middle
bury. He was taken into court on Tues
day and was sentenced to life imprison-
ment by Judge TAFT, the senior member
of the court. Hon. Henry Ballard of
Burlington and Hon. G.. w. Grandey of
Vergennes, who, with f. w. McGettrick,
Esq, of st. Adams, conducted the de-
fence, were present and told the court
that they waived the exceptions. Cha
quette was asked if he had anything to
say why sentence should not be pronoun-
ced. In reply he made long and inco-
herent speech, in which he found fault
with everybody concerned in the case,
and especially with his counsel, and COM
planned that he had not been allowed to
go on the stand to speak in his own de-
fence. Judge Taft, pronouncing SEN
tence, said:
"Alphonse Chaquette, the court has no
discretion in fixing the penalty in your
case. The law fixes the penalty. The
sentence of this court is that YOU be i'm
prisoned at hard labor in the States
prison at Windsor in the county of Wind
sor for the term of your natural life,
that you pay the costs of prosecution
and that you stand committed until SEN
tence is complied WITH
Answering an inquiry by the court as
to whether there was any objection to
directing the warrant for Chaquettes
commitment to State prison to Officer II.
p. Fisher of Nergennes. who made the
original arrest, Mr.. Wilds, who assisted
States Attorney Bliss in the prosecution,
took occasion to inform the court that
Judge Thompson, who presided at the
trial, told Chaquette plainly that he had
perfect right to testify, but advised him
to go on the stand only by advice of his
counsel that Chaquette and his lawyers
had long conference, and that they dis
suaded Inn from testifying. The war
rant for Chaquette's commitment was
nd oil 70 hn took H.
Wet back to Windsor on Wednesday,
going by way of Burlington on the fore
noon tram. Thus is disposed of one of
the noteworthy murder cases of the
minds of our readers to require extended
reteling. 1t was committed on the night
of Sunday, August 81, 1890. Chaquette
and his victim. Frederick Collette. were
in love with the same girl, whom Col
lette had married few months before
the tragedy. Chaquette armed himself
with shot gun and on the night in Ques-
ton left the place where he was employ
ed-Robert Sattley's-after dark, pro-
coded mile or more across lots to the
home of the Collettes and shot young Col
lette in the head through window in
the kitchen of the house, where COllette.
his wife and their friends were together
for visit No one saw the shooting,
but the whole neighborhood, when the
crime became known, at once turned to
Chaquette as the criminal. He was ar
rested within five hours after the shoot
ing. The trial in the county court last
August aroused great interest, as much
perhaps as any ever held in the county.
1t occupied 10 days. The case was ably
conducted on both sides. The defence
relied chiefly on the alleged insanity of
the respondent, but they were not able
to show that he was not entirely respOn-
sble for his actions. Eleven of the Il
jurymen were for bringing in verdict
of guilty of murder in the first degree
but the other member of the panel would
not consent to it, and so compromise
verdict of guilty of murder in the second
degree was rendered.
The other cases on the supreme cour
docket were disposed of as follows:
Manning VS.. Leighton, which was ar
gued year ago, is still with the court
no decision having been reached. Tn,
case grew out of the Alabama claims
The parties to the action are both law
yers and both formerly lived in Washing
ton, where Mr.. Leighton now resides
Mr.. Manning's present home is in Mass
achusetts.
Town of Leicester VS.. Town of Bran
don, pauper case. was continued to tn,
general term to be held at Montpelie
next fall.
Town of Weybridge VS.. VIM. NJ. Cush
man, the overseer of the poor of tn
town of Middlebury, is another paupe
case and involves the construction of tn
pauper law. Mr.. Wilds argued it TO
the plaintiff town and Mr.. Bliss for tn