The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1894-03-07

from your interest and your confidence. DIR.
Seaver considered at length some of the
causes OF defalcatiOn in this country, among
them the thirst for gain. Our American en-
terprise, and our desire to rapidly increase
accumulations, lead first to adventure, after
wards to dishonesty. The dishonesty of
employers was forcibly shown to be a prime
cause of dishonesty among employees, and
the fact elaborated that if employers less
frequently swindled the public the less
often would they be swindled by those in
their employ. Defaulters largely make
themselves. Love of pleasure, display and
vice are prime factors that 90 to make a
man dishonest. When young man runs in
debt Tor his pleasures, he takes the first
steps in defalCation. Debt, speculation, and
defalcation are the three steps on the down
grade TO ruin. The speaker drew bright
picture OF the young man who waits for
wealth, position and power, lives life of
honest dealing and dies an honest man. 1t
was, throughout, an address Of marked
eloquence and power, and deeply impressed
the large congregation that listened to it.
MosT of the decisions handed down by
the supreme court, Thursday and Friday, on
cases heard at the January term may be
found on page eight. Among those cases
having local interest are the r.. G. Bowers
Granite Company v Thomas Farrell & Co.,
in which the Judgment as to the first count
was affirmed with costs, and Judgment as to
the second count affirmed without costs. In
the case of James r. Langdon V. Horatio
TempletOn of Worcester the decree for the
orator was reversed and the cause re-
manded, with perpetual injunction granted
on ten acres of land. The Caswell divorce
case was dismissed. 1t will be remem bered
that Laura A. Gould married Sherman s.
Caswell in Washington county Jail while
he was under a life sentence for the mur der
of her husband, and now seeks divorce on
the ground that her husband is legally
dead, The lower pOurt saiI that CaSwpll
was legally dead when the marriage was
performed, and she must now take the con-
sequences. The supreme court declines to
consider the matter, as there has been no
change in the conditions. A final isposi-
tion Of the Celebrated ONeil jug case - of
Rutland was made. In 1889 John O'Neil of
Rutland was convicted before Justice New
man Weeks of Rutland of 457 offences
against the prohibitory law, in sending
| liquor in jugs from Whitehall, n. Y, to
Rutland, and sentenced to nearly eighty
years in the house of correction. In county
court O'Neil pleaded guilty to 307 second
offences, which reduced the penalty to
about sixty years Imprisonment. The case
! went to the supreme court on the ground of
excessive punishment but the decision of
! the lower court was affirmed; then the
case was taken to the United States supreme
court on the ground that it was not in ac-
cord with the interstate commerce law.
That body declared it had no Jurisdiction,
and at the last term of the Vermont supreme
court motion in arrest of judgment was
skilfully argued. The decision was handed
down by Judge Rowell. The motion was
denied, and O'Neil was sentenced to the
house of correction for two months, and to
pay fine of Sc, 100 Respondent was in
court and was given chance to plead in his
own behalf, but declined to say anything.
He was taken to Rutland Friday morning
by Sheriff Howe.